Meanwhile Stops From A Long Journey

1997, this is the first step of several steps that are not counted until the end of December 2008. Here is the first step we start thinking about how to eradicate poverty in the area of dry land, isolated, limited infrastructure, limited access, low education level, the low level of health and other constraints of their daily meal. This is the first step of a simple thoughts of how eradicate poverty?

Various parties involved in the effort to implement the thoughts of this simple but noble. The Central Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, IFAD, Universities, Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the Government at the Provincial and district level, especially the Office / Agency and the scope of the agricultural community. All the hard work ...... all efforts to contribute the best .......... all provide a variety of victimization by only one goal formulation a model of empowerment that can eradicate poverty ......... Perspiration, ask, lament, accidents, conflicts, smile, laugh, joke and a variety of expressions here. All this produces a Loan Agreement ID 539 in June 2000. And the next government of Indonesia consistently well in the central, provincial and district prepare financial documents for the program is called or what is known as the Integrated Participatory Development in Rainfed Areas (PIDRA) and the pararel also in the provincial and district levels to prepare the process of NGOs that will become a partner of the government in the implementation of this program PIDRA. This program is the premiere of my experience in preparing a program assistance / loans abroad is different with the preparation of programs and activities of the funds from the government of Indonesia. In the program funds overseas of all things prepared first start implementing organization, method and approach patterns, the planning system, financial accountability mechanisms, mechanisms for the procurement of goods, the system of monitoring and evaluation of needs and the funds generated by the new financial document. Meanwhile, in the event with a source of funds from the government of Indonesia no new money is created activities and the activities are only annual. Maybe we need to be learned for application in our beloved country.

At the implementation stage, especially in the years (1-3 years), many challenges that must be faced by implementing programs, such as cooperation with NGOs with the government two diametrically different to be jointly run a program that extraordinary experience be found here, on the other executive (government officials) faced with a very different pattern, with the usual implemented, at the past officials of the government when they meet the people / farmers always come with a promise, take assistance (young, seed, fertilizer or money, and others) but PIDRA in the program are not brought to be given to the community. As people, they think the government program, especially the influx of funds from overseas would get money or goods, but the fact is that many do not; especially by the concept of this program is to save, where can the poor can save? Civil servants are many who have no savings. And many other challenges. However, once again this is a valuable experience, expensive and scarcely anywhere. I am grateful to be one of implementing this program, especially given me the opportunity to support this program from the beginning until now.

This program is designed in the implementation of donors (IFAD) will supervise directly every year to evaluate the implementation of the program, find the problems, obstacles and even obstacles in the implementation of the program, especially regarding the method and approach patterns, so program can be done quickly adjustments needed when the program is not in line with the real conditions in its implementation. In this activity every year come from the consultant IFAD, they really have a great capability in the field of knowledge and very professional in carrying out their duties. Once again this is an opportunity to learn a very valuable, learning directly out. In this way the program is very flexible, participatory, creative and innovative so that the program is running very dynamic in line with the dynamics of the community.

Phase I ended in 2004. Extraordinary ........ During the technical assistance program, almost 90% of our focus on capacity building, working hard and consistency in the implementation process put aside the issue of input-output, but what really happens outside our estimates of implementing the program, the general group of people, capital-poor people in poor villages in the region remote figure could reach Rp. 4 billion. Business activities develop productive rapidly, the women / female grown in various roles, the group members began calculated in the process of development and governance at the village level. New hopes emerged, increasingly rural economy, increasingly competitive health, education and increasingly competitive villages infrastructure increasingly common, the road villages, hamlets and isolated remote that even begin to reach public transportation's in it and villages during the Indonesian independence has never visited officials from the district (Regent, the local parliament and others) began to visit. An extraordinary incident that occurred in NTT in 2005, namely food insecurity because of the ongoing drought from the 2004/2005 planting season to be a historic moment for the program PIDRA NTT because the whole village is a village PIDRA subscription food insecurity before entering this program, the time (2005) none of the villages that are vulnerable to food. This is evidenced by the visit of Vice Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT now Governor), Chairman of the DPRD and the range of high-level officials in the provincial-level visits to their districts TTS from the villages, food insecurity in the district of Kupang, from Kupang Timur subdistrict, go to Batu Putih to the Kolbano Subdistrict Amanuban Selatan District TTS touched all food insecurity and malnutrition, but so until the Nakfunu Village (one of the Village PIDRA) there are not even food insecurity and to many food more proud again villages PIDRA TTS united in providing assistance to village -affected villages with food insecurity and malnutrition in the TTS.

No one in 2008 has almost ended stay a few days, that means the program will PIDRA phase II ended. For in early December 2008, IFAD Review team led by Mr. Aloysius Fernandez a community empowerment and experts from India mikrofinance the PIDRA we also call it as grandfather of PIDRA with some experts institutional, monitoring and evaluation, financial and Gender evaluate and give their appreciation to the people and implementing the program has been successful because PIDRA implement duty. In each community the opportunity to meet with (Group Self Program, Rural Development Institute and the Federation) always convey the demands and expectations for assistance PIDRA pattern can still continue because they still need this pattern as they still have a lot to learn again faced with greater challenges again in the future. Similarly, the time to meet with Mr. Governor of NTT, Drs. Frans Leburaya in the home office of the Governor, the Governor revealed that the statements Province of NTT still need a pattern approach PIDRA this program because there are still many poor people in NTT and Mr. Governor sure if a program like this PIDRA still continues in the Province of NTT will be faster prosperous to suggest that Mr. Governor through the Review Team to convey his desire and the NTT IFAD still want to continue to support the development of NTT-time in the future.

The program will end, but we have been implementing various efforts to do that we call "Exit Strategy", so we have confidence that although the program has ended but throughout the institutional community in the village (KM, LPD, and the Federation) will continue to develop and run because that their projects and not our project. It needs them and they realize that this way they will be able to live better .... more prosperous again. But we are also aware Program PIDRA both governments and NGOs see the challenges, especially in efforts to increase the scale of the business, they will still be faced with many difficulties. Hopefully there is still that will help them, support them and escort them to become a conglomerate-rural successful conglomerates.

MERRY CHRISMAST 25 DECEMBER 2008 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.
I HOPE, WITH THE NEW SPIRIT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR ACTIVITIES TO EMPOWER POOR COMMUNITY TO BECAME BETTER LIFE.

Extraordinary .........

This title or surprised ................. It is a read only, would be the title that I use this as the opening and would be surprised at the time surprised my discussions with the management of federation in the two villages (Fafinesu B and C Fafinesu) in the district of Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) Province East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Recently, on 17 June 2008, I together with the National Coordinator PIDRA Ir. Djadi Purnomo, MM and Microfinance Expert from National NGO Yans Koliham, SP and the level of District Manager PIDRA TTU Ir Benjamin Ulumeak and NGO Coordinating Agency Ir. Vincent Nurak opportunity to visit two villages mentioned above. There we had discussions with the Federation Tamlile Tebes (happy Correct) Fafinesu B Village and Natal Federation in the Fafinesu C Village.

Discussions we run very good, smooth, familiar, open and trusting atmosphere around the main one. They tell all their activities federation especially in joint marketing efforts that they have come in the last two years. They were so vibrant deliver the results that they have achieved, among others, I assume that they are very proud of our more and more proud, namely:

1. Their role to help fellow farmers so that can get a decent price, among others, told them about selling peanuts this year they can get a selling price of Rp. 9.000/kg peanut without skin on the previous highest price ever they sell only Rp. 7.000/kg even lower than the previous it. Why now because they have not united to sell directly to the traders/ middleman, but all must sell through the Federation, even when this is not a member of the group/federation has been selling through the federation.
2. Their role to help fellow farmers, so now they are not cheated or disadvantaged by traders/ wholesaler in weighing. During this trader/ wholesaler buying come with scales and weight is usually trick to become more severe. Currently at federation they weigh scales using a federation that is calibration by related institutions, a new take on the traders.
3. Their role to help fellow farmers that now farmers in the village do not need to sell to the city, do not need to pay expensive freight and do not need to pay the costs of restribusi expensive and in many trips to the city district or to other districts because they only sell to the federation cadres, cadres through marketing the spread in every village. For example, in the village of Fafinesu B are three cadres in the village of marketing and Fafinesu C are four cadres of marketing. Kader cadres in this particular point in the village so that farmers can sell to the nearest cadres from their homes.
4. Cadre role of marketing is that residents in the village and other farmers are also weighing commodities, commodity quality standard check and pay direct / cash to the seller (for specific commodities outside the Cow). Cadre is very proud of the role that farmers and the community is very grateful to the role of the cadres.
5. Cattle are not special to be paid in cash because the number of transactions usually very large (up to hundreds of millions of rupiah) and not in the direct pay / cash by traders, but the transfer through the NGO's bank account and then divided into whole new seller by the amount of heavy cattle in the sale. This is done because the fraud had occurred, namely counterfeit money. They are proud of the role of NGOs so that they help.
6. In addition, for members of groups other than their federation to get the high price they also get a fee of 2% of total sales, cadres get 28% fee, federation get 68% fee, and get the association fee of 2% if the funding comes from the Federation. But if the funding comes from the Association of the association fee, 68% and 2% fee, while the federation fee for the seller and cadres remain the same. For non-members seller does not get a fee. Special TTU in each districts joined in a federation of associations that are funded by NGOs. Managers' association are also members of the community.
7. The role of the association is to negositon with traders / buyers to get the best price and to provide information to the traders / buyers about the availability of the commodity to be carried. Besides, the association also provides funds to buy a commodity when the federation of lack of funds.
8. Natal Federation in the Fafinesu C Villages besides their marketing efforts also develop Saving and Loans (UBSP / USP). At the time we visit coincides with the monthly meeting of the Federation to attend by representatives of the group. Extraordinary ....... New for the first time I served in PIDRA I find the cash that so many are around eight million rupiahs remaining from 16 millions rupiahs in loans because it has been by the members. Now I became convinced that the money is there in the group and the federation not only of cash note in a book or report on the program only. It's real ...... in poor and remote that they now have to manage that much money. This means they have towards the improvement of welfare, from time to time.
9. In the Federation, there are also other things outside the normal ...... Some time ago there are visits from community groups internship Oekusi - Timor-Leste (neighboring countries of Indonesia) from the results of visits to the Natal federation, they are very interested and follow up the Federation Treasurer Mr. Sanam His job now is the training of administrative groups in this country Neighbors. How extraordinary is not ...... Sanam Yulius a community of farmers in remote villages who only finished primary school may be a coach in other countries ........ It's extraordinary. They are proud of our more proud again.
10. We also ask them, if ever knew PIDRA program will end in December 2008 is this? Answer them: Yes we know. Then we asked whether, if the program ended, the PIDRA this group, the LPD and the Federation of existing this will also end (fall)? I try to write the answers from Mama Balandina Naekmuni, marketing cadres from the village Fafinesu B = "WE WILL NOT disband. WE WILL WORK WITH GROUP, LPD FEDERATION AND ONLY WHEN WE OFF (DEATH) World. " We feel now is far more better than the last time before we participate in the program PIDRA and we realize that this way of life and ways of working correctly, so we will continue working with this and we will continue to improve our various businesses so that we can more hidu better and more prosperous again.

Not much is something unusual ........ Once again, the poor are not only weak need assistance to strengthen them and they can not because there is impossible if we want to get started.