Local Government of South Sumatra and Jakarta Participate in OST (Observation Study Tour) at the Posdaya (Family Empowerment Center) of Kencana in Bogor Town

A total of 75 people from the Local Government of South Sumatra Province, DKI Jakarta, Banten, Bekasi and Depok took part in the 15th OST at Posdaya Kencana Indah in the Sub-District Kencana, Bogor Municipality. "It is the Posdaya that was founded in 2011 in the Sub-District Kencana, Bogor Municipality. Publications and initiatives by Posdaya Kencana Indah have been inspiring the surrounding people, triggering the birth of other three such centers, namely Posdaya Anissa Permata (RW 9), Posdaya Surya Kencana (RW 5), and Posdaya Pelangi Kencana (RW 2)," said Secretary of Human Resource Development Centre (P2SDM), Research and Community Service Institution (LPPM) IPB, Dr.Ir. Panca Dewi Manu Hara Karti.

The four centers are still relatively new and have the role of synergyzing and improving the quality of various empowerment activities available. They already have a variety of activities: education (early childhood and TPA), health (integrated health service, Posbindu for the Elderly), economy (cooperatives, small and medium businesses) and environmental (waste treatment, toga and nutritious garden).
 
"The Posdaya at the Kencana Sub-District has its excellent product of cassava rice (Rasi) as an alternative in food diversification. They want to campaign one day no rice to the wider community," explained Dr. Dewi.
 
The Cooperative activist in the Posdaya Kencana, Martha Sari Anom said that the capital accumulated up to March 2012 has reached Rp 24 million. "Residents can make savings and loan with the interest of 2 percent a year. The Cooperative also sells a variety of household products on credit," she said.

In the OST, apart from visiting various booths of products by small-medium businesses such as regginang, fermented cassava, taro chips, instant red ginger, and so on, they also visited the home industry of making dolls. "I am producing dolls based orders. I do not want to take loan to expand the business. It’s better to produce on demand," said the doll craftsmen, Jaelani. This doll business started with a doll keychain. Then, there was an offer to Jaelani to produce such a doll in large quantities. Jaelani said this was a challenge. "I learn by self and managed to make the doll. If there is a big demand for the doll, I hire next-door (left and right) neighbors, thus empowering them," he explained. (Mtd)