April 2002
KALIMANTAN - SOWING AND REAPING
Information for this article provided by Sachlan North (below)
ARTEMESIA, WONDER PLANT
For a few days in January, while the UK was wrapped in wintry wet and
wind, I humped my haversack around hot, humid Kalimantan. Carefully
stowed inside it was a small pack of Artemesia leaf. It was my small
grain of hope on a beach of doubts, for I'd been through all this
before. A group in Germany has successfully developed this plant as a
cure for malaria and bilharizia. Malaria is prevalent in Kalimantan,
so seeds of this amazing plant had been given to a group of Dayaks to
grow. Its value unproven
to them, the villagers neglected the seedlings and lost the crop. I
was on my way to meet Getrin (below), our senior Dayak field-worker to try to
agree another attempt.
A TURNING POINT
As he approached me I saw he looked very unwell.
"Getrin," I commented, "what's wrong? You look ill."
"I've had malaria, " he replied, "and I can't shake it off.
I've tried all the drugs and
treatments I can get here, but it won't go. I'd try anything to get better."
I carefully produced my precious pack of Artemesia leaf. "Then try
this!" I said. "Make tea with a little of it and drink it."
Next morning I met him again. He beamed at me. "Getrin, you look a
lot better!" I commented.
"I feel a lot better," he replied. "I made the tea as you described,
drank it and after a short while felt as though my head would explode
- I was boiling hot! Then, the heat gradually lessened and this
morning I feel much
better. I'm taking another cup of the tea today. It's wonderful stuff!"
Within a few days, he was back to his former self. The news spread
fast; here was a wonder cure! Now, everyone wanted it. The door was
open and experience would provide the motivation for the Dayaks to
invest the time and care that these plants need if they are to
flourish. But we knew that support would be needed through the
initial stages.
ENTER DANIELLA!
And it appeared! The Rungan Sari landscape gardener, Daniella
Bustillo, agreed to sow the new batch of seeds we'd brought over,
using her propagators and overhead spray. Though difficult to
cultivate in the early stages, the Artemesia plants develop well once
they are established. Daniella will grow them in a plot in Rungan
Sari where local people will be able to come and take
cuttings - a much easier and reliable method of propagation. The aim
is to have a patch in every
village so that local people can cure themselves of malaria and of
bilharizia at little or no cost.
As on many other occasions, I
witnessed the power of the Latihan moving the right people to provide
the needed injection of advice and practical help as the moment
became ripe for using it.
MEASURING GROWTH
I undertook the January trip with Lorna Dowson-Collins to visit the
Susila Dharma Britain Sustainable Livelihood projects and carry out
a final evaluation. It was to be a very full week!
SEVEN VILLAGES & A WIDE RANGE OF MEETINGS
On the 21st. we talked with each of the field-staff. That was
productive and they wrote a proposal for us about how their roles
could be further developed. They were
really keen and we received several requests for courses and for
further training.
The next two days we devoted to field visits. It was uphill, hot,
thirst-making work.
The kind of thing we looked at was the project in the Dayak
village of Marang. An area of land designated for sustainable
forestry was found to be too swampy for good growth. So drainage
channels have been deepened. This will allow for planting corn,
cassava and other crops in an agro-forestry system. The Dayaks here
have identified economically useful trees in the forest and were
eager to receive advice on how to strike cuttings from them. They
have obtained the rights to 60 hectares of land nearby and intend to
cultivate the most promising species there. Again, good Daniella
Bustillo agreed to link up with them to make her nursery and
propagation facilities available.
FROM COMPOSTING TO COWS!
By now Andrew and Mary Holloway had also joined us.
Mary was another superb resource. The villagers know
nothing about composting and yet the soil they need to
cultivate is utterly poor. Mary
could advise them on saving organic waste to enrich the
soil. She further rose in their estimation through her knowledge of
cattle husbandry, recommending the Balinese cow to the villagers as
the most adaptable species.
Left to right: Didiek, Andrew, Lorna, Mary
PROJECTS EMBEDDED IN THE LOCAL CULTURE & LEADERSHIP
The situation in Marang was replicated in the others. We could
really see the gradual fruition of a long, nurturing process. The
projects are owned and directed by the Dayaks themselves, we are
simply their partners and friends, finding links and connections
which will be sustainable, obtaining funding as seed money for local
projects, training and
evaluation. They develop strategies and skills to ensure a
sustainable livelihood for themselves and future generations. They
are locally developed projects, which can be extended to other
villages.
FRUITFUL TALK
As well as trekking round villages, we spent many hours in discussion
with Field Managers and with other experts. Outcomes were positive.
For example, using Rungan Sari, the almost completed Eco-village for
our proposed Training Centre.We could collaborate with Germany's SD
and provide training for farmers, fish-breeders, craftspeople and
others. Another outcome is the possibility of other NGOs co-operating
with the villagers of Marang in another joint venture of growing
economically valuable trees and developing crops suitable for shade,
such as tomatoes and other cash crops.
On 31st January we even squeezed in a final meeting on our way to the
Airport to fly home. We discussed plans for an alternative
livelihood for communities involved in the Small Mining project:
growing Manilla Hemp and retrieving zirconium sand from mining waste.
A COMING OF AGE!
On the flight home I ruminated on the myriad experiences crammed into
so short a time. 21 years of involvement! Now, at last, I feel these
projects are really coming of age. Bapak's vision of the Latihan in
action
through humanitarian projects in Kalimantan has been my inspiration.
It is becoming reality even though there is still a way to go.
Note from Susila Dharma Britain's treasurer
Through Susila Dharma Britain - you can support humanitarian action
arising from the Latihan. Donations to Mark McElroy, 6 Lothlorien
Close, Littleover, Derby DE23 2RY, or, if you are a taxpayer, send
for a Gift Aid Declaration Form from Mark:
Tel. /Fax.: 01332 765135 - we can recover 28p on every £1 you give up
to the total amount of your annual tax bill! Trustees of Susila
Dharma Britain would prefer that you donate to the General Fund since
that allows funds to be directed most efficiently. If you wish to
support a particular project, please say so.
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