Hargotirto Village in Kokap sub-district, Kulon Progo regency, was declared as a prosperous village by First Lady, Hj. Ani Yudhoyono, on Wednesday (29/9). This prosperous village has been guided by UGM and Solidarity of Wives of Members of United Indonesia Cabinet (SIKIB) supported by the Provincial Government of Yogyakarta and Kulon Progo Regency.
Hargotirto village is located in Kokap on an area of 14713.3 ha, which largely consists of yards and fields. Topographically, the village is in the northern region of Kulon Progo Regency that has the characteristics as highland (Menoreh Hill) with an altitude between 500-1000 meters above sea level where the land is used as cultivation area of natural conservation.
In the Hargotirto village is also situated the Sermo Reservoir, which is one source of raw water in Kulon Progo. The source includes 7 (seven) springs, Sermo Reservoir, and Progo River. The springs that have been managed independently by the Kokap sub-district are Clereng, Mudal, Grembul springs, Cave Upas, and Progo River.
Chief of Kokap, Santoso, S.I.P, said that Hargotirto Village is divided into 14 hamlets, 30 neighborhoods, and 70 sub-neighborhoods. Total population is 8337 people, consisting of 4126 men and 4221 women. There are 1665 people in their workforce with the majority as farmers/cultivators and coconut sugar makers. Coconut sugar is their major trading material. It is sold in its original form of sugar blocks that makes its price still relatively low." The self-sufficiency of Hargotirto community is very high, as demonstrated by the construction of infrastructure such as paved-road and public utility buildings, especially in rural areas and mountains," said Santoso.
In his opinion, the Hargotirto Prosperous village in Kokap indicates the synergy of the community. Programs conducted in the village of Hargotirto all this time were more on those to reduce maternal mortality, involving traditional birth attendants and midwives. "This Prosperous Village activity is a clear form of synergy between the community, UGM, and SIKIB. Previously here in Hargotirto we worked on nutrition improvements and efforts to reduce maternal mortality by involving traditional birth attendants and midwives,"Santoso said.
Long before the declaration of the Hargotirto Prosperous village, Faculty of Medicine UGM had sent its students to attend Public Health Work Lecture (K3M). It is an integral part of the educational process of medical profession equal to Field Work Program for Community Empowerment (KKN PPM) UGM. "The K3M must be followed by students, who are candidates for health personnel, from existing studies program in Faculty of Medicine: Doctor Education study program, Nursing study program, and Public Health Nutrition study program. Hargotirto Village is the first villages to become an activity area for K3M," Dean of the Faculty of Medicine UGM, Prof. dr. Ali Ghufron Mukti, M.Sc., Ph.D., said.
Separately, Chairman of LPPM UGM, Prof. Dr.-Tech. Danang Parikesit, M. Eng., said that the development of the Hargotirto Prosperous village is a form of UGM support in the national community empowerment movement toward prosperous society through the development of prosperous villages. In order to support this Prosperous Village Program, LPPM UGM has developed a number of activities in 2010 and 2011. These include prosperous village socialization, tutor/assistant tutor for Smart Houses training and mentoring, cadre of early childhood education, motorcycle/car & socialization of green cars to village chiefs across Kulon Progo regency, website development promoting the prosperous village, and the UNESCO International Conference fieldtrip. In December this year, workshops and fieldtrip will be held by Field Supervisors/researchers at UGM for potential development of prosperous villages. "Prosperous village is one form of UGM supports for community empowerment movement," Danang said.
In the year 2011, a number of strategic programs is scheduled to be implemented. In January 2011, a meeting with Prosperous Family Units (UPPKS) across Yogyakarta will be held in collaboration with BKKBN. In February 2011, co-ordination meeting of youth organisations (Karang Taruna) will take place. In March 2011, EfSD socialisation and programs implementation will be held for Karang Taruna, NGOs and other agencies/departments in Yogyakarta. Next, training programs and coordination of SMEs associated with LPPM UGM for Kulon Progo Regency will be held in April 2011. The following month, May 2011, workshop and fieldtrip will be held for the Field Supervisors of state and private universities throughout Indonesia. In June 2011, the students’ international symposium program will take place: Gama Cendikia, Scientific Reasoning Unit, Directorate General of Higher Education. Then, in July 2011, the National Children’s Day ceremony will be held in the Prosperous Village.
Subsequently, in August 2011, Hargotirto Cultural Exhibition will be held to enliven the 66th Indonesian Independence Anniversary and Prosperous Village Expo, Prosperous Village Introduction To Foreign KKN-PPM. In September 2011, there will be coordination and socialization with private stakeholders. In October 2011, partnerships socialization and development to companies for CSR programs will be held . After that, coordination and evaluation of Prosperous Village Program will be conducted in November 2011. "Furthermore, a series of programs supporting the activities will be done in December 2011, and these will be followed with National Seminar on Prosperous Village Program. So, we will continue the programs and will not stop after the declaration by the First Lady yesterday," Danang added.
Danang said, Prosperous Village Program also received support from a number of KKN-PPM programs. At least seven-period KKN PPM UGM programs have involved students and Field Supervisors. "It started from KKN-PPM UGM period 20 September-18 November 2010 until the period of 11 October to 10 December 2011," he explained.
Five Pillars of Prosperous Indonesia
Specifically related to SIKIB, Danang Parikesit said that as a Non-Governmental Organization that was founded by the First Lady, SIKIB has the intent to give more attention to solving development problems. To accelerate the achievement of public welfare, SIKIB developed Prosperous Indonesia Program, consisting of five main pillars: Smart Indonesia, Healthy Indonesia, Care Indonesia, Green Indonesia, and Creative Indonesia.
Pillars of Healthy Indonesia, among others, is carried out by developing toddler’s health center, elderly neighborhood health center, mobile medical treatment, family planning services, health education, the Family Youth Development, women’s role development, and post-treatment of cikungunya disease.
Meanwhile, the Smart Indonesian program is carried out by developing ‘Smart Home’, tutoring & mentoring program, early childhood education program, childcare home, information technology training, and reading program.
Creative Indonesia Pillar is run by mentoring programs to develop bamboo handicrafts, processing of palm sugar, cocoa and ginger processing, iron molding, cooperatives, and mentoring and development of apt technology & entrepreneurship.
Next, Green Indonesia Pillar is conducted through reforestation by planting production crops, mentoring for Women Farmers Group and Farmer Group (Sukatani I and II group, Sumber Mulyo, Andini, Ngupoyo Bugo), nursery groups, mentoring for fish pond management group (Mina Tirta), and compost and organic waste processing program.
Finally, Indonesia Cares Pillar is pursued through the development of the Tangguh Village, safety training for palm sugar collectors, youth empowerment, development of local culture (gamelan, jathilan, ketoprak) and development of tambourine/hadroh/qosidahan culture.