If there is a poor family whom youl'd like to help, there is a belief that giving them cash might be taken by Bapak for gambling, so it's better to give Sembako to the wife for the family.
A system was worked out after the Bomb, as follows, for a food gift which will feed people for a month, as follows.
SEMBAKO.
Sembako is an acronym for Sembilan Bahan Makanan Pokok = Nine Basic Food-stuffs; these are what were parcelled up in a box and distributed to the needy for the 4 months post bomb, as per Dept of Health advice. Needy people still appreciate this sort of caring donation.
This one month's survival rations was based on a nuclear family with two kids and delivered 30k of rice; families with 4 kids might need 40k etc. The whole lot, usually came within an estimate of RP500,000. Nowadays with rice much dearer (Oct. 2012)) you might need RP 1.500,00
Rice, Sugar, Cooking oil or Margarine, Beef and Chicken meat, Eggs, Milk powder, Corn, Kerosene (Paraffin for cooking on stove, up there known as Minyak Tanah), iodised salt. You could add in some Soy sauce as this is considered essential = KECAP
A simplified version comprises Rice, Sugar, Oil, Instant Noodles and Iodisied Salt.
Good luck, bask in Ibu's smiles.