Exploring the Conservation Cooperative Journey with Julius
“After Planet Indonesia started supporting our community, there were a lot of changes in how we sustain our livelihoods, especially in agriculture, due to the financial support provided by Planet Indonesia.”
Learn about how the Conservation Cooperative (PUMK) has helped the community of Gema Ratu in Gunung Nyiut from the perspective of one of our village partners and tutors, Julius.
We asked Julius to write some reflections on the formation of their village Conservation Cooperative (PUMK). Here is what he said.
Introduction:
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Julius, and I serve as the literacy tutor in our Literacy Working Group associated with our Conservation Cooperative (PUMK) in Gema Ratu in Rambai Hamlet, Bengkayang District. I joined the PUMK when it was first established in 2021. During that time, many other families were also joining the PUMK, and so that inspired me to join as well.
What was the community relationship like with the surrounding environment before you started partnering with Planet Indonesia?
When Planet Indonesia first visited the community to present information on the benefits of forming a Conservation Cooperative partnership, many people were initially resistant to it. They were unsure if it was right for them. There were some early misconceptions that discouraged community members from joining, for example, there was some concern that crops grown through the agricultural program by community members, would be harvested and sold by Planet Indonesia. However once we saw examples of how other communities received business benefits through Planet Indonesia’s financial support mechanism, we began to understand and trust the partnership process.
Before our PUMK was established, people generally had a poor relationship with nature. There were often negative interactions with nature, such as poaching.
People who have not yet joined the community PUMK often ask about the exact benefits and advantages of joining. Our answer usually is; it will be much easier to access funding for micro-business capital as well as opportunities for education and capacity building.
How has the PUMK impacted the community?
After Planet Indonesia started supporting our community, there were a lot of changes in how we sustain our livelihoods, especially in agriculture, due to the financial support provided by Planet Indonesia.
For education support, many of the community members in the governance institution were very enthusiastic about participating in various education activities, such as the literacy program, which is still running today.
For health activities, before the PUMK governance body existed, the government-run Community Health Center (Puskesmas) rarely came to our village. When they did come, the services were only intended for babies and pregnant women. But with Planet Indonesia’s support, the community health center visits our village to provide regular health services for everyone.
One of the most extraordinary positive impacts of the PUMK on community activities is through agriculture. Since the community is often busy with our agricultural and agroforestry activities and planting corn, candlenut trees, bitter bean, jengkol, and durian, they rarely are in involved in extraction activities, like logging.
After Planet Indonesia started supporting us through our PUMK, people's relationship with nature has improved. It has helped us reduce hunting activities in the forest because people are so busy with many other activities, like agriculture.
Bahasa Indonesia
Perkenalan:
Perkenalkan nama saya Julius sebagai Pokja + Tutor Literasi di PUMK Gema Ratu Dusun Rambai Kabupaten Bengkayang. Saya bergabung dengan PUMK sejak awal berdirinya sekitar tahun 2021. Karena saat itu banyak keluarga yang bergabung jadi saya langsung bergabung juga saat pendataan awal.
Kondisi Sebelum Pendampingan YPI (Hubungan Masyarakat setempat dengan lingkungan sekitar)
Saat masuknya YPI tidak sepenuhnya masyarakat percaya, ada juga tidak mau masuk anggota PUMK, setelah melihat masyarakat yang lain ada keringanan usaha karena ada bantuan dana untuk membuat usaha.
Sebagian masyarakat berpikir jika YPI ada kegiatan agroforestry, masyarakat yang menanam YPI yang akan mengambil hasilnya. Sebelum ada PUMK ini juga hubungan masyarakat dengan alam masih banyak hal-hal negatif seperti berburu.
Masyarakat yang belum tergabung biasanya menanyakan apa manfaat jika masuk ke PUMK, apa keuntungannya. Biasa kami jawab ada penambahan modal, kami ada transfer knowledge.
Kondisi setelah pendampingan YPI (setelah terbentuknya PUMK)
Perubahan setelah masuknya teman-teman dari YPI ada perubahan dari segi pekerjaan terutama seperti pertanian, karena ada bantuan dana yang disalurkan oleh YPI.
Kalau untuk pendidikan seperti antusias peserta mengikuti kegiatan proses pembelajaran dari PKBM.
Untuk program literasi masih berjalan seperti biasa ada proses pembelajaran.
Kalau untuk kegiatan kesehatan sebelum ini aktivitas puskesmas sangat jarang sekali datang ke desa kami, namun setelah ada YPI yang memfasilitasi kami Puskesmas datang melakukan pelayanan kesehatan. Sebelumnya belum ada pelayanan-pelayanan seperti ini. Kalau sebelumnya yang ada hanya posyandu ibu hamil bukan pelayanan kesehatan.
Dampak positif yang luar biasa. Kegiatan masyarakat khususnya di pertanian, oleh karena itu masyarakat sudah berkurang untuk aktivitas di luar itu. Karena masyarakat sudah sibuk di kegiatan pertanian.
Kalau untuk kegiatan pertanian kami ada menanam jagung, pohon kemiri, petai, jengkol dan durian.
Sesudah masuk YPI hubungan masyarakat dengan alam sudah berkurang berburu ke hutan, karena banyak kegiatan di perkebunan.
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