Indonesia, Oct. 22 -- Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf stated that the 500-school Sekolah Rakyat program is a concrete step to accelerate poverty alleviation efforts across Indonesia.

"This program is designed to provide access to quality education for children from underprivileged families, while also fostering character development and self-reliance," he said during a working visit to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Wednesday.

He explained that the program targets children from beneficiary families in the first and second deciles, or the two poorest groups in the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN).

In addition to education, students receive complementary support including food, home repairs, state health insurer B...