JAKARTA – Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto challenged the Hidayatullah Student Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Hidayatullah / GMH) to directly engage in eradicating rural poverty to ensure that no villages remain in disadvantaged or severely disadvantaged status. He emphasized that villages possess immense potential to drive rural progress and enhance community welfare, in line with President Prabowo Subianto's 6th Asta Cita pillar.

"I challenge GMH to establish and mentor fostered villages (desa binaan). We can collaborate across various programs and leverage local potential—such as Tourism Villages, Thematic Villages, and Export Villages. We must partner because we operate as a superteam, not a superman," Minister Yandri declared during his opening address at the GMH National Leadership Academy 2026, themed Generations of Leaders for Indonesian Unity, held at the Kemendes PDT Operational Room, Jakarta, on Wednesday (October 28, 2026).

This call to action stems from the high caliber of students within GMH and the core values they uphold. These core values include spiritualism which extends beyond one's relationship with God to include environmental stewardship and fire prevention.

Another key value is intellectualism, meaning students must look beyond simply identifying problems to actively delivering solutions. Furthermore, young Indonesian human resources must remain proactive engaging directly in initiatives and inspiring their surrounding communities rather than serving as passive observers.

Minister Yandri also underscored empowerment and public service, emphasizing that Indonesia requires dedicated youth willing to serve the public interest above self-interest. However, he stressed that these values must be paired with concrete action, particularly through direct engagement with rural communities to foster self-reliance and progress.

"We await your action. Community outreach (dakwah) cannot rely solely on words; it requires concrete action (bil hal) so that villages can rise and eradicate poverty," Minister Yandri stated.

"We stand fully prepared to collaborate with GMH. The decision rests on your readiness to help realize Export Villages, Tourism Villages, and Thematic Villages. We want villages to rise as active subjects rather than passive objects the core principle behind the 6th Asta Cita pillar. When economic growth is distributed equitably, poverty will naturally decline," he added.

Minister Yandri continues to expand partnerships beyond line ministries and agencies to advance Export Villages, Tourism Villages, Thematic Villages, and the remaining nine strategic priorities under the 12 Actions to Build Villages, Build Indonesia framework.

Collaborating with GMH which brings together university students across diverse academic disciplines—ensures that rural communities receive direct empowerment paired with structured, hands-on mentoring.

Photo: Wening/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Ria/Kemendes PDT