Planting Vegetables, Supporting Nutrition
May 2, 2025
Elderly Enthusiastically Participate in Elderly Posyandu
May 5, 2025Transforming a Cliff into Productive Land
Kangeli Village, located in the Lewa Tidahu subdistrict, is rich in natural resources, including medicinal herbs and local food crops. With most residents working as farmers, CD Bethesda YAKKUM has introduced a program titled Enhancement of Civil Society’s Role to Achieve a Qualified Health Service System. This program provides innovative training that leverages the village’s existing potential. As part of the initiative, CD Bethesda YAKKUM has conducted training sessions on preparing traditional medicines, processing local foods, and awareness campaigns on both communicable and non-communicable diseases. These efforts aim to raise community awareness about maintaining personal and public health.
Encouraging community-led initiatives is one of the key goals of CD Bethesda YAKKUM—fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility by transforming idle land into productive and sustainable farmland. One inspiring example comes from a SALT Team member, Mama Ponju, who began cultivating the land enthusiastically after participating in a training session on traditional medicine preparation.
One of the Herbal Plants
“Even though this land is on a hillside at the edge of a cliff, I work on it alone,” Mama Ponju explained. “I have children, but I manage it alone—they’re married now. I started by clearing wild plants and grass and loosening the soil so we could plant medicinal crops. Here, we grow turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass. We also created a local food garden with pumpkin, corn, cassava, and mung beans. We’ve separated the herbal plants and food crops, even though they’re grown on the same plot.”
She added that farming has always been a part of her daily life, primarily to meet her family’s needs. “As you can see, if this cliffside land is left untouched, it’ll go to waste. So, I tried to find a way to make it useful for my family,” Mama Ponju said with a smile. “I sell the produce at the local market or take it directly to Waingapu City to be sold."
Mama Ponju with Database Staff of CD Bethesda YAKKUM – East Sumba Region
Mama Ponju was first inspired to start gardening after a home visit and a village meeting discussion. During these gatherings, community members were encouraged to innovate with their land and harness their local potential—because meaningful change wouldn’t come from outsiders unless the community took the initiative themselves.
"When CD Bethesda YAKKUM came to Kangeli Village and made me part of the SALT team, I was responsible for conducting home visits to explore the village’s potential,” said Mama Ponju. “I realized that as a SALT member, I had to lead by example. So, when we talk about nutrition gardens or using our home yards to meet family needs and increase household income, it shouldn’t just be words—there should be visible results from our efforts. CD Bethesda YAKKUM has truly motivated and encouraged us in Kangeli Village to develop nutrition gardens. That’s why I’ve started cultivating my land to support my family,” she added passionately, proudly showing off her plot.
Herbal Plants on the Cliff – Kangeli Village, Lewa Tidahu, East Sumba
Before this cliff was transformed into a productive nutrition garden, CD Bethesda YAKKUM had provided training on making massage oil and instant immune-boosting drinks (made from turmeric and ginger). Mama Ponju was one of the participants in this training.
“CD Bethesda YAKKUM taught us how to make massage oil and instant immune-boosting drinks. The training was held at the Village Head’s house,” said Mama Ponju proudly. “I realized this was something completely new to me, and it would significantly impact us—the people of Kangeli.”
Inspired by the training, Mama Ponju began exploring ways to develop further the ingredients used in herbal medicine. Since the land around her house was insufficient for planting the necessary herbs, she turned to the cliff behind her home, transforming it into a thriving herbal garden. In addition to cultivating medicinal plants, she also grew local food crops, continually expanding and improving the land. In every sense, Mama Ponju is a true community champion, deeply committed to unlocking her village’s potential. For her, cliffs and rocky terrain are not obstacles but opportunities. As a resilient woman, she continues to innovate and serve as a powerful role model for her community.
(Rizaldy Radjah)
