Raffi Ahmad Sends Off Hundreds of Participants in Free Homecoming Programme at TMII
Presidential Special Envoy (PSE) for Youth Development and Arts Workers, Raffi Ahmad, officially sent off 400 participants in the 2026 free homecoming programme. The lively send-off event was held at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in East Jakarta on Thursday (19/3/2026).
This annual programme, initiated by MS Glow, collaborates with the Presidential Special Envoy’s office to assist the public, particularly informal sector workers, in celebrating Eid al-Fitr in their hometowns without the burden of transport costs.
In his speech, Raffi Ahmad emphasised that initiatives like this represent concrete collaboration between the private sector and the government to reach lower-income communities.
“This Free Homecoming programme is a tangible form of collective concern to help people return to their hometowns. I greatly appreciate this consistent initiative that delivers impactful programmes,” said Raffi Ahmad at the send-off location.
This year’s participants are dominated by women working in the informal sector, from labourers, small traders, domestic workers (PRT), to Quran teachers. One participant, Nur, admitted she was greatly helped as she had previously doubted whether she could go home due to limited funds amid rising travel costs ahead of Eid.
Founder of J99 Corp., Gilang Widya Pramana, explained that this year they provided a fleet of buses from Juragan 99 Trans, known for its comfort. There are three main routes served in this programme:
“We routinely hold this event every year. The goal is simple, so that people can celebrate Eid with their beloved families without worrying about fares,” said the man familiarly known as Juragan 99.
Unlike typical homecoming send-off ceremonies, the event at TMII this time was packaged like a cultural festival. The homecomers were treated to Betawi-style arts performances such as traditional dances and the Palang Pintu procession.
The atmosphere became even more lively with the presence of musician Aldi Taher and the humorous acts of viral content creators from the ‘bank emok’ group. Not only free transport, the participants were also provided with pocket money and gift parcels (parcels) to bring to their hometowns.
Acting Director of TMII, Ratri Paramitha, expressed appreciation for choosing TMII as the gathering point. “Usually it’s just a formal send-off, but this time it’s accompanied by entertainment that makes the atmosphere very lively. This provides a different experience and a happy impression for the homecomers even before they reach their destination,” she stated.