VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

This is RRI World Service, Voice of Indonesia with Mosaic of Archipelago. In today’s edition, I will present some information. First, Indonesian volunteers encourage economic empowerment. Second, Residents of North Barito harvest the first honey of meliponines. Third, the enjoyment of otak-otak from Sukabumi is in demand from outside the region.

The Indonesian Volunteer Society (MRI) encourages economic empowerment in accordance with the local potential as a form of recovery assistance, especially for residents affected by natural disasters. This was said by President of MRI, Syuhelmaidi Syukur at the MRI Bali Regional Work Meeting in Denpasar on Saturday (24/11).Syuhelmaidi remarked that the program is carried out in North Lombok after the earthquake shook the area by carrying out economic empowerment as one of the pilot programs. He also said that the economic empowerment becomes one of the three elements that are carried out during the recovery period in addition to physical development and social empowerment.He also said that in North Lombok, the company carries out a food granary program in the form of working capital, seeds, buying grain and rice produced in warehouses in collaboration with one of the Perdana Ritelindo Hidro minimarkets.He also encouraged MRI in the area, one of which is a new management in Bali to explore the potential of community empowerment, such as tourism, creative industries, agriculture and animal husbandry in accordance with local characteristics.

The farmer group 'Makmur Djaya Bhakti', the honey bee cultivator (Trigona Itama), in South Teweh Sub-district, North Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan made the first harvest owned by the local residents.That was stated by Head of Unit VI and VIII Central Barito Forest Management (KPHP) in North Barito Regency, Bahruddinsyah in Muara Teweh last Monday. He also stated that the farmer group located in the Transbangdep Hamlet, Bintang Ninggi I Village, South Teweh Sub-district, is one of the three farmer groups to develop ‘kelulut’ or meliponines honeybees.  For the other two groups in Hajak Village, Teweh Baru Subdistrict, each of them cultivates 10 stups(boxes for nesting bees produce honey). For now, only residents in the Transbangdep Hamlet have done harvest for the age of 22 days by making 10 stups and the results are around seven liters of honey. Bahruddinsyah accompanied by Head of Planning and Utilization of Forest Products, Jumaidil Hairi, said that the hornet honey bee was collaborating with one of the coal mining companies in the local village area.This activity is part of a corporate responsibility program (CRS). Bahruddinsyah said that the crop cultivation was facilitated by conducting guidance, promotion and packaging as well as being marketed in bottles of 250 ml and 100 ml. He also explained, the cultivation of the meliponines honeybees can provide good performance and effective business for the community, and can make a model for the community in other villages.

Sukabumi's specialty otak-otak or grilled fish cake, which is produced by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on Jalan Kenari, Sukabumi City, West Java, by empowering housewives attracts some people from  Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Tangerang, and even Kalimantan. The Sukabumi’s typical otak-otak-maker, Meriawati in Sukabumi said on Sunday that in producing the otak-otak, she empowers housewives around her house in Gang Ketapang, Selabatu Village, Cikole Sub-District.Although without work of contract, the income from making otak-otak can be an additional income for family. Every day, the demand from customers is around 500 packs, even if on holidays or weekends, the demand increases to one thousand packs.The price is only Rp3,000/piece, but she packs it containing five otak-otak plus peanut sauce at a price of Rp15,000. The production itself is carried out in the morning and once finished, it is immediately sold out.Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Sukabumi, Andri Setiawan Hamami said, the main program of the Sukabumi City Government in improving the economy of the community is by establishing entrepreneurship and encouraging them to become MSMEs entrepreneurs. They have also prepared a program for entrepreneurs ranging from coaching, training, promotion, marketing to business capital assistance.

That was Mosaic of Archipelago.