BSM-PKH-PNPM Generasi Network Development Workshop

08 August 2014

The Secretariat of TNP2K, the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) have conducted several activities to help improve the 2014 Cash for Poor Students (BSM) programme and make it more complimentary to other programmes.

“Many programme stakeholders and beneficiaries do not have enough information on BSM and other programmes that have characteristics or objectives that may be useful both at the national level and district/city level. Therefore, special efforts are needed to bridge community needs with information on education assistance programmes for poor children and families. Support is needed from regional programmes in order to disseminate information on BSM,” said Sri Kusumastuti Rahayu, Head of Cluster 1’s Working Group at TNP2K, during a workshop at Mason Pine Hotel, West Bandung on 8 August 2014.

Given its importance, cooperation efforts and shared networks were developed with managers and implementers of existing programmes at the local level, such as PKH and PNPM Generasi facilitators. These will be implemented in several districts, including West Bandung.

In general, these activities were aimed at ensuring better BSM implementation in the future, improving national and district level cooperation and greater complementarities between BSM and local level programmes, such as PKH and PNPM Generasi.

Several central government representatives attended the event, including from the Department of Elementary, Middle, High and Vocational Schools at Kemendikbud, Kemenag, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Social Affairs and the Agency for Empowerment Village Government Communities (PNPM Generasi implementers) in West Bandung.

The event was opened by Dr. Sastra Juanda, Kemenag’s Head of Youth, Education and Sports (Kadispora) in West Bandung. Also in attendance were four speakers from key ministries, including BSM Programme Implementers (Kemendikbud: Winny Hanfie from the Directorate of Middle Schools; Kemenag: Dr. Juanda, Office of the Deputy Director for Student Affairs at the Directorate of Madrasah Education); PKH Programme Implementers (Mr. Royani - Director of Social Affairs and Social Security); Mr. Valentine Sudarjanto Sumito from the Office of the Deputy Director of Social Welfare, Directorate of Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Home Affairs; and PNPM Generasi Implementers.