On 5 August 2018, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Lombok, Indonesia, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and the water supply in many areas. SI Clubs in Indonesia immediately sent a fact-finding team to the island, delivering emergency aid in the form of family tents, health kits, and a range of basic commodities to the most affected communities, all funded by the then SISWP President’s Special Appeal: SOROPTIMIST MAKMUR INDONESIA” TSUNAMI & EARTHQUAKES APPEAL – 2018.

 

In the months following, SI Jakarta (SIJ) identified Rebuk Indah Satu village (later referred to in this report as Rebuk Satu), in Rembitan district, central Lombok, as being in dire straits. Due to the limited access to a clean water supply, exacerbated by the earthquake, the women of Rebuk Satu were spending hours every day fetching water from the one village well, which had a decreasing water supply. The health of the average villager was poor due to unsanitary conditions; there was widespread poverty, the majority of the women were illiterate, and many of the teenage girls were being forced into marriage as child brides. 

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By January, 2019, SIJ had begun designing a water and vocational education project to be implemented in Rebuk Satu village, Rembitan. Through an application to the then SI President’s Women, Water & Leadership Appeal (2017-2019), in March 2019, SIJ received funding, enabling it to launch the ‘Lombok (Indonesia) Earthquake Recovery Project: Through Water, Shelter and Capacity Building Project' in conjunction with local partner, the non-profit Titian Foundation. Initially, this was designed as a two-year project. However, due to Indonesian government restrictions on movement during COVID, from 2020 to mid-2022, the Project ended up lasting 3,5 years. The completion date is now December, 2024.

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The main aim of this project was to improve the lives of the 124 Rebuk Satu villagers (60 of whom were women) by providing them with access to a clean water supply. This would be achieved through the construction of a bore and WASH facilities, including toilets and a community washing area. Once water was available, this would release the women from the daily burden of fetching water for their families’ needs. 

 

The secondary aim of SIJ’s project was to provide vocational education programs to empower the Rebuk Satu women, to lift them out of abject poverty and ignorance. For the village as a whole, SIJ offered community awareness programs, mainly in the important areas of health, hygiene and sanitation, waste disposal, climate change, and environmental management.

 

By the end of this Project, it was envisaged that Rebuk Satu would become a model village. To the extent possible, capacity building would also have been extended to the women in the surrounding villages, to help them enjoy a better quality of life.

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Vocational Education Programs:

While seeking solutions to clean water access through the construction of a bore (a complex task which took almost one year to resolve fully), the Project  focused on reviving the age-old hand weaving tradition in the village. This was at the request of the Rebuk Satu women. Over the life of the Project it was the weaving competence of the 60 Rebuk Satu women (and ten from the neighbouring villages) that contributed to many of them becoming the main breadwinners in the family. 

 

In the last two years of the Project, the Rebuk Satu women were taught the art of natural dye production, using local plants.  The training by local, female master weavers included information on why natural dyes are preferable to synthetic dyes: they are easily produced through locally grown plants; are less expensive than synthetic dyes; are  less harmful to the environment; are biodegradable; and can produce cloths of a better quality, attracting higher prices. 

 

An unexpected outcome of the natural dye program was that a number of males in the village eventually began to offer their assistance to the women. They would fetch heavy buckets of water to mix the dyes, they helped to wring out the dyed yarn and hang it up to dry, and later helped to spin the yarn. When asked why they had decided to help in the dyeing process, many of the men stated that they could see how this added value to the cloths woven by the women who were later able to sell their artistic works for higher prices. This in turn helped their families to earn more and enjoy a better quality of life.

 

In addition to the weaving program, SIJ also conducted sewing classes, where over 47 women were taught to make clothes, bags, masks and other items. Of these, two women were from the adjacent village. 

 

Both the weaving and sewing programs relied on the Training of Trainer(TOT)  method, and the domino effect, where the local experts and the more proficient Rebuk Satu women passed down their skills and experience from one woman to another. This was part of the Project’s sustainability, as many more women and girls could be benefitted and empowered in the future. In summary, training will not stop when the Project ends.

 

Women also participated in various other training programs offered through the Project. These included basic literacy classes, organic farming, basic financial management (how to manage household budgeting; how to save money);  micro financing (how to open bank accounts; access loans; understand loan repayment responsibilities); entrepreneurial skills (including setting up micro businesses); and effective marketing strategies. 

 

It should be noted that with the cooperation of the Titian Foundation, all of the vocational education programs were conducted in its new Community Learning Centre (CLC). With funding from their own donors, Titian built the CLC specifically for the village’s training programs through the SIJ Project.

 

Community awareness programs: 

Through this Project, there was a strong focus on the importance of health/hygiene, sanitation, and waste management. All of the villagers were taught the importance of hand washing to combat disease. They were also encouraged to maintain clean homes and surroundings, and not waste water. For waste management, ensuring waste is disposed of responsibly has been an ongoing focus.  Through mutual consensus in the community, “user pays” systems have been introduced for water access and facilities’ maintenance as well as waste disposal management. 

 

SIJ’s partner on this project, the Titian Foundation, has also been providing hands-on guidance to the Rebuk Satu community on environmental management principles. This has included disseminating basic information on climate change and global warming,  planting and regularly watering trees and shrubs to prevent flooding in the monsoon season, maintaining clean and tidy yards, ensuring children use the toilets instead of relieving themselves out in the open, and budgeting to purchase more seeds and plants for their gardens.

 

Monthly youth mentoring sessions were also an integral part of this Project. Focus was initially on developing the youths’ self-confidence and public speaking skills. Further sessions covered discussions on global and local issues being faced by their village, namely climate change, natural disasters, child marriages, and the importance of both girls and boys having an education. In addition, the youths had free computer lessons and could attend English conversation classes conducted by the Titian staff.  Of the 16 youths who participated in the mentoring program, eight were girls, two of whom were later awarded scholarships through SIJ, so they can complete their schooling.

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Government Recognition:

Due to the success of the SIJ Project in developing Rebuk Satu, this village’s reputation has now become widespread. In 2024, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy declared Rebuk Satu an official desa wisata (tourism village) and weaving centre. Recently, it was also awarded third place in a competition among Indonesian villages identified as tourist centres. The prize of Rp.25 million (approximately AU$2,400), is to be used for further Rebuk Satu village development activities. 

 

In 2024, Rebuk Satu was visited by over 300 government officials, and local and international tourists, who toured the village, witnessing the women weaving and making natural dyes. Many even tried their hand at weaving for themselves, guided by the women weavers. Through the village’s exhibition gallery, the woven cloths made by the women are attractively displayed. As a result, many visitors are purchasing the cloths at competitive prices. 

 

Many people also purchased the woven cloths made by the women. A total of 15 Rebuk Satu males have also been trained as tour guides, helping to supplement their families’ income.

 

From its humble and sparse beginnings, Rebuk Satu has now become a thriving centre, serving as a model to surrounding villages, whose women have also gained from the training of trainers programs initiated by SIJ. The villagers can now hold their heads high and be proud of what they have achieved.