Bappenas and Universities Devise Cemara Village MBKM as Strategy to Realize Village Poverty Alleviation

JAKARTA – In collaboration with universities that are part of the Independent Campus Learning Program (MBKM), the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas has launched the Smart, Independent, Prosperous Village Program (Cemara) as a concrete effort to address poverty in Indonesia. 

Batches I, II, and III of the MBKM Cemara Village program have been successfully implemented. Currently, for the period of August to December 2023, Batch IV has officially opened, in collaboration with Brawijaya University, Padjadjaran University, Bogor Agricultural University, Hasanuddin University, and West Sulawesi University.

"Collaboration is the essence of a dedication based on togetherness to achieve noble goals. Collaboration plays a crucial role in weaving unity and synergy among individuals, groups, and institutions to achieve sustainable progress. Let us together bring this collaborative spirit as a strong foundation to realize an advanced, prosperous Indonesia free from the shackles of poverty," explained the Director of Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Maliki, on Wednesday (26/7).

The collaboration began with a signing ceremony held at Brawijaya University on May 12, 2023. Gradually, to have a broader impact in poverty alleviation efforts in villages, collaboration agreements will be signed with other universities. With the increasing involvement of these universities, MBKM Desa Cemara hopes to reach more areas in Indonesia. Participants in the MBKM Desa Cemara program receive training in regional development policies and poverty alleviation, as well as the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained directly in the field through practical experience for approximately two months in the village.

MBKM Desa Cemara has also been conducted in collaboration with the University of Indonesia and the Bandung Institute of Technology from early 2022 until mid-2023. Successful interventions have been implemented through various practices in poverty alleviation efforts in villages, including improving village potential through tourism development, empowering local small to medium sized enterprises (SME) to boost the economy, formulating policies based on socio-economic registration data, and utilizing the Integrated Poverty Planning, Budgeting, Analysis & Evaluation System or Sepakat owned by the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, as well as various collaborations in other crucial sectors.