Read more from the SI Jakarta (SIJ) Project team for updates on the Lombok, Indonesia - Earthquake Recovery through Water, Shelter and Capacity Building.
The Water Situation in Rebuk Satu Village, Lombok
Water in the Rebuk Satu village has been scarce over the past few months. This has been due both to the on-going drought in the region and the initial well that was installed in August 2019 is not meeting with the demand from the whole village for regular water consumption.
SI Jakarta consulted with the Dept of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) regarding the critical water situation in Rebuk Satu. And after several meetings with the Department Officers, the contractor, the Australian volunteer engineer (provided through the Titian Foundation), the village head, and locals, it was agreed to bore a second well for a long term solution to the water crisis.
Exploring for water in other areas of the Rembitan region. PUPR offered free services to test for water availability for this second well.
Meanwhile, to deal with the water scarcity in the village, in September and October, SI Jakarta arranged for free water deliveries to be made to the village with the help of partner organisations. This worked well as a temporary solution and provided the villagers with sufficient clean water for their immediate needs.
Progress on boring the new well was laborious and fraught with difficulties. And after breaking drills on solid rock and not locating any water, new drills were purchased and after perseverance, a reasonable water supply was finally discovered in this second well which is sufficient quantity for the villagers' needs.
Piping has now already been laid from this bore across to Rebuk Satu village and the water tanks are filled on a daily basis. Water volume from the second well has increased over the past weeks and is of good clarity and most importantly of all, caters well for the villagers' daily needs. This new well will now be the main source of water for the Rebuk Satu village.
Although the area is still battling with the challenges of the drought, water from the new well is adequate for their needs, so long as it is used wisely and the systems managed well by the villagers.
Status of the village WASH Facilities
Wash facilities including toilets and bathroom were completed in July 2019 with some construction issues. In October 2019 most of the identified issues were resolved and the facilities are now functioning.
Training Programs
Weaving training (through Training of Trainers)
Weaving training which commenced in September 2019, is on-going and proving to be extremely successful. The top seven women weavers in Rebuk Satu village, in terms of experience and knowledge, were selected and are being trained in more complex weaving techniques and designs, by master weavers in the region. These seven weavers will then train the other 18 Rebuk Satu women weavers.
The training participants are extremely committed to the program and have been noted by SI Jakarta Field Officer spending many additional hours weaving after they have finished working in the fields and doing their housework. Already some exquisite pieces of woven cloth are being produced by those in the program.
Emphasis is on commitment to the training at hand and producing the best quality cloths possible. SI Jakarta will also assist the women to market their cloths to gain better prices than they have been able to attract over the past few years.
Literacy program
In October, SI Jakarta commenced a Basic Literacy Program for the villagers of Rebuk Satu. Teachers are locals from the villages nearby. This training will be initially for three months, with the option of extending, based on the teachers' recommendations and the enthusiasm and commitment from the villagers themselves.
SI Jakarta has discovered that approximately 80% of the Rebuk Satu villagers, especially females, are illiterate, and many speak only their local language (not the standard Indonesian, used throughout the country). These issues have created obstacles to implementing vocational education programs for the moment, except those programs which do not require reading and writing skills.
Organic farming
To date, apart from the Weaving, Basic Financial Literacy and Basic Literacy Programs (reading/writing), SI Jakarta, in partnership with the Titian Foundation, has been teaching some of the villagers simple, organic farming skills. Through this training, some villagers have successfully grown corn and peas.