EVALUATION
VISIT TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS PROJECT IN KALIMANTAN,
JANUARY 20-31 2002.
We, Sachlan North and
Lorna Dowson-Collins, visited the SDB Sustainable Livelihoods project
in order to carry out its final evaluation. The external evaluator, Dr.
Francis Wahono, was completing his work when we arrived on the 20th,
and we were able to discuss with him his findings. These were on the
whole positive, but he also pointed out
areas in which improvements could be made.
On the 21st we interviewed the field-staff, individually analysing
their work. One outcome was that field workers would write a
proposal/business plan on their own project villages in order that they
all have the chance to learn how to write proposals and to focus on the
specific aims and success indicators within their own project areas. A
strong sense of keenness became apparent, leading to requests for
courses and further training.
The 22nd and 23rd were given over to field visits. An example of the
interaction brought about was that of the Dayak village of Marang. One
of the groups facilitated by the project had obtained the rights to 60
hectares of forest that they intended to maintain as a conservation
area. In the time they have cared for it, they have identified pro-mising
trees that have timber and/or non-timber value. A number of
increasingly rare plants have also been identified and through the care
they show, orang-utans and gibbons have returned to the area. Having
been given this area of 60 hectares, they have now obtained a further
400 hectares of deforested land to replant. What the group intends to
do is to cultivate in the new plot the most promising species
identified by the field workers in the original smaller area. At the
time of our visit they were lacking the ability to propagate the
identified species. For them to learn these techniques we were
able to link them with the Rungan Sari landscape gardener Daniella
Bustillo, who has a nursery with good propagation facilities.
The time lag for any sort of monetary return would be at least 6 years,
but this group of ex-loggers is keen to be able to create a future for
their children that includes accessible forest. We voiced a concern at
how were they going to sustain themselves during this waiting time. It
transpired that Dr. Wahono had already tackled this problem, by
suggesting an improvement in their ability to cultivate crops for their
own consumption. This involved deepening a drainage channel that was
flooding the swampy peat land and hindering their ability to cultivate
crops.
Mary Holloway, who had joined us by this time, was able to assist by
giving information on methodology in this connection. She also gave
advice on composting, a skill that was almost unknown to the villagers.
Mary further proved her standing as a resource person with her
knowledge of cattle husbandry and rearing of chickens. She was pleased
to see that they had the Balinese cow, which had been identified by the
field workers as the species best-adapted to their conditions.
In the Sei Gohong Transmigration village where one of our field workers
(a Subud member) lives, the people are planning to set up a
cooperative. They will plant lemon grass, which is found growing
naturally in the area and which produces citronella oil. This has a
market value for its insect-repellent properties and its pleasant
smell, used in creating aromatic candles.
When we first saw Getrin, our senior Dayak field-worker, he looked ill,
and said he had malaria. He had tried all the drugs and other remedies
available, but without success. We happened to have brought a small
pack of Artemisia leaf to show as a specimen, and gave it to him to
make the herbal tea with. He felt it working straight away, and
pronounced himself cured within a few days. This was of course good
news in itself, but had the bonus that the word spread rapidly around
the project area, greatly improving the general motivation to use this
cure.
Daniella kindly agreed to sow the new batch of seeds we had brought
over, using her propagators and overhead spray. Though delicate and
difficult to cultivate in the early stages, the Artemisia plants
develop quickly once established. Daniella will grow them in a plot at
Rungan Sari where local people will be able to come and take cuttings.
These will provide an easier, more reliable method of propagation. The
aim is to have a patch in every village so that the local people can
cure themselves of malaria (and also bilharzia if necessary) at little
or no cost.
Following the two days of field visits, Lorna held a 3-day course on
Leadership and Communication which was attended by our field staff and
a members of a local NGO. The course was very well received and
it stimulated different ways of thinking on current challenges.
Having through these field visits obtained a clearer idea of what would
be needed in the next two years, we sat down with field manager Didiek
to go over our drafts of the action plan and budget for 2002-2004.
Changes to the former were seen to entail the moving around of budget
lines. This in the end released a surplus which it was decided could
best be put towards developing new livelihood opportunities. Other
deliberations included deciding between individual family-scale palm-
oil processing units or one bigger village-scale one. It turned out
that an intermediate size unit would be best, and so Mursalin New would
be asked either to source or to design it.
The further development of the existing sub-projects, such as the
medicinal herbs one, was discussed after their individual aims had been
re-assessed. It was decided that field notes should be written as a
regular daily regime and reports based on them were to go to YAE,
Professor Sayogyo's organisation for running the practical operations.
Greater participation in the autonomy process was also planned, in
accordance with one of the new project's stated aims. This would entail
closer collaboration with local community development NGOs and stronger
links with other stakeholders such as the Provincial Governor, the
Mayor of Palangkaraya, the People's Empowerment Department and the
University, in the Forum for Autonomy and Democracy.
In conversation with Henry Horthy on our last evening in Kalimantan, we
were told that the Ecovillage at Rungan Sari, though almost complete,
was lacking in opportunities for usage apart from occasional YES-Quest
gatherings of Subud Youth. He asked us if we had any ideas, and we
suggested it could provide the facilities for our proposed Training
Centre. SD Germany was seeking funding to build one in the area, where
we could collaborate with them in providing training for farmers, fish
breeders, craftspeople and so on. However, negotiations were now at a
stand-still and use of the Ecovillage seemed to present a way through
the apparent impasse. Only one more building would be needed, and that
was about to be constructed. We pointed out that the KSG Guest House
and the Troncelliti
house next to it could be utilised for extra accommodation if needed.
A final meeting was squeezed in on our way to the airport on January
31. This was with Ridwan Dobson, Pak Lukas (former Head of the Regional
Planning Agency, now retired) and Mas Bayu, representing the local NGO
"People's Institute for Protection of the Environment". We
discussed a proposal for growing Abaca (Manilla Hemp) as an alternative
livelihood for the communities involved in the Small Mining project.
Another prospect, the marketing of zirconium sand from mining waste,
was also looked into. Mas Bayu explored with Didiek the possibilities
of his NGO's cooperation with the project village of Marang. This would
involve jointly growing economically valuable trees such as Pantung
(gutta-percha) in an agro-forestry type of setting, providing shade for
tomatoes and other cash crops.
Returning to Wisma Subud in Jakarta, we had two more meetings with
Mansur Geiger and Tim Scott of the KSK mining company, one at Tim's
house in Bogor and one a "power breakfast" at 7 a.m. on our
last day in a local hotel. Ways of helping communities of artisanal
miners were developed, by means of training courses in environmentally
sounder extraction methods and provision of alternative livelihoods.
Tim was completing the draft of a funding proposal at the time, and
wanted our ideas and comments on it, including suggestions for possible
funding sources.
Another meeting with Prof. Sayogyo followed, this time with Wayne
Lerrigo representing MSF. The Professor said that YAE had now
officially taken over the administration of the project in the field.
The previous incumbent YSK was being disbanded. We mentioned the
Ecovillage possibility for the Training Centre, but Wayne pointed out
that the legal position would have to be clarified. PCB as holders of
the land for Subud and the MSF as owners of the buildings would have to
agree, as would the management of Rungan Sari. He suggested we should
seek help from Peter Jenkins to resolve the matter.
Further matters discussed included:
# business plan for an IRDN factory in Bogor for the nutritional aid
Protema,
# a socialisation process to get SDB, SDG and YAE working more closely
together,
# Ruslan Harnadi working alongside our Field Manager Didiek Surjanto on
the proposed Rainy Season project,
# the Mayor making offices available to our TSLICK project,
# Prof. Sayogyo's participation in a development workshop for the
Democracy and Autonomy Forum.
Sachlan North sachlan@northkal.demon.co.uk