The Story of Euis Maryati: Widowed and Planting Trees to Support Her Family

Euis Maryati
Euis Maryati: Widowed and Planting Trees to Support Her Family

For a woman with four children, it is never easy being a single parent. This is how Euis Maryati (57) feels. She is one of the farmers in Patrolsari Village, Arjasari District. Since a few years ago, she had to be a mother and also head of the family.

As a widower, her life is struggling. Even though, she keeps herself motivated to be a strong woman for the sake of her family. Unlike common life of most women in her village, her daily life is not only about taking care of the household things, but also making income to fulfill her family’s needs. Otherwise, she has to work harder than anyone else. 

Farming Crops is not Enough to Fulfill Her Family’s Daily Needs

Fortunately, Euis Maryati has a field that she can plant many kinds of plants. Most of them are seasonal food crops. Through her field, she can depend her life to the crops’ yield. “Here, I planted various kind of food crops. I planted chilies, cassava, ground nuts, and red bean. There is also corn. Usually, I harvest my seasonal crops once in every two to three months,” said Euis Maryati.  

Afterwards, she sells her crops in a traditional market around her village. Some of the crops are also self-consumed by her family. According to Euis Maryati, by planting crops, at least she does not have to worry if some days she does not have enough money to buy food. Still, she can pick some food crops from her field for her own family consumption.  

Euis Maryati: Widowed and Planting Trees to Support Her Family
Euis Maryati has harvested crops from her field. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

Even though, to meet her family’s daily needs, she cannot avoid doing double jobs at one time. Besides farming, she also sells snacks. “If I do not farm, I cannot support my family’s needs. However, farming crops is not enough. So, I have also opened a small business selling snacks. It is to increase my income to meet my family’s daily needs,” she conveyed. 

Planting Trees: Cultivating a Better Future for Her Family

In 2021, when she was offered a partnership program of tree planting funded by Astra Zeneca collaborated with Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted, Euis Maryati planted burflower-tree, avocado, mango, and orange. She planted those trees among her seasonal crops in her field. She admitted that she was lucky to get plants from the tree planting program. She hopes a lot from trees she planted for the future of her family. 

She has been persevering in taking care of her trees. She cleans the grass every day so that all the plants grow well. She also applies her plants with organic fertilizer that she made herself from animal dung. 

Euis Maryati: Widowed and Planting Trees to Support Her Family
Euis Maryati is checking her jabon trees planted in her field along with various crops.

She expects, by taking good care of those trees, she will be able to harvest the good results. Moreover, now plants in her field are more varied. With more types of trees planted, she hopes she can sell more yields in the future, then she can fulfil her family’s needs much better than today. 

“My life has been difficult for years. So I am hoping that it does not get any harder. If not myself, who else will  support my family? I realize that I am both the mother and the head of the family. It is not easy. But for my children and their future, I will continue to work harder,” she stated.  

She thanks to the tree planting program and she hopes it can bring more prosperity and a better future for women farmers and single parents like her. 

 

Planted 1000 Trees to Restore the Soil Fertility in Tanjungwangi Village

planted 1000 trees
Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve
Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve

In the series of 2022 planting season, Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve planted 1,000 trees in a tree-planting event. The event aimed to restore soil fertility in Tanjungwangi Village, which is in Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency.  

The tree-planting event is also part of the environmental improvement effort around the Citarik river watershed, which was one of Trees4Trees’ new planting areas. Five types of tree seedlings were planted during the tree-planting event, which was conducted in a land of 10,000-meter squares in Tanjungwangi Village.  

“We planted eucalyptus, manglid, mahogany, avocado, and coffee. This event also involved seven farmers and three local workers,” said Ahdan Ramdani, the Trees4Trees Citarik site coordinator.   

Planting trees for conservation purpose 

The land where trees were planted has been unproductive for the past five years. Long ago, the lands were planted with various kinds of crops but later abandoned and have not been planted with any plants. As the result, the lands become barren and poor in nutrients. 

Like any other village in Cicalengka District, most residents in Tanjungwangi work as factory workers. Most of them were farmers before. However, since the factories began to be established around the village, there has been a change in the people’ livelihood. Most farmers switched their job to become factory workers.  

“The condition of the lands is very poor. Therefore, the main purpose of this planting event is for conservation, that is to restore the soil fertility,” Ahdan revealed. 

CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees
planted 1000 trees

Ahdan also said that besides restoring soil fertility, the trees planted in the tree-planting event were also expected to maintain the water sources and prevent erosion as well as floods which often happen in this area. 

The tree planting event was supported by CSR program of Barekurve  

On the tree-planting event, which was held last December 2022, more than 600 seedlings were planted with the help of Barekurve staff as tree planter volunteers. While the rest of the seedlings were planted by local farmers. 

Barekurve representative, Sheila, revealed all of the staff are excited to be involved in the tree-planting event. Barekurve as an apparel company was also proud to be part of the environmental improvement around Citarik watershed through a tree-planting event.  

planted 1000 trees
CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees

“We are aware that in this modern day, the number of tree covers in Indonesia is declining day by day. Especially in Java Island as the center of the economics of this country. We think that planting trees can be a solution, so we initiated this tree-planting event as part of our CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees. Through the event, we want to contribute to environmental improvement, starting from this village. We’re hoping with this tree-planting event, we can help a little to make a green impact on the environment,” Sheila said. 

 

Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

Young people from Kebumen decided to farming 2
Young people from Kebumen decided to farming
Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

Not many young people in Central Java, are interested to live in the village and engage themselves in farming. Based on data collected by the Trees4Trees team, farmers participating in the Trees4Trees program in Kebumen are mostly middle-aged and elderly farmers. Most of the youngsters choose to leave their rural homes and work in big cities. 

Like most youngsters in their village, Aan (26) and Sugiman (29) from Kalirejo village,  – who are close friends –  also decided to leave their village and migrate to the big cities. They thought that working in big cities was more promising to improve their living standard than in the villages.  

Unfortunately, reality was far from their expectation. Finding an ideal job in big cities was not as easy as they thought. Over the years, they jumped from one big city to another to find a better job. Life was getting tough. Finally, after years living in big cities the two decided to return to their village.  

Read also: Masimun is Not Just a Farmer. He’s a Puppet Craftsman 

“One day when we were far from home and life was tough, we remembered our village has great natural resource potential. We thought it would be better to develop what we already have in the village than to live in the city. We want to do something useful in our village,” both said.  

Young people from Kebumen decided to farming 2
Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

After returning to their home village, they did not know where to start for sure. Then one day, they discovered that many agricultural lands in their village were abandoned and had become barren. 

“At that time, we kept asking the question in our mind, why were the lands in our village turning barren, arid, and poorly managed? Those lands were productive and fertile before,” said Sugiman. “We also wonder, why did farmers leave their lands neglected and unproductive? These questions were spinning around in our mind for weeks,” Aan continued. 

Read also: Sarpin, Planting Trees are More Important than Money 

Later, they found the answer. The problem was because most of farmers in their village were getting older. They no longer have  the strength enough to manage their lands, so their lands became unproductive. Most of farmers also can’t expect their children to continue managing their lands because they already work and live in the city. 

Realizing these problems, Aan and Sugiman then began to learn farming and growing crops in their village. When ONE HOPE and Trees4Trees came to their village and started the tree-planting program, they joined it immediately. These two young farmers then learned about agriculture more, including how agroforestry works, how to maximize their agricultural lands, manage crop yields, and make organic fertilizer.  

young people from kebumen decided to farming
young people from kebumen decided to farming

Deciding to return to the village and being young farmers are new challenges for them. However, they thank Trees4Trees for supporting and encouraging them. Now, some of the barren lands in their village are turning green after they have planted various trees. As they look greener day by day, it makes them enormously proud and motivated.  

Currently, Aan and Sugiman are also supporting the Trees4Trees education program by working as field facilitators. They are also active in encouraging young people in the village to take part in the reforestation program. They want to spread knowledge and inspire more people, especially other young people in their village to keep farming and planting trees on their lands. 

Both said they will keep farming and not return to the city. Their village is their home and they will live there for the foreseeable future. They have a big dream, to create opportunities which can offer jobs to young people through agriculture, reforestation, and natural resources, so they do not need to leave the village to find a job. 

Aan and Sugiman also said, farmers are a principal element of agriculture practice, food security, and ecosystems restoration. It is an obligation for young people to take actions and continue what our previous generations have done before. They thank ONE HOPE and Trees4Trees in helping them to get started in the right way. 

Interview & photo: Yulianisa Dessenita

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani & Yulianisa Dessenita

Masimun is Not Just a Farmer. He’s a Puppet Craftsman!

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas 3

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas 3

Our farmers are extraordinary! Who would have thought that one of them is also a cultural artist. He is Masimun, a farmer from Kalireja village, Kebumen, Central Java. Besides farming, he crafts traditional Javanese puppet or well-known as Wayang.  Yes, he is a farmer and puppet craftsman. Before, he lived from one place to another because of his job. Masimun told us his previous job made his life uneasy. His income from the previous jobs also could not cover his family expenses. Then, he decided to come back to his village and began to learn farming and pursue his passion as a Wayang craftsman at the same time.  

Why Farming and Crafting Wayang?  

He said, he started farming simply because farming can make a living for his family, and he loves to dedicate himself to Javanese traditional culture. 

Becoming a traditional puppet craftsman is a rare profession in this modern day. Not many people are interested in doing this job. However, Masimun thinks that Wayang is an important part of Indonesia cultural heritage, and he is summoned to take part to preserve it.  Now, his main income is coming from farming, while crafting Wayang becomes his part time job.  

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas

When Trees4Trees dan Jonas Philantrophies came to his village and started a tree planting program, he was incredibly happy because this program has not only given him trees to be planted, but also the knowledge and training that he needs to do good farming.   

Masimun has a wife and two children who are still in school. They are his main motivation to keep working harder.  By planting trees, he hopes to get enough money to achieve his dreams; provide his two kids with a good education up to university level. 

”I want them to have a better education than me”. It is my responsibility as a father. To make sure they get  a better education,” he added.  

He was very happy when Trees4Trees and Jonas Philantrophies made a tree planting program in this village. He knew that this tree planting program was also included educating and uniting the community.  

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas

Through tree planting programs, he is also able to gather with the farming community. Here, he’s not only possibly getting support and motivation to start over again, but also has an opportunity to introduce his Wayang masterpiece to the larger community. Masimun admited that by joining this program he has been known by the community as a puppet craftsman and most of his orders come from local people. 

”Life gives me a second chance to live a better life, meet good people,” he said.  

”It used to be difficult to live here again as a farmer… but now I have several goats,” he’s grateful.   

Masimun is very supportive of the tree planting program and he is proud to be a part of it. By this program, he is able to plant various trees and be able to introduce his masterpiece to the community. And maybe later the world will notice his masterpiece too.  

Thank you for being part of our program, keep up your good work! We are very proud of you! 

 Author: Yulianisa Dessenita

One Tree Planted Visited Trees4Trees’ West Java Nursery

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees_1

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees_1

Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted have committed to be partnered in environmental renewal and local community support through tree planting programs. As part of the commitment, One Tree Planted visited Trees4Trees West Java area last 18 – 19 July 2022. The visit was represented by Beth Dalgleish, One Tree Planted Asia Pacific Director and Talia Liney, One Tree Planted Asia Pacific Project Manager.

During the visit, the two representatives visited Trees4Trees nursery in Arjasari, Bandung Regency to see the tree seedlings growth and nursery activities. They also visited several tree planting locations on the farmers’ lands in Nagrak Village, Patrolsari Village, Pasirmulya Village, Campakamulya Village, and Lamajang Village in Bandung Regency, West Jawa.  

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

In these villages, the two met Trees4Trees’ best farmers. They talked about the progress of trees planted by farmers. Some of trees are burflower, eucalyptus, coffee, avocado, gmelina, dammar, bitter bean, cinnamon, iron redwood, and more. Those trees were not only contribute in absorbing carbon and preventing erosion, but also brings economic benefits for farmers from the trees ‘ yield. 

“We came here from Australia to visit the Trees4Trees nursery, where they grow trees for 10 million trees planting project funded by Astra Zeneca. These trees are going to be planted in the Citarum watershed. So it’s great to see these baby trees growing and being well cared in this nursery,” said Beth Dalgleish. 

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees 
The 10 million trees planting project itself has been addressed for the rehabilitation of the Citarum Watershed (DAS) in West Java. It has started since 2020 and funded by Astra Zeneca which collaborates with One Tree Planted and Trees4Trees. This project targets to plant 10 million trees by the end of 2025 in four sub areas of watershed, including Ciminyak, Ciwidey, Cirasea, and Cisangkuy watershed. At the same time, it also targets agroforestry development and planting erosion control plants on an area of 8,900 hectares. 

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

During the tree planting program, it is estimated to be able to absorb 1.8 million billion kg of carbon dioxide (CO2). It will also raise the function of watershed and the stability of water flow. Therefore, this program is expected to give contribution in reducing negative impact of forest degradation around the Citarum watershed as well as increasing the local community’s awareness to protect the forest and provide alternative income sources for local people. Around 38,000 families who live near watershed are expected to get the benefit environmentally and economically from this program.  

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

“With the collaboration of Astra Zeneca, One Tree Planted, and Trees4Trees in the reforestation effort, we hope to convey a wider message to more people around the world to understand that every environmental changes have consequences including environmental degradation that need our collective actions to deal with it. Everyone should take a role and contribute to improve and maintain environments to be healthier. Planting trees and growing them is an example of small actions that can bring immense benefits to human life in the future,” said Tomi Bustomi, Regional Forestry Manager of Trees4Trees. 

Author: V Arnila Wulandani

Photos: Kemas Duga Muis