"At least now the Suku Anak Dalam community can move forward with electricity coming to the location. Children don't need to study with dim light"

"Bang Arief, maelah belajo pulek (Bang Arief, let's study)", Aladin said from behind Arief's bedroom door. Arief, who is a staff member of Pundi Sumatra, has memorised the habits of the children from the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) community that he accompanies. When night falls, they will call Arief to help them with their schoolwork after spending the afternoon playing. Arief immediately came out after cleaning himself and praying in his room.

"why not from this afternoon," he replied at the door. The children just grinned and laughed. Arif realised that he was the only one the children could rely on to help them with their schoolwork. Most of their parents were not educated and therefore unable to teach their children to complete schoolwork. Some were even illiterate.

Arief immediately spread a tassel mat in the centre of the SAD settlement hall. The children followed suit by unfolding folding study tables donated by kind people who cared about their education. At that time the moon was not very bright because the sky was covered with clouds, it also happened that the lights from the solar panels in the room were only able to glow dimly, but schoolwork must be completed tonight.

"Just use the light from your mobile phone," Arief advised the children. The hall is where they study together almost every day. In addition, the 48-square-metre building is also often used as a meeting location for activities that take place in the settlement.

Of course, the light from the solar panel is not too bright to illuminate the room. If you want to start a generator, it also requires a lot of capital for the SAD community. Ten litres of diesel fuel costing around Idr 70,000 can only light up the area from dusk to midnight.

Pematang Kejumat is one of the SAD settlements in Sarolangun Regency that is untouched by electricity. The location of Pundi Sumatra's assistance is located in Limbur Tembesi Village, Bathin VIII District, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province. Since 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs has built semi-permanent housing for the SAD community on land purchased by the Mitra Sriwijaya Sarolangun Foundation. There are a total of 17 family heads who inhabit the housing.

In 2021, PT Indomarco Prismatama through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund provided infrastructure assistance at this location in the form of a hall building, 2 units of communal toilets and solar panels in each house. Unfortunately, the solar panels are unable to fulfil the family's electricity needs, which can only turn on 2 dim bulbs in each house.

"Even if we charge our mobile phones, it takes a long time," complained Jaini, one of the heads of families there. This condition also prevents them from enjoying daily household activities. Jaini said that they have to fetch water from the river, because they can't always afford to buy fuel to power the generator to draw water from the well. The generator is also often broken, due to high usage.

Advocacy Efforts of the Parties

The many limitations faced in locations without electricity made Pundi Sumatra make advocacy efforts to the relevant OPDs in Sarolangun Regency. Entering the second year of assistance, precisely in mid-2023, Arief began visiting the Social Service and the Regional Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA) of Sarolangun Regency to find solutions to the electricity problem. However, the absence of a budget means that the problem cannot be resolved quickly.

Until August 2023, when Sarolangun's Acting Regent Bachril Bakri visited the Pematang Kejumat location for food distribution, Arief took the opportunity to hold a discussion on the sidelines of his visit. Bachril Bakri suggested that Pundi Sumatra write a letter requesting the installation of an electricity network addressed to PLN Bangko; and meet PLN UP3 Muara Bungo as the customer service implementation unit. The result of the coordination is that PLN can facilitate the installation of a new electricity network, provided that there is a payment for the installation fee, the cost of issuing the Installation Data Identification Number (NIDI), the issuance of a Certificate of Operation (SLO) which will be used as a condition for registering with PLN.

"The poles, substation additions and cable network to the location are free from PLN," said Arief, imitating the answer from PLN. But residents are charged a new electricity installation fee with a power of 900 VA of around Idr 950,000, not including the management of SLO, NIDI and the installation of residential networks. Of course, this is a very large amount for the SAD community there.

"We can't afford that, sir," said Tumenggung Juray.

The next step Pundi Sumatra took was to invite the church (Yayasan Mitra Sriwijaya) to discuss. Through Domi as the church facilitator, Yayasan Mitra Sriwijaya agreed to help cover the cost of installing electricity network installations in each house as well as the cost of issuing NIDI and SLO Certificates which will be used as a requirement to register with PLN. As for the payment of the cost of installing a new network, it is the responsibility of Pundi Sumatra to pursue it.

In December 2023, Pundi Sumatra took the initiative to explore Balai Alyatama Jambi as the UPTD of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs to solve the electricity problem in Pematang Kejumat. The communication finally paid off, with the willingness of Balai Alyatama Jambi to help with the cost of installing new electricity for SAD residents. Pundi Sumatra was immediately asked to complete the paperwork, submitting a proposal to Balai Alyatama as a basis for them to provide programme support.

Now Electrified

Entering January 2024, after all the requirements for NIDI, SLO and installation of the residents' home networks were fulfilled. PLN began installing poles, procuring electricity substations and installing electricity lines to residential locations. Furthermore, when the proposal and submission files to Balai Alyatama were also declared complete, on 8 March 2024, Balai Alyatama made payment for the new electricity installation fee and 2 days later the government-subsidised 900 kWh electricity meter was installed. Now the SAD community in Pematang Kejumat can enjoy electric lighting, just like the surrounding villagers.

With the electricity facility, Aladin, Toher Juli, Meti, Rasti and the other children who have gone to school; can study without dim lighting anymore because the light can now illuminate all rooms in their wooden house.

"We are grateful that we can now enjoy electricity, thank you to all those who have helped us," said Tumenggung Juray.

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