BSM Programme sees Successful & Committed Network Development at the Local level

29 September 2014

The Secretariat of the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K), Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) held a workshop aimed at building networks for the BSM-PKH-PNPM Generation programmes. The event was held on 25 September 2014 at Elvin Hotel, East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara.

Dyah Larasati from TNP2K’s Working Group for Managing Social Assistance Programmes said many stakeholders and programme beneficiaries do not have sufficient information on social assistance programmes. As such, she explained that the workshop aims to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to learn from each other and work together to develop networks with programme managers and implementers at the local level.

In his speech, Joseph Waluwanja, SH, M.Si, Department of Education and Culture in East Sumba, expressed his readiness to coordinate network building with programme managers and implementers at the local level, in order to alleviate poverty. “Implementing this programme to the full requires synergy between the BSM-PKH-PNPM Generation programmes, so that more families can benefit and children who struggle meeting the financial demands of school can continue their education, thereby keeping the poverty level to a minimum,” said Waluwanja.

Firdaus Yuni Dharta, Directorate of Secondary Schools at Kemendikbud, in his presentation explained that BSM is a government programme that helps students from poor backgrounds cope with the additional costs linked to education, including for purchasing books and stationery. Through BSM, parents can continue sending their children to school to complete their education.

The event largely aimed to improve future implementation of the BSM programme, establish solid partnerships to run programme mechanisms at the central and district levels and implement programmes that complement BSM at the local level, such as PKH and PNPM Generation.

Speakers came from Kemendikbud, MORA, and Ministry of Home Affairs, representing those implementing the BSM, PKH and PNPM Generation programmes in East Sumba. The workshop marks the end of a series of events, with the others held by TNP2K in West Bandung and Gorontalo.