With the aim of reporting the achievements of the 2023 program and gathering input on the empowerment activity plan in 2024 for the ESTUNGKARA program, Pundi Sumatra held a year-end workshop that presented representatives of Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD), academics, private sector, sub-district and village elements and representatives of Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) cadres. The workshop, which was held at the Amaris Bungo Hotel on Thursday, 21 December 2023, was also an opportunity for Pundi Sumatra to share the progress of the SAD learning document preparation activities in the Cross Sumatra region as one of the program outputs for that year.

In addition, the year-end workshop is also a forum for Pundi Sumatra to map regional priority issues and accommodate a lot of input from various parties so that the SAD empowerment programme plan that Pundi Sumatra runs remains in line with the priority issues set by Bungo Regency. This is part of the strategy to ensure the sustainability of the programme and the involvement of stakeholders in improving the effectiveness of the empowerment programme in the coming year.

The event, which started at around 09.30 am, was opened by Assistant I of Bungo's Regional Secretariat, Zulfadli, SE. In his opening remarks, Zulfadli expressed his appreciation for the efforts to empower the SAD in Dwi Karya Bakti Village, Pelepat Sub-district, Bungo District.

"The achievement of basic access such as administration and economy for SAD is getting better because of Pundi Sumatra's assistance. But what we have to think about is the independence of SAD and how we can continue this programme after the end of the Pundi Sumatra project," he said.

In addition, Zulfadli also shared his thoughts on the potential aspects of local wisdom and culture in SAD that can be managed with a cultural tourism village approach. According to him, Bungo Regency has very few tourist attractions, and the authenticity of the SAD can actually be encouraged as a tourist attraction, which can be an income for the SAD community, for the village and PAD of Bungo Regency. Zilfadli believes that with the tourism village, there will be many visitors who come and learn about life or conduct cultural research at the SAD location.

"I wonder why visits from outsiders always focus on TNBD in Sarolangun district. Whereas the condition of SAD in Bungo district is very advanced and has been empowered. If this assistance has reached the stage of providing economic benefits not only to the SAD community, but also to the village and regency PAD; that is the point where this empowerment is successful and useful," said Setda I.

Empowerment Programme Outcomes

"This year, we are intensely guarding 12 residents who have not registered for DTKS, including facilitating JKN for residents. DTKS is very important for them to get access to social welfare assistance programmes from the government".

After listening to remarks from Setda I, Yori Sandi as the project coordinator in the ESTUNGKARA programme presented a report on the achievements of the programme to the participants. Workshop participants who attended this event included DPOs such as Bappeda Bungo, Bungo Social Service, Bungo Education Office, Bungo Health Office, Bungo Dukcapil Office, PKK Pelepat Sub-district, Pelepat Police, Rantau Keloyang Community Health Centre, Dwi Karya Bakti Village Government, Bungo Food Plantation and Horticulture Office, Bungo Perindagkop Office, Bungo Livestock and Fisheries Office, Bungo Food Security Office, Bungo Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Baznas Bungo. Also present were universities in Bungo Regency, such as Muara Bungo University, Setih Setio Institute of Administration and Health, Akademi Kebidanan Amanah Muara Bungo and representatives from PT MAP.

Some of the achievements that have been reported in this meeting are included in the five focus empowerment programmes run by Pundi Sumatra. As in Basic Services, over the past year 39 children have received birth certificates and Child Identity Cards (KIA) as the constitutional rights of children as citizens. Then 148 people have been inputted into the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) system.

"This year, we are intensely guarding 12 residents who have not registered with DTKS, including facilitating JKN for residents. DTKS is very important for them to get access to social welfare assistance programmes from the government," said Yori.

The acquisition of 146 JKN KIS for SAD residents is also an achievement in health aspect services, in addition to the implementation of a series of education and awareness on issues of PHBS, reproductive health, stunting prevention, as well as the implementation of posyandu and practices of making complementary food for infants and toddlers in collaboration with various parties have also been carried out during this period.

Alternative economic development also received a significant portion of assistance from Pundi Sumatra in 2023. For this economic development, the Rombong Hari and Badai SAD groups already have four business groups, namely Mina Hasop Eluk (Fish Processing SME), Mina Kelukup (Fish Enlargement Group), Tandan Berduri Group (Farmer Group), and Wicker Group.

"We continue to provide capacity building for these four groups as well as the establishment of SOPs for several groups. For now, those that already have a decree are the Mina Hasop Eluk group and the Mina Kelukup group," said Yori.

After submitting the activity report, the participants were asked to discuss in groups to provide input and suggestions to Pundi Sumatra on the empowerment programme that will be carried out for 2024. Participants can also provide information on programme support/opportunities that can be synergised together. The group division consisted of 3 basic themes, namely basic services, economic improvement, and regional policies.

The discussion resulted in several programme ideas that were in line with the strategic issues of the Bungo local government. Several commitments emerged, such as from the Ministry of Religious Affairs Bungo who will conduct marriage guidance for adolescents as an effort to reduce the number of child marriages, as well as IAKSS Bungo's plan to provide psychological assistance to the community, especially on parenting issues and digital literacy.

"The mental maturity of adolescents and the assistance of psychologists are considered important to improve family welfare and prevent conflicts that occur within their scope," said Mela Mayasari, an academic from IAKSS.

In addition, in health services, the Health Office is willing to strengthen the special posyandu activities that were previously initiated by the Jambi University Matching Fund team in November 2023. This commitment from the Health Office brings fresh air for posyandu cadres who come from the community so that they can get capacity building in the following year.

At the policy level, participants also suggested encouraging the reactivation of the SAD empowerment communication forum and asked Bappeda to be the leading sector in organising DPOs to revitalise this communication forum; as well as input to encourage a legal umbrella in the form of a regional regulation (Perda) or Regent Regulation (Perbub) that regulates the technical implementation of KAT empowerment in Bungo District.

Schematic of the Cultural Tourism Village Idea in Kelukup

"This cultural tourism village is also expected to be able to improve the economy for the SAD, for the surrounding villagers and increase regional economic income".

In the workshop discussion session, the idea of a tourism village was also mentioned to be discussed together. This discourse was responded positively by the parties, especially Setda I Bungo. This initiative is considered important to maintain and introduce the customs and culture of the ancestors to the younger generation in the community. Without measures such as these, it is likely that the youth in these communities would lose connection with their cultural heritage.

Dewi Yunita as CEO of Pundi Sumatra said that the development of this cultural tourism village is expected not only in an effort to maintain cultural heritage, but efforts to improve the economy and increase participation and connections between communities, villages and local governments; so that social inclusion can also occur more quickly.

"Actually, in developing a cultural tourism village in the Suku Anak Dalam community, we have mapped the potential and drafted a concept. However, we will take its implementation more seriously in 2024 until the end of 2025. To finalise the concept, we will arrange a special discussion involving the PMD, village and sub-district governments, the tourism office, Bappeda and the social office," said Dewi.

The idea of a cultural tourism village in Dwi Karya Bakti Village departs from the local potential they already have, such as the cultural wisdom of bedeti dance, traditional medicine rituals, fish ngakop tradition, weaving skills and economic business activities that can also be an object of learning for outside communities. The year 2024 will be the phase in strengthening its institutions, cadres as management groups and preparing infrastructure in realising the idea.

"This cultural tourism village is also expected to be able to improve the economy for the SAD, for the surrounding villagers and increase regional economic income," said Dewi.