On January 17, 2018, Dr. Asep Suryahadi (director of The SMERU Research Institute) and Ridho Al Izzati (SMERU’s junior researcher) conducted a presentation on the “Poverty Reduction Strategies and Programs in Central Java Province" for Ir. Sunaryo, MURP, Ph.D (Special Staff of the Governor of Central Java). This presentation aims do provide feedback to the poverty reduction framework which the province is developing.

In this occasion, the SMERU team explained about poverty trends, poverty reduction challenges, and poverty reduction strategies and programs, as well as the important lessons learned from poverty reduction efforts, especially in Central Java.

Central Java Province is one of Indonesia’s poverty enclaves; 4.1 million people live under the poverty line in September 2017. Therefore, the effort to reduce poverty in Central Java is crucial. One of the frameworks recommended by SMERU is community empowerment-based programs through the concept of sustainable livelihood. These programs aim to improve the economic/financial capacity of the productive poor in rural areas.