Entering its second year of empowerment, Pundi Sumatra held a multi-stakeholder meeting on January 24, 2023, to socialize the program's achievements as well as garner support from stakeholders in efforts to develop economic businesses in the community.

Local Government Engagement

Several Bungo Regency OPDs who attended the multi-stakeholder meeting included the Livestock and Fisheries Service, the Food Security Service, the P2KB & P3A Social Service, the Cooperatives and UKM Industry and Trade Office, Bappeda, Social Service, TP PKK Bungo, UPT Vocational Training Center (BLK), MUI, Licensing Service, BAZNAS Bungo Regency, and Dwi Karya Bakti Village Government. Meanwhile, from universities, there were representatives from the Fisheries Faculty of Muara Bungo University, as well as representatives from MSMEs and owners of several supermarkets in the district.

The meeting, which took place in the Meeting Hall of the Bungo Regency Livestock and Fisheries Service, was opened by the Bungo Regent, represented by Assistant II of the Bungo Regional Secretariat, Ir. H. Syaiful Azhar, ME., in his remarks said that empowering the Anak Dalam Tribe is the duty of all parties.

"Those remote indigenous communities should think about giving directions, we help them with their education, strengthen their economy and other basic rights. Because they really are just like us,” he said. Apart from that the purpose of the multistakeholder meeting, according to him, can also be an opportunity for OPD to provide input and suggestions for empowerment activities that have taken place in the community.

Community Social Change

Mustahik who are the beneficiaries of the ZCD-BAZNAS RI program are the Hari Group and the Storm Troupe who have lived in one location since 2014. Through mentoring interventions in the da'wah program, the SAD community already has two recitation groups, namely TPQ Darul Ilmi which is intended for children; as well as adult groups who have regular activities with yasinan agendas and religious lectures. This da'wah program is also running with support from BAZNAS Kab. Bungo by placing a Koran teacher who intensely carries out religious guidance.

The achievement of empowerment in the education program is the implementation of non-formal education for children through natural schools, facilitating educational tour agendas, outing activities to the Bungo Regional Library, as well as a series of activities aimed at increasing children's interest in the world of literacy.

The achievements of the assistance program for health and humanitarian services have been the implementation of several educational activities for SAD posyandu cadres, facilitating posyandu services in SAD settlements, training on making healthy food and MPASI for toddlers and raising awareness about PHBS issues and reproductive health.

While the achievements in the economic development program were the development of "rubai mat" woven activities and the business of growing fish with processed products in the form of smoked fish. It was this achievement in the economic field that became the main objective of the agenda for the multistakeholder meeting that was held.

According to Dewi, the economy is one of the keys in empowering activities and efforts to prepare the independence of this indigenous community group.

"There are three economic programs that have developed in this group, first the fish rearing group, smoked fish processing, and mat weaving from the women's group.,” he said. Furthermore, Dewi also explained that apart from Baznas RI, the source of fish seeds for this business group was also assisted by the Bungo Regency Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Service (Disnakan) and BPBAT Sungai Gelam Jambi. Fish enlargement activities carried out by this community have several times resulted in harvests; and has been marketed to the surrounding village community as well as connected with big fish entrepreneurs in Bungo district.

"One of the goals of growing this fish is that the community gets a supply of protein to prevent malnutrition for children, as well as being able to increase the income of residents from businesses that are developed.,” said Dewi.

Wanting to increase the selling value of these products, since 2020 this community has started learning to make processed smoked fish products. The process taken by the group in producing good smoked fish products with the standards that the market wants is not easy. However, from this struggle, the smoked fish produced by the "Mina Hasop Eluk" group is slowly starting to be accepted by the market. With the MUI's halal certificate and PIRT permit that has been pocketed, the group hopes that their products can enter the MSME network and large supermarkets in Bungo district. The multi-stakeholder meeting that took place was a strategy in paving the way for achieving this dream.

The meeting went well and many commitments were given by the participants in expanding product marketing and encouraging wider public acceptance of the products belonging to the SAD community.

Two things that were noted by the meeting participants to be improved in the future are adding expiration dates to product packaging, and changing product packaging to make it more attractive and worth selling.

At the end of the meeting, Quswen Ikmal as Head of the Bungo Regency Disnakan also informed the allocation of assistance for catfish and gourami seeds again in 2023 to the community, but asked for support from BAZNAS Kab. Bungo in the provision of fish feed. "We ask for help from Baznas Kab. Bungo for the provision of fish feed, because Disnakan can only provide seeds in 2023, "he said. Responding to this, the Head of the Bungo Regency Baznas immediately agreed, and his party would distribute the feed needs after they received the proposal file from Pundi Sumatra.