Jakarta – The government continues its efforts to strengthen the foundations of social welfare through various social protection programs that adapt to changing times. One of its latest steps is implementing new regulations for the distribution of social assistance (bansos) to help beneficiary families (KPM) become more productive and independent in the long term.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) provided direction and emphasized to the Family Hope Program (PKH) staff that they play a central role as agents of social change. He urged all facilitators to view their duties not merely as administrative work, but as a humanitarian mission with real impact.
“My fellow PKH HR, you are not just field workers. You are guardians of hope. You are friends to those on the margins,” said Gus Ipul.
Gus Ipul said that the success of a facilitator is not measured by the amount of data collected, but by the number of Beneficiary Families (KPM) who successfully graduate from dependence on social assistance to become economically independent.
Gus Ipul also emphasized that social assistance is temporary, especially for beneficiaries of productive age. Therefore, mentors must act as a bridge to economic empowerment, through access to training, business assistance, capacity building, and market access.
“PKH facilitators act as facilitators, motivators, educators, trainers, and social advocates. These roles must be carried out with high integrity,” he said.
Through this approach, the government hopes to encourage productive beneficiaries (KPM) to utilize the assistance as initial capital to establish independent businesses or enter the workforce. In practice, implementing this regulation will involve collaboration across ministries and institutions, such as the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, and other agencies. The goal is to create synergy between social protection and economic empowerment.
On the same occasion, the Ministry of Social Affairs also signed a memorandum of understanding with 16 universities in the Special Region of Yogyakarta to accelerate poverty alleviation through social empowerment.
“This collaboration aims to accelerate poverty alleviation through social empowerment,” said Mira Riyati, Director General of Social Empowerment.
UGM Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ova Emilia, welcomed this collaboration and emphasized UGM’s readiness through the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and the Directorate of Community Service to immediately realize the poverty alleviation acceleration program in DIY.
“Hopefully, the synergy that has been built can further strengthen the development of human resource capacity in our beloved country,” said Ova.
