Empowerment Based on Collaborative Governance in Leprosy Patients In Central Java

Collaborative governance is one of the studies echoed recently in government structures to involve non- government institutions in making collective decisions on problems that exist in society. One of the empowerments is intended to leprosy patients. This article writing aims to see how empowerment is carried out on community / collaborative governance-based leprosy patients in Central Java, especially in Jepara Regency as an area with the highest number of leprosy sufferers. The research method used is a qualitative one in order to obtain comprehensive information. The approach used in writing this article is field studies and hearings at agencies involved in the empowerment process and the leprosy patient community. In principle, there are three aspects in the community empowerment process: creating a climate for community potential development; strengthening community potential, and protecting community rights. The results obtained from this study are, in the process of empowering and the efforts taken by the hospital and other government agencies in the process of increasing community empowerment, especially leprosy patients are to hold various kinds of training and activities that are really beneficial for the community of leprosy patients to interact with the outside community. In addition, at the Donorojo Hospital, there are leprosy patients who are appointed to be state officials indicating their openness to leprosy patients to develop. The agencies involved are, among others, Donorojo Hospital, Jepara District Social Service, Jepara District Bureaucracy and NGOs from abroad such as NLR (Netherland Leprosy Research) and LCC (Leprosy Care Community) from Japan.