In 1999, Iyus Prihartini was only about two months pregnant when her military husband went to work in East Timor (now Timor Leste). Iyus then returned to her mother’s house.
Her mother, who was working as the Head of the Posyandu (Integrated Healthcare Center) named “Wijaya Kusuma” then encouraged her to become a cadre so that Iyus would not feel alone. It was this experience of helping her mother that led her to continue to be involved as a cadre in various health and social activities until now at the age of 47.
In the neighborhood where she now lives, Depok, Indonesia, she is still a reliable health cadre and is involved in many social activities in her community.
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Wijaya Kusuma, apart from being the name of the first posyandu where Iyus worked, was a flower that used to bloom a lot in her mother’s yard. Even though now the flowers no longer smell there, Iyus’ work today is like the Wijaya Kusuma flower who always makes the communities, beautiful.