Villages are often identified with areas left behind from both infrastructure and human resources. In fact, the potential for natural resources in the village is so abundant and qualified natural resources are needed so that they can be optimized properly.
It is not that they are incapable, but often their limited knowledge makes them unable to process the natural resources around them to be optimal and also to improve the welfare of the community.
From here emerged social community institutions, even the government itself created a revolutionary village community empowerment program.
The empowerment program is expected to be able to nurture them to be able to compete in this global era. Then what are the forms of the revolutionary village community empowerment? Here’s the explanation!
1. Village Community Empowerment Program in the Economic Sector
Village community empowerment programs in the economic sector are included in a very important program. The goal is to make the village community independent and also prosperous.
The large amount of natural potential that is owned if it is processed properly will be able to nourish the local village community.
Therefore, the central government made a community empowerment program, one of which is in the economic sector. The program includes;
• Empowerment of MSMEs
The empowerment of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises or MSMEs depends on the potential that exists in the area.
For example, the city of Cirebon is known for its batik products, so local residents can optimize this for common welfare.
Or in the city of Garut where many residents sell handicrafts so that they can be used for MSMEs.
The government’s role is to provide interest subsidies to these business actors. Then there is one more thing that was raised by the Ministry of Finance, namely micro enterprises. So this is given to the group of entrepreneurs who are more micro, ultra micro.
• BUMDes
BUMDes is a business entity that is wholly or most of the capital owned by the village through direct capital participation that comes from village assets.
This institution is predicted to be a force that will be able to encourage the creation of increased welfare by creating economic productivity for the village based on the various potentials the village has.
In West Java, for example, this BUMDes can be synchronized with a digital village. Where the potential for BUMDes can be seen from the digital village account as well.
Which later on, BUMDes products are divided into three zones, namely the Red Zone for villages that do not have a company (BUMDes), the Yellow Zone for villages that are processing or developing their BUMDes, and the Green Zone for villages that already have BUMDes and are already operating. .
It is from this zone that the regional and central governments also work, especially in terms of providing capital to each of these regions.
Apart from the two things above, there are also training workshops, providing capital, assisting production tools, improving infrastructure and so on.
The goal is that with community empowerment in the economic sector, it is hoped that it can improve the economy and the welfare of the community.
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2. Empowerment of Village Communities in the Agriculture Sector
As is well known, almost every village in Indonesia has abundant agricultural land.
The agricultural sector, which is very potential, is of course a concern for the government so that it can develop even better.
Therefore, the government also coordinates with the village government to create a revolutionary and innovative village community empowerment program. The empowerment includes;
• Training and Guidance for Farmers
The villagers who work as farmers must already have the knowledge of ‘hereditary’ so that in plain view they do not need training or coaching.
However, along with the development of technology and times, there must be changes so that inevitably these farmers are given training and coaching so that they can compete with anyone.
For example, when plowing the fields, you must use cow or buffalo power.
However, along with the decreasing population of these animals and the development of technology, the emergence of a tool called a tractor which makes it easier for humans to plow fields.
Well, of course, the operation of this tool must be assisted by experts so that village farmers understand and can use it optimally.
• Knowledge of Irrigation of Paddy Fields
Many farmers currently find it difficult to irrigate their fields due to the large number of infrastructure and factories built in the village.
Of course, with this there must be empowerment to provide knowledge about irrigation in other ways or find solutions to this.
• Distribution of Agricultural Products to Markets or Cooperatives
Because the agricultural land is the main livelihood of the farmers, the agricultural products will be sold, usually through traditional markets or village cooperatives.
So, today’s farmers must also be taught about determining the selling price and capital and how to manage finances when there is an incoming income.
3. Village Community Empowerment Program in the Health Sector
The government also created a village community empowerment program engaged in the health sector. It is hoped that with this empowerment program, rural communities can improve their quality of life and care about their health.
When seen in plain view, the health sector in this village is often the government’s big ‘homework’.
Many villages are still left behind due to the absence of health facilities and infrastructure as well as qualified health workers to deal with their diseases.
This is not entirely the government’s fault, because it often clashes with their values, customs and beliefs.
Therefore, don’t be surprised if in the village there are still many non-official medical officers such as dukun beranak to help mothers who give birth, dukun, mantri, and other names.
However, this cannot be ignored because after all the development of the current era is comparable to the emergence of various diseases that exist and must be handled by expert medical personnel.
Therefore, the government carried out the empowerment program in stages. Empowerment that is carried out includes;
• Improvement of Facilities and Infrastructure
Starting from the renovation or construction of an adequate health center or community health center.
This means that professional medical personnel, adequate equipment, and complete health facilities are provided.
Apart from medical personnel who come from outside, they can also empower the surrounding community to help in the parts that are appropriate for them to fill in according to their interests and talents.
• Promotion and Outreach of Health Programs
The awareness of the people in the village is still very minimal. Real examples that we can find are like the awareness of washing hands before eating or after defecating.
In addition, they often ignore other diseases that can be transmitted to family members or the community around them.
And what is worse is that mothers who have babies are often given food even though they are still under 6 months old.
The importance of counseling so that the life style of the village community can change and have qualified knowledge about it.
The village government can work together with the PKK in the village to provide education about this health.
4. Village Community Empowerment Program in the Education Sector
Education is the most important program that rural and urban communities should be able to experience. The reason is, this education is the starting gate so that the community can find out various kinds of things around them.
If education is not enjoyed directly by the people in the village, they will be left behind in every way.
Almost the same as health, education in this village cannot be done optimally because there are still many villages that have not been properly touched by education.
Therefore, the government is obliged to enforce community empowerment in the field of education by including;
• Improvement of Facilities and Infrastructure
Renovating school buildings or building schools so that rural communities do not have to go far to study.
The condition that develops in the community is that many students have to travel to school at a considerable distance.
Not only that, there are also those who have to go to school through bridges or roads that are no longer feasible.
If it is not possible to build schools, the government can provide educational institutions that are equivalent to what they need.
• Adequate teaching staff
Apart from the facilities and infrastructure that is usually a problem is the teaching staff themselves.
There is still a very shortage of teaching workforce so that many villages are taught by school principals as well as teachers who teach in other classes or schools.
This is due to the lack of teaching staff in cities who teach in villages. Or the local teaching staff do not have sufficient knowledge.
So the solution to this is to provide training and outreach for local teaching staff.
Apart from having to pay attention to the two things above, also pay attention to the provision of scholarships for outstanding children which often escape the attention of local and regional governments.
And also hold a program to help students who are not able to get education properly.
5. Village Community Empowerment Program in the Religion Sector
Community empowerment programs in the field of religion also deserve to be taken into account. We can be proud of children who are smart and good in academics.
But it will be even happier if the child has intelligence and abilities in the field of religion.
We can imitate and modify the West Java government program, where they proclaimed one village one hafidz.
Where the hafudz can be given scholarships to receive education abroad. Of course this program is a breath of fresh air for hafidz in the village and also motivates children to become a hafidz.
Village governments in other areas can follow this program, of course, supported by an increase in various things that support this.
Such as intensive provision for Koran teachers with a nominal and appropriate value, provision of facilities that support recitation activities, training for teachers or hafidz children to be motivated to become a hafidz, renovation of places of worship, and so on.
If in the village many children have hafidz, it will affect the behavior of the village community itself. Where they have spiritual and emotional intelligence.
And what is even more proud is that if the afterlife is chased, the world will follow.
Closing
Those are 5 forms of revolutionary village empowerment according to their fields. It may be that there is no change, but in fact the government has not fully implemented it due to various constraints.
