Women's GroupsEmpowerment through Sustainable Micro-Business Development in Mangrove Rehabilitation Areas

Objectives

Objectives of this project:

1. To increase quantity and quality Rhizopora sp (Mangrove) and Casuarina sp (beach) on fishpond and beach side area.
2. To increase local micro-business and saving-loan activities to support Presto-Milkfish production that managed by women group members.
3. To increase community awareness, especially local students to be care to coastal environment.

Background

Mangrove rehabilitation is a great activity and needs multi-stakeholder engagement, include village government and farmers groups. Mangrove rehabilitation in Pesantren village has carried out and begun from government support in cooperation with related stakeholder include village government and local NGO.

MFF Program Phase-1 had carried out mangrove rehabilitation with farmer group member engagement, men and women. Based on Mitra Bahari observation, successful planting was more than 80% in fishpond and mangrove areas.

It is important to involve women group on mangrove rehabilitation, now and future. Women involvement is not only on planting activities, but all activities, include institution and human resources development to ensure mangrove ecosystem sustainable, from planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling.

Women capacity is still low capacity, so human resources and institution need to be developed to increase technical and non-technical aspects. Kinds of Knowledge and skills that need to be developed are: (1) mangrove rehabilitation, (2) mangrove species identification, (3) Mangrove policy and wisdom, (4) Institutional development, (5) Finance management, (6) post-harvest and ecotourism.

This project is an extension project of MFF Phase-1, especially on intrusion and erosion mitigation and environment development through mangrove planting in fishpond and beach side and increase women groups participation for balancing between women and men role, include in local resources micro-business development.

Target beneficiaries

Beneficiaries of the project for:

1. Mitra Bahari Women farmer group
2. Mitra Jaya cooperative
3. Mitra Bahari Farmer Group members.

Outputs

Outputs of this project:

1. To be planted 40,000 seedling Rhizophora mucronata (Mangrove) on 13 Ha Mangrove areas.
2. To be planted 2,000 seedling Casuarina equisetifolia on 2 Ha beach side areas.
3. To be carried out saving-loan activities to support local micro-business, especially for women group.
4.  To be developed Presto-milkfish production by women group that marketable and sustainable.
5. To be carried out environment campaign to increase community and youth awareness.

Accomplishments and challenges

Pesantren Village in the North Coast of Pemalang District has mangroves that grow in river estuaries, creeks, shrimp culture and fishpond areas. Comal river at Pesantren village is an important river that supports agriculture and fisheries. As a sea tourist destination in Pemalang, Pesantren village has beautiful and unique natural resources.

The main problems at Pesantren beach include a decrease of fish pond productivity, limited capacity to increase income from traditional fisheries and low community participation in mangrove rehabilitation. Women’s role is still limited, especially in mangrove rehabilitation and income generation.

To improve participation in mangrove rehabilitation and to build capacity, especially of women, local organization Mitra Bahari developed a mangrove rehabilitation and protection activity using local micro-business. The activities consist of beach and fishpond rehabilitation using mangrove trees Rhizopora sp. and Casuarina sp.; training in micro-finance and cooperative group formation; technical assistance for women group to manage savings and micro-loans.

The project was able to increase women’s ability to manage group savings and micro-loan activities. 

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

Gender:

All steps of the project will involve and engage women group and most of activity will be managed by Mitra Bahari Women Farmer Group that facilitated by Mitra Bahari Farmer Group (men group). 

Private Sector Engagement:

Mitra Bahari Farmer Group is a local institution that will continue the project initiatives, so it does not need hand over and also will be facilitate regularly by NGO Sahabat Alam Foundation (SALAM) Pemalang.

It is also supported by Pemalang District Government and the support is hoped able to ensure sustainability of the spirit and content of the project. The initiatives of women group local micro-business and saving-loan activities will be done continuously, include support from related stakeholder in mangrove rehabilitation and protection and sustainability of environment resources commonly.