"“With the support of IPAF, we are trying to develop other productive economic sources and provide increased technical capacity for the Anak Dalam Tribe so that they can carry out farming, animal husbandry and economic development activities through creative and creative activities." said Dewi, CEO of Pundi Sumatra.

Building Food Independence Through Agricultural Field Schools 

Field school is one of Pundi Sumatra's program approaches to improve the technical cultivation skills of Suku Anak Dalam for farming, animal husbandry or gardening activities. This activity is like non-formal education for the community which is carried out by maximizing practice and modifying activities with comparative studies, sharing learning or even presenting practitioners to provide assistance. Through support from the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) program, Pundi Sumatra seeks to increase food self-sufficiency by developing alternative economies for the community. To achieve this goal, the Suku Anak Dalam community will receive technical capacity building on cultivation, in the agriculture / livestock / plantation Field School activities that will be carried out through several series of activities.

On May 19 2024, the Suku Anak Dalam community in Limbur Tembesi Village and Sukajadi Village, Bathin VIII District, Sarolangun Regency, held a Gotong Royong activity (Mutual Assistance) to prepare the land that will be used by the community to develop agricultural demonstration plots. This activity was attended by all community members, including children and women's groups.

A few days before this agenda took place, on May 14, 2024, the Field Facilitator team held a meeting with the community to discuss the technical implementation plan of this Field School activity. In the discussion, the facilitator also had time to insert an invitation to residents, to start managing their household waste with a separation system between organic and non-organic waste so that the waste can be processed again and make the residential environment cleaner and healthier.

The land preparation activity for the agricultural field school demonstration plot was carried out simultaneously with Gotong Royong activities for residents in residential locations. The activity began by determining the location for making a trash pit which would later accommodate all household waste from SAD residents in the settlement. Meanwhile, residents were cleaning up weeds on the prospective demonstration plot site land by spraying herbicides.

The Suku Anak Dalam Community of Limbur Tembesi Village has previously utilized some of the land around the settlement to grow field rice, as done by Tumenggung (the name for the head of the rombong in each community) Juray and several members of his community.

"Only a few people plant rice, the land is also not large, less than 200 square meters for each person. It is planted behind their houses," said Arief, Pundi Sumatra's field facilitator. In addition to rice, they also plant corn and cassava, the harvest of which is consumed by themselves. Arief said that currently the community is also trying to plant oil palm as an economic source, but the results are not optimal because they do not use quality seeds and there is no optimal maintenance aspect on the planted oil palm trees.

Not much different from Limbur Tembesi Village, some Suku Anak Dalam communities in Pulau Lintang Village also plant oil palm and rubber trees in their gardens. In addition to less than optimal harvests, their crops are often valued very low by the local collectors.

"This makes it difficult for them to fulfill their household needs," Arief explained.

Meanwhile, in Sukajadi Village, this community does not even have experience in farming because residents do not have garden land and are still entirely dependent on hunting activities, looking for oil palm fruits or taking non-timber forest products that can be sold.

"“With the support of IPAF, we are trying to develop other productive economic sources and provide increased technical capacity for the Anak Dalam Tribe so that they can carry out farming, animal husbandry and economic development activities through creative and creative activities." said Dewi, CEO of Pundi Sumatra. ujar Dewi, CEO Pundi Sumatra.

The IPAF program, which started in 2024, aims to improve the welfare, independence and quality of life of indigenous communities in various regions, including the Anak Dalam Tribe community in Jambi. Through the support of this program, Pundi Sumatra seeks to increase food independence and economic development by supporting efficient and sustainable agricultural, plantation and fishery business practices, as well as utilizing local community knowledge and wisdom in managing its natural resources.

Read more : Mapping Potential: Data Collection and Spatial Mapping in the Suku Anak Dalam Community