One Cocoa Tree, Various Benefits
Kurniati, 41 years old, is the wife of Hasan, a farmer who joins a cocoa farmer group in Lindajang Village, West Suli District, Luwu Regency. Although her main job is as a teacher, Kurniati also helps her husband on the cocoa plantation. Through the assistance of the Cocoa Life program, the collaboration between Wahana Visi Indonesia and Mondelez International, Kurniati, and cocoa farmers have benefited greatly through their active participation in various capacity-building activities carried out in their village.
One of the activities that Kurniati participated in was the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA). Together with housewives, the wives of other cocoa farmers in her village, Kurniati learned about saving and managing the household economy. Through VSLA, Kurniati learned to set aside money for household needs and also buying cocoa fertilizers.
In addition to VSLA, Kurniati also participated in Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) training activities. Through this training, Kurniawati is committed to replanting and re-maintaining her cocoa land. Previously, Kurniati and her husband owned 800 cocoa trees on an area of two hectares. Due to the age of the trees and low productivity, hundreds of trees were cut down and replaced with 600 new tree seedlings on the same land.
Besides VSLA and GAP, Kurniati is also active in Community-Based Integrated Child Protection (PATBM) activities. She participated in a series of Training of Trainer activities facilitated by the Cocoa Life Program. During her one year of responsibility as chairman of PATBM, she and other PATBM administrators have established the village Child Forum as the result of PATBM’s advocacy to her village. In addition, she also conducted socialization about the dangers of child labor in cocoa farming and disseminated the info on the impact of early marriage on children. This effort paid off. In 2022, the sub-district government will budget IDR 1,000,000 to finance various PATBM activities.
With these various activities, Kurniati admitted that she got many benefits, not only about cocoa farming but also other benefits for her family and environment.
“I thank Mondelez International and Wahana Visi Indonesia because through the Cocoa Life program, I have experienced changes for the better in cocoa cultivation, understanding children's rights and child protection, understanding the concept of household economic management, understanding the proposed budget for agricultural needs to the community, government and have an understanding of proper environmental management,” she concluded.
Written by Irwan Dedi Setiawan, Field Facilitator, Cocola Life Program, Wahana Visi Indonesia
