IPB Assists with Salut NTB Farmers to rising from the Earthquake Disaster
Salut Village, Kayangan Subdistrict, North Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is one of the areas that is most impacted by the earthquake. It is still in the recovery process until now and in need of accompaniment. Alumni Association of IPB University (HA IPB) feels called to ease the victims’ burden by directly contributing to the accompaniment to Salut Village farmers. This village was the centre of 7.0 Richter scale earthquake back then.
This village which experienced above 90% destruction level is a place for the original tribe of Lombok or Sasak tribe, which has a very thick culture of cooperation. For that culture, this village has quickly recovered by rehabilitating numerous public facilities like social and mental facilities. More than three months after the disastrous event, people have started to run numerous economic activities like trading agricultural commodities.
In this opportunity, HA IPB involved the Regional Representative Council (DPD) NTB Mataram to ensure the run of the event. In its action, HA IPB always coordinated with Center of Disaster Studies (PSB), Institute of Research and Community Empowerment (LPPM) and utilized this momentum to coordinate with the regional government and societal figure to motivate the village cadre in this program. The program is also supported by the local volunteers from the villagers to prepare the area that is going to be used. In the first step, one hectare of land belonging to one of the well-known figures “Pakcik” from the hamlet of East Salut was worked as a model, before being transmitted to others.
The people are very enthusiastic to welcome and be involved in this program. This can be seen from the amount of participation during socialization, the management of land until the time of cooperation in preparing the land. Cooperation is the capital for working to prepare this medicinal plant garden because people are aware that health is very important. This is also due to geographical conditions that are far from the health center, the number of generic drugs is limited, health workers and medical equipment are very minimal compared to the number of people who are sick.
This village only has one health center (Puskesmas) with one health worker. The distance from the village to the sub-district health center is 17 kilometers, while the district hospital is 33 kilometers away and the provincial hospital is 72 kilometers away. Access to health that is quite far also motivates the community to always maintain their health.
Currently, a program for planting family medicinal plants is being prepared. The medicinal plants include ginger, ginger, turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass. Whereas for nutrition plants include kale, spinach, mustard greens, salad, eggplant, and fruit plants such as papaya. The method of planting must be done by utilizing organic materials which are left underutilized until right now, so the team tried to invite the community to make Micro Local Organisms (MOL), compost (solid fertilizer), liquid organic fertilizer and vegetable pesticides by utilizing existing resources.
IPB also assists farmers in processing medicinal plants to be ready for consumption. The Health Office and the local community expressed their gratitude to IPB for assisting the community and working as their own family in Salut Village. They hope that IPB does not rush to leave the community until they are truly able to be independent.
