Three villages are planting sengon (a softwood popular in Java) and raising rabbits and goats for continuous alternative income.

Bandung. As a part of the public awareness campaign for the Religious Value-Based Village Conservation Model (Model Desa Konservasi Berbasis Dakwah) program, the Nadhlatul Ulama National Forest Environment Movement (Gerakan Nasional Kehutanan Lingkungan Hidup Pengurus Besar Nadhlatul Ulama: GNKL PBNU) and ESP held the event Religious Environmental Field Day Gathering (Hari Temu Lapangan and Dakwah Lingkungan) in Cikarae Village, Thoyyibah, Sukabumi, West Java on May 30, 2009.

This event, attended by Sukabumi Regent Sukmawijaya, as well as community figures and locals, featured a number of activities, including drawing competition, a plant growing competition, and a community handicraft exhibition.

This particular public awareness drive was unique in that it proclaimed the Islamic Boarding School-Based Village Conservation Model Program, (Program Model Desa Konservasi Berbasis Pesantren) in the villages of Cikirai, Cikarae Thoyyibah and Mekarnangka. The Pesantren Islamic boarding schools are seen as appropriate partners because their villages are relatively close to conservation forests. These schools also have hundreds of energetic students who can be mobilized for various kinds of conservation activities.

The Hidayatul Falah Islamic Boarding School is only one example. Just over a year ago, this school partnered with ESP and PBNU to develop community-based seedling cultivation through their established prayer groups.

One activity that attracted significant attention during the Field Day was the presentation of the Sekoci (from Sengon {tree}, Kambing {Goat}, Kelinci {Rabbit}) concept. Sekoci, literally translated as ‘boat’, arose due to efforts from Field Schools in 3 villages looking for alternative economic activities. During the Field Day, the GNKL PBNU team launched Sekoci as an option for overcoming environmental degradation and improving the livelihoods of the people living around the Halimun Salak Mountain National Park.

The three elements of the Sekoci program (sengon, goats and rabbits) provide short, medium and long term benefits. For example, sengon trees are seen as good long term economic support because they can be harvested every five years, while goats provide income all year round, and rabbits can provide alternative income monthly. With these sustainable sources of income, pressure on the National Forest will be drastically reduced.

Recently, approximately 20,000 sengon seedlings were planted to rehabilitate 40 hectares of land in Cikirai, Cikarae Thoyyibah and Mekarnangka, in addition to 50,000 seedlings previously planted by the same farmers’ group.

Idham Arsyad, ESP Jakarta