MEMPHIS-PGA Project Baseline Study
Islamic Relief Indonesia, in collaboration with the Public Interest Research & Advocacy Center (PIRAC), released the findings of a baseline study for the Make Extreme Poverty History Through Poor Graduation Approach (MEMPHIS-PGA) program. This 36-month initiative targets graduation for 2,000 extremely poor households in the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara, Banten, and East Java. The study, conducted at the end of 2025, maps the baseline conditions of beneficiaries before the intervention, serving as a foundation for measuring the program’s future impact.
The data shows that food security remains a significant challenge for the target community. Although the majority of households are able to consume two to three servings of food daily, approximately 46.62% of respondents reported experiencing food shortages or having to reduce their meal portions in the past month. In addition to quantity, nutritional quality is also considered weak, as daily diets are dominated by carbohydrates and vegetables with very limited animal protein intake.
The economic condition of households is observed to be quite vulnerable due to dependence on the informal sector and seasonal work, such as farm laborers and day laborers. A total of 80.07% of households reported financial difficulties throughout the year, and only 21.62% had additional sources of income. Low financial literacy exacerbates this situation, with 75.34% of respondents reporting having never received business or financial management training, thus limiting their long-term planning capacity.
Regarding financial and social inclusion, access to Islamic financial institutions and community self-help groups still needs to be improved. Currently, 100% of beneficiaries do not have formal savings, and only 17.23% are aware of the existence of Islamic microfinance institutions in their area. Despite this, there is high enthusiasm from the community, especially women, to participate in collective economic mechanisms. Social support for women’s economic participation is also high, reaching 78.72%.
This study recommends strengthening nutrition education, expanding local livelihood models, and intensifying the development of community self-help groups. Integration between Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), zakat institutions (ZIS), and microfinance institutions is key to the program’s sustainability. With integrated and inclusive interventions, MEMPHIS-PGA projects that 80% of target households can sustainably escape extreme poverty by 2027.
Download Executive Summary Baseline Study Proyek MEMPHIS-PGA