Gunungkidul Government Prepares Home Renovation Aid for Elderly Man

The Gunungkidul Regency Government is preparing assistance in the form of a home renovation for an elderly man who lives alone in a small house in Klepu Hamlet, Tambakromo, Ponjong District. Gunungkidul Regent Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih said she visited the home of the 75-year-old man, known as Mbah Waluyo, together with the National Zakat Agency (Baznas) on Friday. “Mbah Waluyo works as a male masseur, and also raises rabbits, farms catfish, and grows chillies at his home to make a living,” Endah said in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. She explained that the regency government and Baznas Gunungkidul are preparing renovation assistance through a Baznas house construction scheme because Mbah Waluyo does not have a steady income. “The Baznas house construction assistance scheme was chosen because it does not burden beneficiaries with self-help costs,” she said. The Baznas programme differs from other aid schemes such as the Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance (BSPS), which typically requires matching funds from the homeowner. “We must not let elderly people who live alone become less prosperous,” Endah stated. She also confirmed that Mbah Waluyo has received various social assistance from the government, including Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance (BLT Dana Desa), Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), and the Family Hope Programme (PKH). She commended the PKH cadres and local government for actively tracking elderly residents in similar conditions. “Mapping and ranking elderly individuals who live alone and are underprivileged is a priority,” she said. The mapping, she continued, is part of the government’s effort to intervene in community conditions as early as possible to prevent undesirable outcomes, “such as suicides caused by poverty.” Endah also encouraged residents with surplus wealth to channel their zakat through Baznas, as it can have a significant impact, including helping to build homes for those in need. “If we pay zakat individually, it may not be enough to build a house, but if collected through Baznas, the funds can make a big difference,” she explained.