YOGYAKARTA – First Lady, Hj. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday (29/9) inaugurated Hargotirto Prosperous Village, Kokap, Kulon Progo, at Sermo Reservoir. The development of the village has been done by UGM Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM) in cooperation with Solidarity of the Wives of Members of United Indonesia Cabinet (SIKIB).
Accompanying Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono were Mrs. Herawati Budiono, the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan HB X, GKR Hemas, UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., Mrs. Ratna Djoko Suyanto, and Mrs. Okke Hatta Radjasa. Also attending were Minister of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Fadel Muhammad and wife.
In her speech, Mrs. Yudhoyono supported the programs conducted by UGM together with SIKIB that is realised in the national empowering movement toward a prosperous community that is done through continuous mentoring by students.
The idea initiated by Faculty of Medicine UGM and SIKIB for Healthy Indonesia program has been integrated and developed through the prosperous village that will be implemented by the Government of Kulon Progo Regency and Yogyakarta Province, assisted by LPPM UGM. "Hargotirto Prosperous Village is expected to be the showcase or a living laboratory for the replication of similar programs in other locations in Indonesia," the First Lady said.
She also supported and welcomed various programs of Community Empowerment Field Practice (KKN PPM) UGM involving students and foreign students. KKN PPM UGM program so far has gained recognition at the regional, national, and even international levels. "KKN PPM UGM Program has been widely adopted by other universities. It has also gained international recognition," he added.
Previously, the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan HB X, said that the Prosperous Village program of UGM-SIKIB proves the real role and contribution made by the wives of state officials, proving it is not only a charity event as happened in the past. "UGM up to now is our trusted partner. The real program with SIKIB proved that it is not merely a charity," Sultan said.
Hargotirto Village has a dominant characteristic of horticulture. Its palm sugar industry, cocoa, and Etawa goat farming were a challenge for SIKIB-UGM program to improve community welfare that currently reaches 21,000 rupiah per day or about USD2.0 per day. "This figure showed the upper limit of poverty line that, if improved, can make them leave poverty behind," he said.
In the same place, UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., also said that the program is expected to become a model to be disseminated throughout Indonesia. The partnership program was started from a visit made by SIKIB to Hargotirto village on 24 January, 2010. It has developed into an integrative approach of prosperous village that has 5 development perspectives (healthy, smart, creative, green, and care). "This is in line with the multidisciplinary approach developed by UGM through 4 clusters (health medicine, agriculture, engineering sciences, social and humanities)," Sudjarwadi said.
The inauguration of Hargotirto Prosperous Village was marked by the signing of an inscription by the First Lady followed by a symbolic handover of one car and five motorcycles to the UGM Rector. Previously, the signing of an MoU on health insurance was conducted. In this ceremony, Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono planted a Kepel tree at the Sermo Reservoir. She also spread seeds of catfish and tilapia fish to the reservoir.