Jakarta – Residents of the Fishermen’s Village in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, expressed their gratitude for the floating and stilt homes given by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Saturday, April 13.

Iwan Susilo, one of the beneficiaries, shared his joy. “The home is very comfortable and well-built. I could never afford to build such a house on my own. Sometimes, I can hardly afford food,” said Iwan.

Delina, another resident, also conveyed similar feelings of happiness due to Prabowo’s help. “Thank God, we are happy with the floating and stilt homes Minister Prabowo has given for our community,” stated Delina.

In addition to the houses, the residents of the Fishermen’s Village also received Eid gift packages that included educational supplies for children.

“Thank you, Mr. Prabowo,” said the children, as they showed off their new black school bags.

Annisa, another villager, detailed the contents of the packages provided by Prabowo. They included a variety of school essentials such as pencil cases, books, and socks.

“The package has trousers, socks, drawing books, lunch boxes, a watch, pencil cases, and much more,” explained Annisa.

A total of 16 floating homes and 12 stilt homes, each covering an area of 9 square meters, were given by the Ministry of Defense to 18 families or 80 individuals. This initiative aims to improve the welfare of the local community, which often suffers from flood disasters and erosion.

Moreover, the project also involved developing green public spaces and amenities such as a desalination unit to convert seawater into fresh water for use by the villagers.