Four Indigenous and Local Representatives from DGM Indonesia share community initiatives during COVID-19
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Contributed by: Def Tri Hamri, Deby Rambu, Tri Indana, and Surti Handayani (DGM Indonesia NSC Members) .
Editor’s note: In honor of International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on August 9, we will be sharing a series of three DGM blogs, highlighting experiences from the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (DGM.
COVID-19 in Sumatra: Community initiatives address food shortages
By: Def Tri Hamri (DGM NSC Members / Sumatra Region)
“Since travel restrictions were put in place, the Bengkulu provincial borders have been strictly guarded, forbidding entry of any homecoming. Despite various policies and regulations in place, the spread of COVID-19 continues impacting rural and urban communities in different ways. A common initiative in villages is to form COVID-19 volunteers in preparation for monitoring visitors and supporting the poor through the allocation of village funds. Unlike those living in villages, urban communities have been impacted significantly economically. Vegetable traders in urban markets, day laborers (coolies and artisans) and food vendors became the first groups to experience the economic impact.
The level of awareness of COVID-19 is particularly high among Indigenous Peoples and local communities in rural areas. For example, in Penago Baru village, community members enforced self quarantine for those with flu symptoms. In Kaur and Seluma districts news on the potential threat of food shortages has encouraged the planting of cassava in customary lands and the use of house yards for planting ginger and others herbs. Times like these has reminded people of the long dry season in Bengkulu between 1982-1983 which caused rice crop failure and led community members to perform cleansing rituals. In Kutei Lubuk Kembang, Rejang Lebong regency (DGM-Indonesia project site) the Kedurei Agung ritual was performed to repel external threats and as a reminder to their native origin (anak Kutei).
AMAN Bengkulu conducted a rapid assessment in 12 indigenous communities in Kaur and Seluma districts. The study revealed that Indigenous Peoples who inhabit areas directly bordering oil palm plantations face the threat of starvation if COVID-19 lasts longer than initially expected. The conditions in these communities is exacerbated by crop failure due to changes in planting season (drought in 2019) and rat and planthopper attacks.
A number of food security approaches have been initiated at the community level, including the use of house yards and any remaining land to plant rice and rice substitutes. An effort learnt from past experiences of prolonged drought in 1982 and 1983 where elders could easily determine planting locations in extensive customary land. What makes this challenging nowadays is the vast take over of customary lands by large-scale business licenses.”
Volunteers disseminate COVID-19 information to communities in Rejang Lebong Regency.
Indigenous Peoples in Kutei Lubuk Kembang , Rejang Lebong Regency establish a COVID-19 information center.
Rate Wana Indigenous Peoples grow cabbage to maintain food security during pandemic. in Sumba island.
COVID-19 socialization and mask distribution.
“Facing COVID-19 in Java with Traditional Practices
By: Tri Indana (DGM Indonesia NSC Member / Java Region)
“Tulungagung, a district in East Java Province (one of DGM Indonesia project site) is included in the COVID-19 red zone status. A status that makes people very careful when there outsiders enter their villages. With the village government they imposed mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days for those who returned from the cities. They restrict access and do not accept outsiders entering their village.
The community is also restricting activities that can lead to the spread of COVID-19 virus, although agriculture and livestock raising activities continue despite a decline in intensity. These include social activities that involved crowds such as customary death rituals, offering ceremonies and festivities, religious rituals such as 'yasin-tahlil' and other community gatherings.
At another DGM project location in Central Java, the Sekar Langit farmers group in Batang district did not experience significant changes in their daily activities. They continue to farm and garden as usual. However, the community is more careful and for the time being activities involving face to face interaction involving many people are prohibited.
Beyond the realm of implementation of center and the regional government policy, local communities maintain traditions to cope with COVID-19 situation. They traditionally believed that disease outbreaks were Pagebluk, an ancient Javanese term for an outbreak of a dangerous disease that struck an area simultaneously. This term is usually used to describe the threat of illness related to spiritual matters.
People in Tulungagung follow the tradition of their ancestors when Pagebluk struck, they made a statue of tetekmelek from the hunched (bongkok) palm tree leaves as an antidote to the evil power of Pagebluk to stay away from their territory. Similar to what happened in parts of Central Java and Jogjakarta, in the event of Pagebluk, the villagers made an offering by cooking 7 kinds of vegetables.
Javanese community members are deeply connected to their customs, interpreting coronavirus as a warning for us all to love more nature and the earth that we live on. It is a manifestation of maintaining cleanliness and healthy life.”
Coping with the pandemic through community self reliance in Sumba Island
By: Deby Rambu (DGM NSC Member / Women’s Representative of Local Communities)
“Discussions with communities and village governments concluded that currently food stocks are available only until September 2020. The food consists of tubers and rice, the primary sources are food crop gardens owned by indigenous peoples and local communities. Forests provided tubers and vegetables gathered in July – September for daily consumption. Rice from the paddy fields forms only a small part, as not many cultivate rice. Another source is ‘mandara’, asking for food to well-off families. The COVID-19 pandemic limits access to the market, both to buy food and sell crops. Markets open only twice a week for 2-3 hours. The community is hardly able to gain an income and now have to rely on government cash assistance.
Some traditional villages are able to secure sufficient food supplies. These villages become food sources for neighboring villages. Estimated food suppply in the northern coast of Sumba Island could last only until August 2020. A big concern especially in Sumba Island is that continued food scarcity would trigger crimes such as food and cattle thefts.
A common effort is to set up a coordination post to cope with COVID-19 in each regency, involving community members as volunteers. They organize production and distribution of masks, training on making hand sanitizers as well as healthy drinks made from herbs. The vounteers also work on COVID-19 information and raising awareness campaigns through the distribution of leaflets, booklets, and other materials. In addition to spraying disinfectant in the village, they also help coordinate the provision of government cash assistance.
Sick people are afraid to come to the hospital to get treatment. The mortality rate is quite high, especially for the elderly who suffer from hypertension, cholesterol, tuberculosis, and other aging conditions.
In Sumba, volunteers and NGO’s are promoting community cooperation (gotong royong) to cope with the food crises. AMAN Sumba and Satu Visi Foundation are promoting Serba10 ++ (All 10++) movement; planting 10 food crops and each consists minimum of 10 clumps plus herbal plants e.g., ginger, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, and others. Seedlings are collected from community and distributed back to community members. In Central Sumba “Serba10 ++” has now begun to show results, Anajiak and Waimanu villages have adopted this model with 32 households preparing 3 hectares land (house front and back yards, gardens) for food crops and herbal plants. They were introduced with water-saving and low-emission cultivation techniques.”
Lessons from the Pandemic in Banyuwangi, East Java
By: Surti Handayani (DGM Indonesia NSC Member / Representative of Indigenous Women)
“The policy to enforce social distancing and self-quarantine has been adhered to properly by indigenous peoples and local communities. They continue to do farming and fishing, while wearing masks as recommended. The social distancing and self-quarantine affects the prices of farmer harvests and fishermen catches, when demand decreases, prices decrease. But supply of food is still safe, for at least the next few months. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates a truth about indigenous peoples and local communities as the guardians of life. If social distancing and self-quarantine also stopped activities of farmers and fishermen, we can be sure that the food security sector will be paralyzed. Shortage of food supplies will threaten the lives of urban people.
Several DGM Indonesia projects in Banyuwangi, East Java worked on the borders of the Alas Purwo National Park. People who work as tour guides experience the adverse effects of the travel restrictions. Income from the tourism sector has completely stopped. This is also felt by the Osing indigenous people whose village become a tourist destination. The impact of closing the access until an undetermined time has stopped tourism-related economic activities.
The people in Kedung Asri village are limiting access for people from outside, because many of the village resedents worked as oversea migrant workers. Every person coming to village is required to report to village adminsitration and must undertake a health check in a local health clinic. The villagers took the initiative to provide quarantine homes in each hamlet and spray disinfectants voluntarily.
The pandemic also strengthens the awareness and creativity of indigenous peoples and local communities. In Bakungan village, the Osing indigenous community transformed their traditional meeting hall and art gallery into a quarantine house. Indigenous women groups took the initiative to make hand sanitizers from natural ingredients (betel leaf and aloe vera) to be made freely avaliable in strategic places.
The Kemiren village residents created an online portal (website) to update COVID-19 situations. In Olehsari village a social safety net program was implemented, providing monthly cash assistance to 146 families for 3 months. This complements other cash assistance programs, to help the village community to survive.”