Rural empowerment Poverty Education Training Community assistance Almost three quarters of poor people in Southeast Asia live in rural areas. The poverty affects 1.8 million deaths occurring among rural poor families. Most of the villagers depend on the agricultural sector. Agricultural land only 40% can be planted and 20% can be irrigated. They live with limited knowledge and skills, as well inadequate access to information. If the poor families are given knowledge and skills in processing

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... ral resources which exist, the management of agriculture and forestry will be more optimum. Then, it can improve the economy of rural communities. Programs that are concentrated on rural development are indispensable for equitable development so that it can reduce economic disparities between rural and urban areas. The rural economy will not lag far from urban areas. It will be same between rural and urban areas. The program can be realized by rural empowerment. Community is empowered by Education, Training, Assistance (ETA). Rural community education should be improved to create educated human resources. In other hand, skill also should be improved both soft skill and hard skill. Through skills training programs, rural communities are expected to be more skilled and more competent in optimizing rural resources. After education and training, rural communities cannot be released but should be provided assistance for them. People can consult about the problems encountered all the time. Thus, the community will feel more appreciated and more con ident to increase the life targets. The results of ETA will create educated, skilled, competent, and high competitiveness rural human resources so that the poverty can be eradicated and millennium development goals can be attained.