Titik Kastiah, The Struggle of Piondo Women

KOMPAS/KHAERUL ANWAR

Titik Kastiah

Creativity can emerge when someone is under pressure. That is what happened to Titik Kastiah, 32, and a number of women from Piondo village, Banggai district, in Central Sulawesi. They were nearly driven out of their land, which was to be developed into an oil palm plantation. However, they can maintain control of the land.

Piondo village is a transmigration site, the inhabitants of which hail from Java and Lombok. The area was opened in 1983. Residents turned land provided by the government into productive land to grow rice and other food crops.

However, in 1990, suddenly there was an attempt to clear the cultivated land to make way for an oil palm plantation. Of course, the residents opposed the attempt considering the land had been allocated by the government for them. Conflict was unavoidable.

The peak occurred in 2010 when there was heavy equipment blocking people’s access to their land. The heavy equipment suddenly caught fire. After the incident, 24 Piondo farmers were arrested by officers in uniform on charges of arson.

“At that time 24 people, including my husband, were arrested for allegedly setting the heavy equipment belonging to an oil palm company on fire. There was also a rumor that we would be attacked. But, we continue to fight for the rights to our land and natural resources,” Titik said on Thursday (12/20/2018), in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

After the incident, the situation in the village was tense. There was a rumor there would be an attack. That made people confused and shocked. “We are confused about what to do. We need also to think

about the fate of the husband that was arrested,” said Titik. For two months, residents patrolled and slept on arable land. They only hope for the mercy of the neighboring villagers who send daily needs such as food and drink.

The situation slowly returned to normal, even though legal proceedings pertaining to the land conflict was ongoing. The residents, including Titik, who owns 2 hectares of land, can farm again. “We plant rhizomes because almost all of them are in our village,” she said.

The rhizomes are ginger, turmeric, aromatic ginger, galangal, Java ginger, zingiber montana and hidden lilies. Of the various types of rhizomes, red ginger is the main choice for cultivation, considering that in 2012-2014, according to traders, the market price was relatively high at Rp 70,000 per kilogram.

With the good price, there was ginger fever among the residents. “Those who did not have seeds were given them for free by those who owned seeds. In fact, there were those who bought ginger seeds from the sale of cattle,” said Titik.

However, at the end of 2015, the price of ginger tended to drop and the peak occurred in 2016. The price fell to only Rp 5,000 per kilogram. “There were those who offered Rp 3,000 per kilogram, but no one wanted to buy.”

While farming, they fight for land rights. They formed the Piondo Farmers Union (SPP) in 2010 as a forum of their struggle.

Inspiration

One time, Titik was inspired by a herbal drink seller at the market. From there she had the idea to no longer sell ginger in raw conditions, but in the form of extracts. Thus, the abundant raw material of ginger can be processed so that it has a higher selling value.

Titik, who did not know how to extract ginger, looked for information from the internet. From there she learned how to choose raw materials, grate the ginger, soak it, squeeze ginger and taste it. The self learning process went on for months until finally she found the right formula and concoction.

The herbal extract that she produced was then marketed through social media. Some of them was sold around, from house to house and were entrusted to traders, kiosk owners in a number of villages. That way, the products made by Titik began to be known.

Furthermore, she began to involve other people in the Sinar Harapan Piondo Cooperative (KSHP) forum, which was formed in November 2015. Its members are 24 people consisting of housewives and farmers. The cooperative received assistance from the Sulawesi Agrarian Reform Consortium in the Sulawesi region.

The members are involved from the processing to the product marketing. The production process and the delivery of products are carried out by the members in turn. Each work segment is provided with service fees.

At present, the ginger derivative products made by the housewives include Tingting ginger and Sagon ginger snacks, pure ginger herbal extract, zedoria herbal drink, curcuma extract, slimming herbal extract, zaraba herbal (body heating drinks), turmeric extract, Java ginger and aromatic ginger extract. These products are sold in 100 gram sachets for Rp 10,000-Rp. 20,000.

The proceeds from the sales are managed by the cooperatives. To help members who need funds, they formed a savings and loan unit. For those who borrow Rp 500,000, they can repay Rp 60,000 per month for a period of 10 months, which means there is interest of Rp 100,000 from the total loan.

The money managed by the cooperatives is returned to the members through dividends every year. There are no sanctions and fines if the member is in arrears, provided the honest borrower gives reasons for

arrears. Titik said, cooperatives were indeed formed to ease the burden of the members, not burdensome.

With such an approach, the cooperatives now has 53 members and as of the end of December 2018 has an assets of Rp 28 million. The assets are generally from the sale of the processed products.

Mbak Jamu

Titik’s efforts began to manifest, but the struggle was still long. For example, the residents have not yet obtained land ownership certificates, even though the land is considered to be the soul and the main assets of the residents to improve their welfare while maintaining food security.

There is also an impression that the government and relevant agencies have made it difficult for the farmer union’s efforts to fight for their rights. It is shown from the fact that the farmers have not obtained halal certification for their products from the relevant institutions, even though they have pocketed the production permit. In fact, other small and medium enterprises that produce processed products have obtained halal certificates easily.

Amid the problems that continue to emerge, Titik continues to work. She handles domestic duties, fights for women in her village, and even serves as a kindergarten teacher. Titik sells products on a motorcycle with a basket of various herbs perched on the back of the two wheels.

From the motorcycle she shouted, “Jamu, jamu [herbs],” offering herbs to people in five villages. “Because of that, people call me Mbak Jamu [madam herbs],” she said.

Titik Kastiah

Born: Banggai, Sept. 18, 1986

Husband: Heru Budi Susilo

Children: Hesti Vernarda and Varvara