The former combatants of Pantee Kayun Village are finding a new lease on life in cacao. Masri MD shows us how a little ingenuity and dedication can go a long way.

Banda Aceh. The signing of the peace agreement between the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka: GAM) and Indonesia on August 15, 2005, opened up a bitter new reality for the former GAM combatants. Most of them lacked steady jobs and the capacity to support their families.

Masri MD, 35, is one of these men. This resident of Pantee Kuyun Village in Aceh Jaya started driving truck for low wages. One of his customers was the Aceh ESP office, which requested one day, toward the end of 2008, that he deliver cacao seedlings. These seedlings were to be planted by the members of Forum Peduli Krueng Lageuen, a community group active in conservation around Krueng Lageuen River.

”While I was watching the people carry the cacao seedling from the truck to the planting area, I began to think. There didn’t seem to be any reason for me not to try to plant cacao in my own garden at home. At harvest time, that would mean more income,” Masri said.

Masri then took the left-over, unused seedlings back to his home garden. Masri suddenly became quite consumed with the task of planting and nurturing his cacao plants. The ESP staffer who visited Pantee Kuyun could not help but be impressed with Masri’s serious efforts at cultivating his cacao seedlings and decided to give him 300 more.

”He was aware that he really didn’t know enough about cultivation. He only knew to routinely fertilize and water the plants,” the ESP staff member said.

In order for Masri and other interested Pantee Kuyun residents to learn more about cultivating cacao, ESP sent them to take part in a comparative study at the cacao orchard/plantation in Medan in February 2009. Masri was a participant. “I learned a lot,” Masri said, “ranging from how to multiply the plants to how to compost and control pests naturally.”

Now, Masri has become the chairman of the Kelompok Petani Kakao Pelopor Aceh Jaya, which groups 10 farmers from different parts of Aceh Jaya. At least 10 days a month, Kelompok Pelopor members are invited by NGOs, donor organizations, government offices or academic institutions from various areas in Aceh to provide trainings in cacao cultivation. In the meantime, the cacao plants in Masri’s garden are thriving, with one more year remaining before the first harvest.

”Because I have become so busy with the training, I almost have no time to take care of my own cacao orchard! But I am happy because I can share my knowledge with other people,” Masri said.

Hendra Syahrial, Aceh ESP