Official Regent of Sarolangun Regency, Dr. Ir. Bachril Bakri, M.App, Sc and his entourage visited the SAD community in Pematang Jumat, Limbur Tembesi Village, Batin VIII District, Sarolangun Regency, on Tuesday (01/08).
His first visit to the SAD location assisted by Pundi Sumatra was welcomed by Mr Mustofa as the jenang and Tumenggung of the traditional community. Bachril Bakri arrived at the location at 15.30 WIB accompanied by the chairman of the Sarolangun TP-PKK, Mrs. Indah Dewi Bachril. The arrival of the number one person in Sarolangun was warmly welcomed by the SAD community. As a form of respect, Tumenggung Juray and his wife gave souvenirs in the form of a necklace made from seeds similar to sapodilla or soursop fruit seeds, which Bachril Bakri immediately wore during the visit.
Previously, information was obtained that the Sarolangun Social Service has a basic food distribution program that can be accessed by the SAD community in order to fulfill food needs to reduce stunting rates. Reading about this opportunity, the Pundi Sumatra facilitators also helped the community to prepare proposals, so that in the end basic food assistance for 18 heads of families was provided and the distribution was directly attended by the Acting Regent and the Head of Social Services for Sarolangun Regency.
Of course, Pundi Sumatra did not waste this meeting with the Acting Regent of Sarolangun to convey the situation and needs of the community. The existence of Pundi Sumatra in this location has been around since the middle of 2022 with the support of the Estungkara - Partnership Partnership program with the aim of opening access to the provision of basic services, strengthening capacity and the economy as well as seeking collaboration between parties to support a more inclusive situation for the community.
"In Pematang Jumat there are 18 families consisting of 50 people, who have been living since 2019. The semi-permanent houses occupied by residents are aid that comes from the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs. The basic needs of residents are related to clean water and access to electricity. Even though there is an infrastructure network, electricity is still not coming in! said Arif briefly, which was listened to carefully by the Acting Regent.
Arief said that he and the chief had visited PLN Sarolangun and PLN Merangin to find out about procedures for accessing electricity distribution. However, until now these efforts have not yielded results. Hearing this report, Bachril Bakri asked Pundi Sumatra to send him an official letter to follow up on the electricity problem. He promised to ensure that this facility can be enjoyed by SAD residents immediately.
Bachril Bakri appreciated Pundi Sumatra's presence in assisting SAD residents and agreed with the program approach chosen. Bachril Bakri explained that this was an opportunity for him to get closer to the people in Sarolangun, including the indigenous Anak Dalam Tribe community. He also expressed his gratitude to all institutions that have participated in carrying out social empowerment work.
"I hope that this empowerment program will continue to be carried out by many parties. "Of course, with collaborative work we can all become more solid and stronger in overcoming other social problems," he said.
