Poverty remains major problem in Indonesia: ACT chief

ACT Bukittinggi raises donation to help the recovert after flash flood disaster Galapuang, Agam. (Doc. ACT Bukittinggi)

I believe, how ever grave the poverty problem is, it could be solved if this nation becomes a generous nation,

Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - Poverty remains a major problem in Indonesia and concrete efforts to solve it is by being generous, according to Ahyuddin, chairman of the advisory board of ACT (Swift Response and Action).

"Poverty is a humanitarian affair. Humanitarian action does not only concern natural disasters or people being displaced due to conflict or war," he said here Thursday following the launch of Humanity Rice Truck expedition program. The ACT focuses on humanitarian, generosity and volunteerism to help solve the country's problems concerning poverty.

"I believe, how ever grave the poverty problem is, it could be solved if this nation becomes a generous nation," he stated.

He called on more Indonesians to become volunteers in dealing with humanitarian problems.

To deal with poverty, the ACT focuses on providing food such as rice for the poor. He proposed a program called "Rice for Indonesian mothers".

This is because it is mothers who are always the ones very concerned when their families have no food to eat.

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The ACT provides a total of 250 tons of rice monthly for the poor. It means the humanitarian NGO distributes rice to two thousand families daily, or 50 thousand families monthly.

By 2020, the ACT hopes to provide rice to a total of 500 thousand families throughout Indonesia with donations from the public.

Indonesia needed heroic figures who fight for eradicating poverty, ignorance, and inequality, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) recently said.

The struggle for eradicating poverty, ignorance, backwardness, and inequality, among others, need to be continued, he said.

A great nation is the one that respects the services of its heroes, he continued.

The theme of the 2019 National Heroes Day is "I am a Hero of the Present". With this theme, it is hoped that all Indonesians will imbibe the spirit of heroism and will be moved to strive in developing the country in their respective abilities and professions.

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