Papuan women at their farm (Jubi)
Merauke, Jubi – Papuan women traders in Merauke Regency are now growing their own vegetables and selling their commodities to the market, instead of buying them from farmers.
“They have been provided with sustainable mentoring to keep them motivated in working,” said the mentor Brother Johny Kilok on Wednesday (5/11).
Of 130 Papua women traders, Brother Kilok could only ask twenty-three women to join his group. The rest are not joining because they have been promised government grants. “I don’t know whether the grant has been distributed or not,” Kilok said.
Now, the group already has 103 plantation beds cultivated with various vegetables such as water spinach, spinach, yardlong bean and chili. They can harvest twice within a month and sell it to the market. “Yes, previously they are only selling vegetables, but now, when they are able to cultivate, they can sell their harvests in the market and their profit is higher than before. Now, they could allocate their profit for their capital and saving,” he said.
Separately, a vegetable seller Mrs. Devota Basik-Basik said her grateful for being coaching by Brother Johny Kilok. “I got the greater impact by cultivating and selling the vegetables by myself, because the profit is higher than before,” she said. (Frans L Kobun/rom)
