Cottage industries help women in Aceh to recover<\/p>\n
Chisato Hara, The Jakarta Post, Bireuen\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The din of hundreds of quacking ducks can be heard over the
\ntelephone, as well as the cooing of several women, all but
\ndrowned out by their flock.<\/p>\n
It is Saturday, Aug. 20, and 38 women villagers of Lancang,
\nBireuen, in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, have just received their
\ninitial flock of two male and eight female ducks each -- a total
\nof 380 fowl -- from the International Organization for Migration
\nunder its countertrafficking and empowerment (CT) program.<\/p>\n
The IOM's CT livelihood project in Lancang, which is funded by
\nthe Japanese government, aims to assist women widowed during the
\ntsunami, or otherwise left without a means of living, in
\ndeveloping cottage industries.<\/p>\n
In thus empowering the women, the project intends to reduce
\ntheir susceptibility to seemingly lucrative offers that may be
\nconnected to trafficking. Lancang was identified for the pilot
\nproject, as it had the largest population of target women among
\nall barracks in Bireuen district.<\/p>\n
The livelihood project, as with all IOM programs, is a
\nparticipatory one, and decisions are made by the target group --
\nthe IOM is strictly a facilitator, providing counsel, guidance
\nand other logistical support. As a result, the women, and their
\ncommunity as a whole, are imbued with a sense of ownership and
\ncontrol over their future businesses.<\/p>\n
Accordingly, the 145 women of Lancang proposed duck farming,
\nsalt farming, fish drying, sewing and embroidery, baking and
\nvending as their business ventures. Each of these groups were
\nfurther divided into subgroups for better management, and members
\nof the group elected their own leader.<\/p>\n
From May through July, the IOM assessed and stocked a supply
\nof start-up as well as construction material. For the ducks, the
\nCT team consulted the local agriculture and husbandry office for
\na potential supplier, and procured them from Sulhan Ali, a duck
\nfarmer in Jangkar subdistrict, Bireuen, who had participated in
\nthe government's capacity-building program.<\/p>\n
\"We decided on Sulhan Ali because he had the largest farm --
\nabout 1,000 ducks -- and had the most modern facility. He was the
\nonly one with an incubator,\" said a CT project coordinator, Ana,
\nby telephone, while the delivered ducks were being herded to
\ntheir new homes in the background. Sulhan Ali and two other
\nfarmers have also agreed to provide an outlet for the Lancang
\nwomen's products -- fresh eggs, salted eggs and duck meat.<\/p>\n
In June, further discussions with the duck-farming group
\nbecame necessary when the reconstruction of Lancang village
\nstarted -- a separate aid project funded by the Italian
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
'Everyone is heard'<\/p>\n
With the possibility of returning to the village, several
\nwomen began to change their minds, opting for an individual
\ninstead of a group farm: From 25 individual farms and 13 group
\nfarms, the group now consists of 34 individual farms located in
\nthe village proper and 4 group farms at the barracks.<\/p>\n
\"There has been excitement to be involved in this program,
\nbecause everything that (the IOM provides) is done in
\nconsultation with the community,\" said Bireuen project
\ncoordinator Vera, who is Acehnese.<\/p>\n
\"Disagreements, different opinions are resolved in a community
\ndiscussion, so everyone is heard.\"<\/p>\n
In addition to technical skills, the IOM arranged basic
\nbusiness management training courses, which was provided last
\nmonth by LP2EU, a private training agency in Bireuen that was
\nrecruited for the task by the local office of trade and industry.<\/p>\n
And this month, men from the Lancang community built 32 salt
\nhuts, three fish-drying factories and 38 duck coops -- all on a
\nvolunteer basis.<\/p>\n
\"It was a little difficult to get the men to volunteer,
\nbecause of the abundance of cash-for-work programs in Aceh,\" said
\nAna.<\/p>\n
The structures were constructed according to local design and
\nusing entirely local materials, with thatched rumbia roofs of
\nbamboo and tepas walls of woven palm leaves, and the coops at the
\nbarracks are mobile, so they can be dismantled and moved when
\ntheir owners relocate.<\/p>\n
The IOM's CT program does not offer this, because the intent
\nis to develop community empowerment and ownership, not
\ndependency. The CT team thus referred to Mukim, an informal
\nAcehnese community body, which convinced about 150 men to
\nvolunteer in a spirit of solidarity.<\/p>\n
All groups have now finished their training and are ready to
\nstart their businesses, and discussions are under way with the
\nsewing and baking groups on the materials they require in their
\nstart-up kits. Several women in the vending group have already
\nreopened their warung, and the fish-drying and salt-farming
\ngroups are being monitored as they initiate production.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the day after the ducks were delivered, the salt-
\nfarming group leaders led a peusijeuk, a traditional ceremony to
\nbless the new structures and for prosperity.<\/p>\n
As for the ducks, the entire flock was vaccinated prior to
\ndelivery, and the women have been given an extra supply of
\nsyringes and vaccines, along with water containers, feed,
\nsupplements, hatchery lamps and other equipment. Their trainers
\nwill continue to monitor their progress and the ducks' health
\nwhile their business gets off the ground.<\/p>\n
\"It has been fun but tiring (managing the group),\" said
\nNursiah, most of my group want everything fast. I am tired from
\ntelling them that they should be patient, that everyone will get
\ntheir turn, but I managed and it's fine, as long as everyone is
\nhappy.\"<\/p>\n
It seems this also applies to the ducks, and within the past
\nweek, several have already begun laying.<\/p>",
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