By: Adnan Ramdani )*
Poverty remains a major problem in many countries, including Indonesia. Although poverty rates have shown a downward trend in recent decades, economic inequality and limited access to basic services such as education, health care, and employment opportunities remain significant obstacles.
In response to these issues, President Prabowo’s administration recently launched three strategic poverty alleviation initiatives, a collaboration known as Trisula. The three programs—People’s Schools, Free Health Checks in Schools, and the Red and White Village/Sub-district Cooperative—are designed to address the root causes of poverty through three main pillars: education, health, and the economy.
The Head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, stated that the three programs constitute a “trident” that serves as the government’s weapon for equitable development and poverty alleviation. All three programs are programs that directly benefit the public, particularly the extreme poor.
The People’s School Program is scheduled to launch at the end of July. In the first phase, 100 people’s schools will be operational, specifically accepting students from extremely poor families.
In addition to receiving an education aligned with the national curriculum, students at public schools also live in dormitories. These students are provided with meals and adequate housing. This ensures that parents don’t have to worry about other expenses required to support their children’s schooling.
Furthermore, the government will expand the Free Health Check program to schools. This program will target elementary, middle, and high school students. Students will receive several types of examinations, including dental checkups, ear checkups, blood pressure checks, tuberculosis screenings, and psychiatric assessments.
Through this program, President Prabowo hopes that more people will seek health checks, as they can be done beyond community health centers. Students will also be able to identify their health conditions and take early preventative measures.
The third program launched by the government is the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative. Ariyo DP Irhamna, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Paramadina University, stated that the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative program represents a major step that affirms the role of the people’s economy based on collectivity, mutual cooperation, and the independence of local businesses. This step should be seen as a turning point from the policy approach that has tended to marginalize cooperatives in the national economic architecture. Furthermore, Ariyo assessed that after being marginalized for so long, cooperatives have finally regained space in the nation’s economic development plan.
However, he emphasized that the establishment of cooperatives must be accompanied by appropriate mentoring and operational strategies. This is because the operationalization of 80,000 cooperatives took less than a year. Furthermore, the cooperatives will receive up to Rp 3 billion in financing support.
Similarly, the Deputy for Dissemination and Information Media at the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Noudhy Valdryno, explained that President Prabowo’s three Trident programs were designed to address the concrete needs of the community, especially the extreme poor.
This strategic initiative is also part of the government’s efforts to support the achievement of the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. The launch of these three programs reflects the government’s desire to make the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia more than just a celebration, but a real milestone in realizing economic and social independence for all Indonesians.
Prabowo’s Trident is not merely a campaign promise, but rather represents the first step in a policy that favors the most vulnerable groups. However, the success of these programs is measured not only by their launch but also by consistency in implementation, budget oversight, and their ability to reach the community evenly.
Challenges remain, such as slow bureaucracy, potential overlapping regional policies, and the risk of corruption at the implementation level. This is where public participation, civil society, and transparent government data and reporting become crucial.
Prabowo’s Trident could be a turning point in development that benefits the people more, provided it is implemented with principles of sustainability and accountability. Hope has been created; now the question remains: how to keep that flame burning and truly illuminate a path out of long-standing inherited poverty.
These three programs are part of Prabowo Subianto’s grand vision to build Indonesia from the periphery, strengthen the social foundations of society, and eliminate economic disparities in a gradual but targeted manner. With a strong commitment from the government, legislators, academics, and the people, Prabowo’s Trident is not just a political slogan, but a transformational potential for a more just, independent, and prosperous Indonesia.
)* The author is an economic observer
