The Development of Communication Model for the Empowerment of Highly Poor Villages in Pangandaran Regency, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia, as a developing country, still faces a never-ending problem of poverty. The effects of various development programs aimed at reducing poverty levels of Indonesia are only temporary. The number of poor in Indonesia has been fluctuating from year to year. It suggests that a new approach to overcoming poverty, especially in rural areas that estimated 67 percent of the poor in Indonesia, is required. The Government of Indonesia pays special attention to villages with high poverty levels or Highly Poor Villages. Reducing poverty in Highly Poor Villages requires different approaches because the population of each highly poor village is economically fragile and only depend on the government’s assistance. This study seeks to examine how a communication model for community empowerment is more suitable for residents in Highly Poor Villages. The purpose of this study is to determine and analyze how the communication model for community empowerment is more ideal for residents in the Highly Poor Villages, particularly in Pangandaran Regency. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method. The data collection techniques of this study were in-depth interviews and literature studies. Meanwhile, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) was used to validate the findings in the field. The informants of this study were all stakeholders, village government officials, and the poor affected by the community empowerment policy. To analyze the data, this study employed three steps: data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. This study concludes that the empowerment of the highly poor people can be conducted independently by several existing community groups, such as majelis taklim, PKK cadres, Posyandu cadres, etc. in various training and skills activities such as cooking class, craft production, sewing, and micro-businesses management initiated from the training results.