Central Java Provincial Government Rolls Out 19 Poverty-Reduction Interventions in Sragen

The cross-agency collaborative programme aims to accelerate poverty reduction and empower rural communities.

Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen stressed that the Village Assistance Programme must have a tangible impact on the lives of the wider community. Government assistance should be followed by mentoring and close monitoring to ensure it reaches the intended beneficiaries.

“Rather than simply distributing aid, we must also ensure that every intervention brings about real change in people’s lives,” Taj Yasin said in a written statement on Thursday (5 November 2026).

He also praised the development of local livestock farming through the communal management of joint business groups, known as KUBE. This integrated approach was seen as not only improving residents’ incomes but also offering potential for locally produced biogas and compost.

“KUBE groups are not usually run communally, but in Gemantar Village they are. We need to provide further guidance on this, as it has the potential to produce biogas and compost. We want the entire process, from upstream to downstream, to bring real benefits to the community,” Taj Yasin said.

In the health sector, Taj Yasin highlighted the importance of improving the quality of human resources in the village. He asked health workers and community health volunteers to ensure that children consistently receive and consume nutritious food, starting during pregnancy.

Central Java Health Agency head Zulfachmi Wahab said the Village Assistance Programme currently covers 61 villages in 16 regencies, with 48 provincial government agencies actively involved.

In Gemantar Village, the 19 interventions include three months of nutritional support for 59 children with stunting and 13 pairs of glasses for schoolchildren. The assistance also includes Rp20 million in start-up capital for each of two KUBE groups, repairs to six uninhabitable homes at Rp16 million per house, and electricity connections for seven residents.

“Through these interventions, we hope Gemantar Village will become more self-reliant, residents’ health will improve, and efforts to accelerate poverty reduction will be more effective,” Zulfachmi said.

Sragen Regency Secretary Hargiyanto welcomed and praised the assistance from the Central Java provincial government. On the same occasion, the head of Gemantar Village declared the village a Tuberculosis-Alert Village.

The declaration reflects the village government’s commitment to strengthening public awareness and tackling disease in the community. The programme concluded with Taj Yasin visiting the goat-farming KUBE site and the home of a recipient of the uninhabitable-housing assistance.