VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a broad impact on the traditional community. The traditional community is a group of people who live for generations in a certain geographic area. They have ancestral origins, cultural identity, common law and strong relationship with land and environment. The vaccination is one of the efforts to ensure that the traditional communities and their future generations are able to survive amid the pandemic. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology through the Directorate General of Belief in God Almighty and Indigenous Peoples has vaccinated 1.000 traditional people in Lebak Regency, Banten in October 14 and 15. In the future, it will reach traditional communities throughout Indonesia.

Director of Belief in God Almighty and Indigenous Peoples at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Sjamasul Hadi remarked that the targets of this program are people who are remote geographically.

The traditional communities are a group of people that are vulnerable to Covid-19 infections because of their interactions with people who often go in and out of their environment.

“The traditional people are a part of the Indonesian people who have the same rights. At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, with their local wisdom, these traditional communities are resistant to Covid-19. But with the passing of time into 2021, these traditional communities along with the acceleration of the vaccination program also need attention,” said Sjamasul Hadi

The vaccination activities for traditional communities are expected to break the chain and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and can open access to health for all Indonesians. Apart from giving vaccines, more actions have been also carried out, such as planting tree seedlings and also handing over health support facilities as masks, hand washing soap, vitamins, as well as supporting education for the traditional communities.