Community
empowerment to increase family income through animal raising and natural
resource management in Leuser Ecosystem Area
in Tenggulun and Batu Bedulang Villages, Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia.
1. Project Profile
This project will improved
the livelihood of the communities residing in 2 (two) villages of Trunggulun
and Batu Bedulang of Aceh Tamiang district, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. This three
year active project duration will serve
150 families (consist of 40% women, 40% men and 20% youths). The 120
participating families will be supported with 435 goats, 300 kg of horticulture seeds,
micro credit. Meanwhile for the youths groups, they will be supported with 300
ducks, 7500 cat fish or tilapia and creation
of two tree nurseries, and village
library as centre of learning. And additional 300 families will be assisted through Passing on
the Gifts
Environment will also be
the major focus of the projects where the elements of land management, decrease
of illegal logging and improvement of soil and water conservation will be implemented while
utilizing local resources such as Pandanus for handy crafts, legume and grass
will be planted also by project participant
as a animal feed. Project participants
will also receive technical and non- technical trainings including:
Values-based holistic community development and Heifer’s Cornerstones, animal
well-being, gender equity, business management, agro ecology, village library
and horticulture.
2. Background and History of Project
Holder/Partner
Lembaga Swadaya
Masyarakat Bale Juroeng is a Non Government organization that was established
by groups of environmentalist activists in Aceh since 06 April 1999. Its vision is to manage the forest of the
Leuser Ecosystem with the best interest
of the community and environment while creating the traditional farming
community to be self reliant.
Such programs that
had been carried out by the Bale Juroeng currently are the Leuser Ecosystem
Conservation Program, Capacity Building of Community Group and Empowerment of
the traditional farmer. Bale Juroeng had also some work experience with
Diakonie - German in their mangrove rehabilitation projects, post disaster housing
recovery and livelihood program, building schools and clean water of Aceh Tamiang
community and on the development of safe energy stove program. Collaborated
with Bina Swadaya (a national NGO), Bale Juroeng also conduct a development
works for the farmer groups and fishermen in Bireun sub district and Aceh
Timur. They also have their own individual program which is on management of
city forests in Langsa
City and also mangrove
conservation forest in Aceh Timur.
3. Project Rationale – Local Conditions
and Opportunities to assist
The Aceh Tamiang District of Nangroe
Aceh Darussalam Province (Aceh) is one of the province in Indonesia which is located on the northern tip
of the Sumatra Island. This province is gifted with
rich natural resources but their poverty level is number 4th from
the 32 province in Indonesia.
The poverty level is accounted upto 1.157.200 people or 28,47% from the total
population of Aceh which accounted for 4.075.600 people. (Central Statistic
Bureau BPS 2004).
Aceh Tamiang District
is 1.939,72 km2 in size and consists of 212 villages and 27 traditional settlement
of 03 53 - 04 32' LU upto 97 44'- 98 18' BT in the globe. The major product of
this district is palm oil where the plantation covers around 80% of the land;
some of the plantation is a state owned palm oil plantation, some are owned by
private companies and some by individual people. In terms of transportation,
water transportation carrier is an alternative that many people used because in
this district, there are 2 (two) big rivers flowing; Sungai Tamiang and Sungai
Kaloy. Meanwhile its people largely work
as farmers and plantation labour. It is also common to found that in certain
locations in the forest that illegal logging activities is carried out in the
Leuser Ecosystem. Regarding the ethnicity,
the community in the Heifer project sites are Suku Tamiang, Gayo and Javanese.
A big flood in 2006 had caused some major damage to the infra
structure/public facility, decrease public service, destruct the environment,
and the lost of income source for the community. Until now, the reconstruction,
physical rehabilitation and the socio economic culture of the community had
become the major needs in the area. There are still a large number of refugees
still living in the temporary shelter. In terms of livelihood, although there
are many institution who participate in the rehabilitation program such as
through post harvest program, but there are still some potentials that had not
been developed in optimum to support the income of the community.
Opportunities for
Assistance
For the uplands area, there are many potentials for
freshwater fish breeding. The abundant water source can provide an agreeable
environment for ducks breeding. Much potential for livestock breeding is also
found such as legume and fodders. In terms of household industry, there are
many pandanus plants growing which
can be process to various handicrafts. This project will enforce on local
indigenous knowledge and skill so that the community are able to utilize the
natural resources surrounding them in an economic and sustainable ways.
This program will provides
positive contribution on the conservation activities in the Leuser ecosystem
and Wampu rivers buffer zones through establishing a tree nurseries in each
village, environmental awareness activities to the children and youths by
rehabilitating the forest areas and other go-green activities.
The number of youths in Batu Bedulang village is around 35 youths and these
youths potentials are still unutilize. Generally, these youths are drop-outs of
Elementary Schools and Intermediate Schools. This conditions generates from the
difficulties in accessing to a higher level of schoolings due to the isolated
locations of the Batu Bedulang village. Around 75% of the youths in the village are helping their families on
the farmland, carrying the heavy loggs downs to the river (illegal logging) ,
and some become hand labour in the palm oil plantation. In terms of the existed
organization in the village that can accomdate the youths, there is only the
Youths Mosque Organization and Traditional Cultural Organization (Gayo). Their
activities is mostly done after the sun had ben set in the horizon (night
time).
Meanwhile for the youths in Trenggulun village, their number is around 47
youths. Differ to the Batu Bedulang youths, the youths in Trenggulun village
have the access to go to the High schools although the road condition to get
there is extremely poor. The youths in this village mostly spend their time doing
sports such as volleyball, soccer and others due to the availability of a sport
facility. There is an organization of Youth Mosque Organization and Karang
Taruna, where these 2 (two) organizations had actively accomodate the
activities of the village youths.
Farmers will be empowered
economically and socially through self-help groups. Self-help groups – made up
of 23-24 village members – are a sustainable means for social and economic
empowerment. Self-help groups (SHGs) form their own goals and visions for their
family, group, and community. All SHGs conduct regular meetings, trainings and
saving and credit schemes. SHGs will also receive training on Heifer’s
cornerstones and gender awareness.
To ensure productivity of livestock, participants will
actively participate in field-based trainings on effective and appropriate
forage and animal health management. The families will receive local timber
seedlings and horticulture seeds.
Trainings will help strengthen their organic farming and conservation
practices. Participants will also actively participate in other technical
trainings on animal well being, horticulture and agro ecology. These practices will promote organic farming and discourage the use and
need of chemical fertilizers. This will
teach farmers how to utilize their own resources and not spend money.