Rantang Kasih Food Donation Program for the Elderly

Since it was launched last year, the Rantang Kasih food donation program has benefited 2,600 poor elderly people. The Rantang Kasih, which literally means the love of food boxes, is a charity program that provides nutritious food to the poor, especially the non-productive elderly.

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Misini is pictured in September with the meal of rice, vegetables, meat and fresh fruit she has received through the Rantang Kasih food assistance program. Rantang Kasih, which literally means “food box love”, is a charity program that provides nutritious meals to the poor, especially the non-productive elderly, in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Since it was launched last year, the Rantang Kasih food donation program has benefited 2,600 poor elderly people. The program is also able to promote a sense of social solidarity among the people. The Rantang Kasih, which literally means the love of food boxes, is a charity program that provides nutritious food to the poor, especially the non-productive elderly.

The food boxes, which consist of rice, vegetables, fruit and meat, are delivered to the poor elderly every day. The menu is arranged according to the condition of each recipient so that it will not breach their dietary restriction.

The program also provides opportunities for residents to participate in helping the elderly, especially those who live alone. Through the Rantang Kasih program, food stalls located near the houses of the elderly are also involved to participate in the food donation.

The Banyuwangi regency administration has allocated Rp 5.5 billion (about US$378,500) for this program. However, the funds are only enough for 1,500 people. There are still other 1,100 people waiting for donations.

The local government has integrated the Rantang Kasih program with the Jalin Kasih program. Similar to the Rantang Kasih, the Jalin Kasih program also donates food to poor elderly people. The difference is that the foods distributed under the Jalan Kasih program come from the residents and is carried using an online application.

The Jalin Kasih app can be downloaded from the PlayStore. The program utilizes geospatial technology to determine the location of poor elderly people that need assistance. With this method, donors can contact the food stalls near the houses of the poor elderly who have not yet benefited from the Rantang Kasih program provided by the local government. The food stall owner will deliver food to the houses of the elderly according to the donors’ orders.

Small but meaningful

On Monday, Oct. 9, Kompas had the opportunity to visit several Rantang Kasih recipients. One of them is Nasikah, 83, an elderly person who lives in Jambewangi village, Sempu district, Banyuwangi. Nasikah lives alone in a wooden house. She feels grateful, because the burden of her life has been slightly been reduced. She no longer needs to find food to survive.

"In the past, I used to pick up scattered rice in the market. Rice is cooked with vegetables and meat. I cooked whatever was available," she said in Javanese.

Since March 2018, Nasikah has become a beneficiary of the Rantang Kasih program. Every day, between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., someone delivered a food box containing rice, meat and vegetables to her, she said.

Misini, 70, a resident of Temuasri, Sempu district, told a similar tale. At her age, she still works as a farm laborer with a salary of Rp 50,000 a day. However, she no longer has the energy to go to the market and buy her necessities.

She works in a rice field located next to her house. To get something to eat and drink, Misini has to walk from one stall to another to buy rice and side dishes. However, since becoming a recipient of the Rantang Kasih program, Misini is able to save her hard-earned money as a farm laborer.

"Now I can save money. Before, I only used the money to buy food. This is my savings for holidays," she said in the Javanese language.

Misini no longer needs to buy food because Dwi Martini, 35, helps cook food every day for her. Dwi is a neighbor of Misini who has been recruited to support Misini. "Aside from the usual cooking for family needs, since the beginning of March, I have also cooked for Mbah (grand mother) Misini. Every morning I send three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner," Dwi said.

Dwi\'s menu is supervised the Sempu Health Center and the Banyuwangi Health Office. Every day she sends photos of her cooking as an accountability measure.

The daily food provided by Dwi should cost Rp 12,500 at most. In exchange, Dwi gets money from the Rantang Kasih program. The money is received every three months. "As recommended, the food should cost Rp 12,500, but sometimes I give more, the same as what I cook for the family at home, if Mbah Misini likes it, I give it as a bonus,” she added.

In addition to Dwi, the Banyuwangi regency government also cooperates with a number of community stalls that are located near the residential areas. One of them is Warung Saung Siliwangi stall on Jalan Kepiting, Banyuwangi.

Every day this stall prepares a variety of different side dishes, vegetables and fruit. Side dishes and vegetables tailored to the wishes and needs of the recipients. Fatimah, the owner of the Warung Saung Siliwangi stall, said that the menu was prepared according to the recommendations of the Health Office. In fact, the Health Office supervises the stall every two days to ensure the nutritional content of the dishes while inspecting the cleanliness of the stalls.

"Understandably, these elderly people are in vulnerable health conditions, so we must be careful. The Health Office forbids me from using flavoring and rice must be of the soft type. "For sayur asem (vegetable in tamarind soup), I was advised to use tomatoes for the sour taste," he said.

Fatimah is happy that her shop is also involved in this program. For her, taking part in charity is the right thing to do.

Hendy Yudi Wardana, a food delivery driver for an online motorcycle taxi service, shares the same motivation. Every morning, Hendy delivers the food boxes from the Warung Saung Siliwangi stall to a number of elderly people.

"Every morning, the elderly always wait for me in front of the house. Seeing me coming, they smile broadly. It\'s my own happiness, "he said.

Basic assistance

Banyuwangi regent Abdullah Azwar Anas said the poverty rate in Banyuwangi was 8.6 percent. That number is a tough challenge to cope with. Some of the poor are at the worst level of poverty, such as non-productive elderly people and those who live alone.

Anas said that the program was an effort to promote love toward parents. Anas said that he had observed a sad reality that while parents lived without their children lived well in other places.

The head of the Regional Development Planning Office (Bappeda) of Banyuwangi regency, Suyanto Waspo Tondo, said that the Rantang Kasih program had been a success, especially for raising public awareness to be involved in social programs. Bappeda and Statistics Indonesia (BPS) are still conducting surveys of the program. The Rantang Kasih program is expected to reduce the rate of poverty and extend the life expectancy of Banyuwangi residents.