Through the Estungkara Program, KKI WARSI assisting indigenous communities in several villages in Tebo and Merangin Regencies. Since 2022 until now, these assisted villages have shown a strong commitment to encouraging the involvement of vulnerable and marginalized groups in village development, such as the Talang Mamak and Orang Rimba indigenous communities. The six villages are Suo Suo Village, Muara Sekalo Village, Pelakar Jaya Village, Pauh Menang Village, Rejosari Village, and Sialang Village. The village government is determined to create inclusive policies, which not only embrace the general public but also pay attention to the rights and needs of indigenous communities, especially women, the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.
This effort is proven by the preparation of the draft Village Regulations on the involvement of vulnerable and marginalized groups in village development in each village. In the process of drafting this Ranperdes, the Village Government and the community were intensively assisted by KKI WARSI.
"We hope that in December, the draft of this Village Regulation will be consulted and then ratified as a Village Regulation," said Haryanto, Program Officer of KKI WARSI.
The preparation of this inclusive Village Regulation is expected to be a tool to realize village development that is more equitable, sustainable, and based on the empowerment of the entire village community. With policies that pay attention to vulnerable groups, the villages assisted by the Estungkara Program are committed to strengthening their capacity in carrying out development, namely not only prioritizing economic growth but also paying attention to social justice and the basic rights of every citizen.
"By drafting this Village Regulation, we want to ensure that village development does not only prioritize the majority group, but also provides equal opportunities for vulnerable and marginalized groups," continued Haryanto.
As for the Village Regulation (Perdes) that has been prepared by WARSI together with the six assisted villages, it then functions as a legal umbrella in providing protection and opportunities for all members of society. The forms of commitment contained in the Perdes contain five important things, including first, the involvement of vulnerable groups in village development planning. With this involvement, the policies taken are expected to be more diverse and reflect the needs of each level of society.
"The second is about access to basic services for all. The six villages agreed to increase access to basic services such as health, education, and social welfare for vulnerable groups. This is done to ensure that they get adequate support in living their daily lives and reduce inequality," said Haryanto.
Then it concerns the development of economic programs for vulnerable groups, which aim to improve the standard of living of vulnerable groups, especially women and the disabled, by providing access to skills training, agriculture and markets.
The fourth commitment is to ensure the protection of the rights of marginalized groups, including protection from discrimination and social stigma that they often experience. And finally, increasing the capacity of indigenous peoples through training and capacity building programs for indigenous peoples and marginalized groups. This step is expected to empower them to be more independent and to play an active role in village development.
The commitments stated in the Village Regulation are in line with the principles of sustainable development that emphasize the importance of social justice and inclusivity. The villages assisted by WARSI in Tebo and Merangin Districts hope to be an example for other villages in implementing policies that support the entire community. They believe that development that involves all groups is the key to creating strong, prosperous, and highly competitive villages.
"We believe that everyone, including those who have been less involved, has the right to participate in determining the direction of village development. With WARSI's support, we are committed to making our villages more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all residents," said Ayep, Head of Pelakar Jaya Village, Pamenang District, Merangin Regency.
The steps taken by these assisted villages prove that equitable policies are possible and can be realized. They hope that with this commitment, villages throughout Indonesia can be inspired to create a more inclusive environment. Inclusive in the sense that every citizen has the same opportunity to contribute to development.
