Day: July 30, 2022

Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara The Social Affairs Ministry distributed aid, valued at Rp172.2 million, under the social rehabilitation assistance (Atensi) program to 205 children in Sukamulia Sub-district, East Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara.

The aid was extended through Pati’s Margo Laras Center, a social rehabilitation agency for people with mental disability.

“Distribution of the Atensi program aid package aims to meet the children’s needs, such as their nutrition, school supplies, and daily needs,” Head of the Pati Margo Laras Center Jiwaningsih noted in an official statement received in Mataram on Saturday.

The distribution of aid to 205 children of Sukamulia Sub-district was part of the commemoration of National Children’s Day hosted by the Social Affairs Ministry in 21 sub-districts in East Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara, from July 24 to August 1, 2022.

Jiwaningsih remarked that the aid package covered nutrition, daily living items, school supplies, items for prayers, and assistance for disabilities tailored to each one’s needs.

Moreover, they held a traditional game competition and coloring competition for children.

Jiwaningsih believes the children of Sukamulia yearned to participate in these competitions. Amid rapid developments in technology, gadgets could irrefutably draw the children’s attention, as they serve as an interesting medium of entertainment.

“Choosing traditional games, such as bentengan, bakiak, and congklak, showed that traditional games have advantages that gadgets do not have,” she remarked.

One of the positive outcomes of traditional games included physical trainings during the development years. Moreover, it honed the children’s social skills, improved their decision-making skills, as well as taught them about teamwork.

The children appeared enthusiastic while participating in the event as was apparent when they gathered at the sub-district office before the event started.

At 2 p.m. local time, the event kicked off, with the aid being distributed first. In a different room, a coloring competition was hosted after which two rounds of congklak, a traditional game, were held.

At 3 p.m. local time, the children happily participated in the bakiak competition in the office’s yard. Lastly, the bentengan traditional game was also hosted.

She noted that the event could be hosted due to support from the head of Sukamulia Sub-district and the officials, the social rehabilitation personnel, and others.

“May the children keep up the spirits in achieving their dreams,” she concluded.

Source: Antara News

We had got a good response from the media crew.

Surakarta, C Java The Indonesian ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee (INASPOC) provided two disabled massage therapists to serve the media crew during the implementation of the 11th ASEAN Para Games (APG) in Surakarta City, Central Java Province.

“It is a good opportunity, especially to show that we (disabled people) can (also) strive,” a blind therapist, Sartono, stated at the 11th APG Media Center here on Saturday.

The service has been provided for free from July 29 to August 6, 2022.

“We had received a good response from the media crew. Yesterday, (Friday, July 29), at the opening of the service, some 16 journalists sought our services, including journalists from Malaysia,” Sartono noted.

He works with his colleague, Sugeng, who is also blind, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB, UTC+7) every day.

The media staff, who sought their services usually had minor health problems, such as fatigue and muscle ache, Satono remarked.

Satono — who is also a civil servant at the Central Java Provincial Social Affairs Office — noted that it was his first time to be involved in a Southeast Asian multi-sports event.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno opined that the Budo Tourism Village in North Minahasa District, North Sulawesi, can improve the region’s ecotourism.

Uno remarked that the village was currently connected to a super priority village in Likupang, so the locals were expected to build more tourist destinations to support Likupang.

“It is expected that Likupang can become a good quality tourist destination, and Budo Village can become a sustainable tourism (area),” the minister stated during a visit to Budo Village, as quoted from an official statement received here on Saturday.

Budo Tourism Village is one of the top 50 villages selected at the 2022 National Tourism Villages event. It is known for its mangroves in addition to being an alternative path to the Bunaken sea garden.

Along the shores of the Bunaken sea garden, tourists can enjoy the sights of Manado Tua Island, Bunaken Island, and Siladen Island as well as bask in the views of the sunset. Moreover, there are some 30 hectares of mangrove forest, with several plant forms.

He encouraged the Budo tourism village to support the Likupang super priority tourism area.

“Here, tourists can experience (a broad range of) sensations because there is the mangrove tour and underwater tourism,” Uno stated.

Head of North Minahasa District Joune Ganda commended the hard work of the village’s administration and North Minahasa’s officials, who managed to secure a position as one of the top 50 tourism villages.

“We want to showcase that we are committed to pursuing tourism in North Minahasa, and we hope that (these efforts would) be supported by the central government. Moreover, North Minahasa has Likupang as one of the super priority tourism destinations,” Ganda stated.

Source: Antara News

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara The Communication and Informatics Ministry launched the ‘1,000 Digital Startup Movement’ roadshow in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Friday to encourage the emergence of digital startup creators in the province.

The roadshow was a part of the pre-ignition stage, which aims to introduce the movement, informatics empowerment director at the ministry, Bonifasius Pudjianto, said during the roadshow in Kupang.

The roadshow was held at Widya Mandira Catholic University, and was joined by 300 people virtually.

It is expected that after the roadshow and a series of activities under the movement, founders will emerge who can become technopreneurs and provide business and solutions to the public, he remarked.

The founders must develop innovations to resolve problems that exist within the surrounding environment, he added.

If this can be developed, it will have a major impact, not just on the region, but also on the national, and even international, stage, he said.

Hence, good collaboration is required within the entire pentahelix ecosystem that exists in regions, which encompasses regional governments, creative industry actors, and academicians, to enable innovations from startup creators in the future in East Nusa Tenggara.

Meanwhile, Widya Mandira Catholic University Rector Dr. Philipus Tule SVD noted that there are many things that can be done by the younger generation or university students after attending the roadshow.

Students can become skilled persons who not only become job seekers but also create jobs for themselves and the people they meet in the future, he said.

The university fully supports the ‘1,000 Startup Digital National Movement,’ which can help university students and the general public to create their own digital startups.

Digital startups also offer an amazing opportunity for supporting the creation of a younger generation that is digitally skilled, he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta Indonesia discussed about the library program, with social inclusion as the basis, during the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Dublin, Ireland, Head of the National Library (Perpusnas) Muhammad Syarif Bando noted in a written statement received here on Saturday

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is hosting the 87th World Library and Information Congress.

“All participants have the opportunity to speak about what all is being done in their respective country. According to observation, the heads of libraries tell their story. It is certain that only Indonesia tells about the stories of impact from the social inclusion-based library programs. Countries that are included in one group appreciate the extraordinary and inspiring aspects of the programs that have been implemented and achieved by the National Library,” he said.

At the 2022 World Library and Information Congress, the Conference of Director of National Libraries was held in which leaders of national libraries congregated.

The meeting aimed at introducing them to one another as well as holding discussions on interesting issues surrounding libraries and social and cultural matters. The session’s participants were separated into some groups, and they shared stories about libraries in their respective country.

Head of the national library was in a group along with the Head of Library of Congress, Head of the French National Library, Poland, and Serbia Herzegovina.

Bando shared the story of success from the social inclusion-based library program that was an effort to improve literacy, pursued through people’s empowerment in order to ensure public welfare.

The program had tangible benefits, and the tale was incorporated in a book titled “Impact Stories of Library Transformation Based on Social Inclusion.”

Source: Antara News

Jakarta Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, through his press statement on Saturday, expressed keenness for defense cooperation between Indonesia and Morocco to be boosted in future.

On Friday, Subianto received a visit from Morocco’s Ambassador to Indonesia Ouadia Benabdellah at the Ministry of Defense Office, here.

The minister lauded the visit made by Morocco’s ambassador to Indonesia and the defense cooperation established with Morocco.

“Indonesia lauds the good relations and defense cooperation built with Morocco, which is based on three pillars,” he remarked.

These pillars comprise developing mutual trust, bolstering defense capacity, and encouraging independence of the defense industry.

Meanwhile, Benabdellah expects that the meeting can further solidify diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Morocco in a more strategic direction in the defense and security sector.

Source: Antara News

Bandung, West Java The Indonesian textile sector has an opportunity to cater to global clothing demand amid the current global situation, which is marked by post-pandemic uncertainty and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Industry Ministry has said.

The ongoing global crises have presented an opportunity that the country must seize to meet the world’s clothing demand, Industry Ministry’s Secretary General Dody Widodo stressed here on Saturday.

Thus far, the textile sector has accounted for around 12.5 percent of the country’s economic growth. This growth has been propelled by major exports, he noted.

However, amid the post-pandemic period, domestic textile demand is still quite high. Hence, the production of textiles for domestic consumers must be done in parallel with that for the global audience.

“So that we can develop domestic and export demand as well as share it with the world,” he remarked.

To bolster Indonesia’s textile industry, the ‘Love for Domestic Products Movement’ must be expanded consistently so that the country’s textile industry can continue to compete with overseas products on the global stage.

“If we do not appreciate our market, do not expect that we can maintain this growth. The textile industry is one of the things that has assisted the growth of the national economy,” Widodo said.

In addition, the ministry is continuing its efforts to reduce imports that can weaken the domestic industry. The efforts include the import substitution program, he noted.

The government controls imports through commodity balance, wherein it figures out the quantum of supply and demand within society, he explained.

Earlier, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita noted that the national textile industry is targeted to meet most of the domestic demand by 2025.

It is also expected to boost exports by 15 percent per year, he added in a statement issued on Friday.

Source: Antara News