The Fight that never ends…

Contributed by Lilis Ciyarsih, Nia Ramdhaniaty and Listyana (translated by elnino)

Perhaps that could be the best phrases represent the Ciburial’s woman group condition in a way to fight their economical and household desires.
Kampong Ciburial is one of hamlet (kampong) that administratively includes in the Mekarsari Village. In the area which still hold their tribes and tradition belief of Kasepuhan, inhabited by 425 people (209 men and 216 women), most of them live their life as a farmer, and there is a fact that the number of a farmer lady is higher than a farmer men.

LAND plays a great main production factor to a farmer, both women and men. Land scarcity will lead into poverty, especially to a farmer lady which has always been played a great role in household food accessibility. It is the same reason that we can found in Ciburial women, they have to deal with food scarcity along with land scarcity itself as they admitted.
poor

Woman’s Group as Our Activity Media

It is a “common thing”, which a woman had to be responsible to fill the daily household needs. So that the woman will become confused to figure out on “how to fulfill” that desires, is it on to search for the resources of the income, nor the important available commodities. This Woman’s Group had found one of the ways to create a community media with a name “Kelompok Swadaya Pangan Perempuan (KKSP)” or Food Self-Supporting Woman Group. They have felt the benefit of being “togetherness” in group which has been initiated since April 2005. It is too early to said that this group to be settled. Through collective endeavor activities, it is established some of promising alternative effort choices, economically, and it had been proved at the involvement of KKSP in local economy activities.

With a great hope on the chance of an economics improving, Ciburial woman cultivate and manufactured Cassava as one of agricultural product which can be processed to become assorted of manufactured product, like Cassava flaky (chips). Supported Activity in order to get maximal result is even also conducted, start from community planning, society economical training, training on the added value improvement and comparative study on the food processing to product marketing.

It doesn’t desist to that point, build a support system from various parties is also conducted, either in family storey level, countryside, kasepuhan nor regency. But, still the resistance and barrier have never disappeared in the middle of this exertion. Dozens communities are still assuming that the activity of KSPP during the time only as a leeway filler. Countryside Governmental inattentiveness is also plays as a factor that add the length enlist resistor in implementation KSPP target. On the other side, nowadays the husband support and side kasepuhan become ' sparkling point' of the group member spirit to face group resistance to reach target. Increment on the group cash, group administration regularity, group investment addition and also involvement of all men (husband) in KSPP activity supporting had given a great contribution to KSPP to reach efficacy.

Heaving with high spirit to reach target “with and in” the middle of immeasurable of resistance barrier, nowadays KSPP start to build of support and cooperation with, in this case with the cooperation From the Industrial, Commerce and Capital Investment Department of Lebak Regency. This Woman Struggle which had suffered a never ended long road finally paid off within an adequate response. The Local Government of Lebak Regency finally opens their space Widely to Cooperate with KSPP, whether in the form of support of information and also promotion area.

In the middle of these resistance trying to discredit the role of woman are really cannot be proved by woman which involved in the Food Self-Supporting Woman Group member (KSPP) at Kampong Ciburial, Countryside of Mekarsari. Time has come that the woman esteemed as a society activator which can be self-supporting and can take care of themselves without having to be depended to other party and/or husband. Prosperity, efficiency, equality and highly powered of woman, we have to fight for together.