MSF Launches Poverty-Reduction Collaboration in Three Villages

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) for Poverty Reduction has begun implementing a collaborative programme in three villages, pooling programmes and resources in an effort to reduce poverty in Indonesia.

The programme involves government, philanthropic organisations, businesses, academics and communities to address the fragmentation of poverty-reduction efforts, which has risked overlapping assistance and gaps in services.

“MSF aims to bring together an understanding of the problems, action plans and each party’s contributions so that support for villages reinforces itself,” Rizal Algamar, chair of the governing board of the Indonesian Philanthropy Association, said in an official statement in Jakarta on Friday.

The three pilot locations are Ciseureuheun Village, supported by Human Initiative; Panyingkiran Kidul Village, supported by Rumah Zakat; and Karyawangi Village, supported by DT Peduli.

Dyah Tri Kumolosari, deputy for social welfare improvement coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment, said poverty reduction required cooperation among various parties through strategies to reduce household expenditure burdens, increase incomes and reduce areas of concentrated poverty.

“This situation underscores the importance of making villages the basis for poverty reduction, through assessments and interventions tailored to the needs of local communities,” she said.

Romi Ardiansyah, MSF vice-chair and chairman of the Humanitarian Forum of Indonesia, said the collaborative programme was designed to link existing programmes with additional support tailored to village communities’ needs.

MSF has allocated Rp8.5 billion for the three pilot villages through a blended-financing scheme, with funds to be disbursed in stages.

The programme will be implemented in three phases: stabilisation, strengthening and self-reliance. It aims to make the villages self-reliant by 2031. Interventions will include helping households graduate from poverty, increasing incomes and strengthening Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes).

Before selecting the pilot locations, MSF assessed more than 450 proposed villages. Of these, 178 were analysed and 60 shortlisted, before three were chosen for the initial implementation.

MSF aims to extend the programme to more than 100 villages by 2030, and is inviting the participation of government, companies, philanthropic organisations, academics and civil-society organisations.