Stories from Papua
Yoses is a coffee farmer in the Kiwirok Region, Pegunungan Bintang Papua. He utilises the knowledge that he learns from GEG to use coffee drying house technology for his own coffee beans.
Even in unpredictable weather his coffee stays dry.
Yoses is now able to maintain the quality of his coffee and the selling price has increased.
“My children can be successful because of coffee” said Mama Monica Takege.
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Mama Monica Takege relies on the harvests from her coffee plantation, which is only half a hectare, to feed and support her children and pay their school fees. The coffee garden which she visits every day is well maintained, so they get good results. She received knowledge in post-harvest management from the GEG program which also helps her maintain the quality of her beans after harvest.
"I am able to stay alive because of cocoa beans and I want to live even more prosperously because of this stuff too!" said Sofia Sanggrawai.
Sofia Sanggrawai is a member of the Nenem cocoa farmer group, Iwon Village, Gresi Selatan District, Jayapura Regency. Female cocoa farmers, with their tenacity and enthusiasm in cocoa cultivation, have become the motivation for other women to plant cocoa trees in their village too.
Dominggus Masyewi is Head of the Wondama Regency Fisheries Service and is very driven in his support for the Papuan people. His attention is to improve the community's economy. In August 2018, he planted seaweed with residents from Yende village, roon district.
Pak Maikel Akwan, a resident of Niyap village, used to be a woodcutter. Being a member of a coastal community and his desire to stop being a woodcutter led him to try out seaweed farming. Now, Pak Maikel is one of the seaweed breeders from Niyap village. When the harvest season arrives, some of the seaweed plants will be used as seedlings to expand his area of cultivation, and some will be sold to neighboring villages to be planted there.
"I don't want to destroy the forest anymore," said Pak Maikel Akwan.
"I'm Martina, I've always dreamed of owning my own house."
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Her introduction into the GEG Program made it easier for Mama Martina to sell her coffee, and now she is building her own house from what she earns.
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"I'm Martina Edoway, a Coffee Farmer"
In the past, the mace was just drying it in the sun," said Pak Paulus Hindom.
Paulus is a nutmeg farmer who is also the head of Palentindik village enterprise (BUMKAM), Fakfak Regency. Now Paulus is using a nutmeg drying house or mace with assistance from GEG program. By using this drying house, mace will dry optimally, the oil content does not evaporate much, and the quality of dry mace is getting better according to Pak Paulus Hindom.
Mama Jo is one of 19 female entrepreneurs from a group of 36 participants in the Digital Marketing Training organized by the GEG program in Jayapura in 2020. Mama Jo is innovating to a web-based marketing model that can help her maintain her sales volume during the difficult times of COVID 19. On average Mama Jo sells 40-50 Kg Fresh Tilapia and her online marketing increases her sales further.
Please visit the website www.kerambamamajo.com
“Now my life is better, the coffee price has increased, the farm is clean. GEG Program helps me to improve the quality of coffee. I am happy, my wife and children are also happy”. Ishak Babingga
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Ishak Babingga is one of the coffee farmers who is now diligently cultivating coffee plantations and coffee beans in Walakma Village, Bpiri District, Jayawijaya.