Dialogue Akar Daya (Root Power)

The AKAR DAYA family, which is rooted and empowered, gathered again. This time in Solo, May 14-17, 2025. Wisnu met again with friends from Jakarta, Sragen, Cirebon, Sagea Central Halmahera, and Nanga-nanga Kendari. So, the first thing to do was to tell each other about the activities that had been carried out since the first meeting in November 2024, as well as the challenges faced.

Basically, managing an organization is the same as managing a family and managing yourself. The most important principles before and in managing an activity with the community are:

• Exercise feelings and thoughts with yourself
• Exercise family, to provide understanding to the family so that they support what will be done with the community
• Exercise residents/communities, one of which is by chatting from the heart
• Exercise activities, both main activities and supporting activities
• Exercise assets/resources, including management and benefits
• Exercise awards/appreciation for what has been done and what has been achieved

Meanwhile, the most important thing for the sustainability of the organization is the existence of regeneration. An indicator that an organization is carrying out regeneration is the presence of the following things from the older generation to the younger generation:

• Inviting networking activities or communicating with the network
• Giving authority to decide, especially those related to practical matters (not strategic)
• Giving responsibility in carrying out technical matters
• Opening learning spaces, including those related to facilitation, organization, and research

At this meeting we visited Plosokerep and Banyurip Villages in Sragen. These two villages were selected as working partners of LPTP Surakarta and are currently in the process of becoming independent, through farmer groups and social forestry management.

Srimakmur Farmers Group, Plosokerep Village

“Our life goal is not only for the economy, but also to carry out good deeds.” Mr. Edi Narwanto, Head of the Srimakmur Farmers Group, began his story. This farmer group has been established since 1975, and was then reorganized in 2018 with 20 members. Currently, it has 95 members with the main business of drying and slipping rice. The mechanism that is run is as follows:

• Each member spends the same amount of capital and can be paid in installments. The capital that is spent is expected to be a tool for each member to play an active role
• The strategy used to increase activeness and invite other farmers to become members is by informing about assets, results, and other benefits that will be obtained
• Assets (government assistance slip machines) are managed and become the responsibility of members who are trusted and able to manage them with a rental mechanism, so that the farmer group benefits from equipment rental and service costs
• Farmers’ rice is purchased at a price higher than the market price
• Regular reports to members are carried out every month along with social gathering activities

KPH Sumber Wono, Banyuurip Village

Before 2019, this village was an extremely poor village due to a water crisis with very low tree cover. This condition was then overcome with Hybrid IPAH (Rainwater Harvesting Installation) technology, modified infiltration wells, and intercropping agroforestry management. Tree planting was initially carried out only to increase the area of ​​cover and hoped that water storage would occur. Through this technology, Banyuurip Village was able to reduce water dropping by more than 60% from before 2019, and is currently known as a Rainwater Friendly Village.

The key to this achievement is also influenced by the presence of a charismatic leader who does everything from the heart, such as the following:

• Planting trees and vegetables and making infiltration wells first, before asking others to do so
• Actively participating in social activities and going from house to house, because this is also a PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) media to find out the needs of the community
• Carrying out activities in a focused and slow manner based on planning
• Compiling and submitting regular reports to residents

Then, as said by Mr. Jarwanto as the Head of the KPH, “If it is difficult to increase income, at least we can reduce expenses.”

The visit to these two villages was very inspiring. That welfare is not the same as economic wealth. The activities carried out are activities that support each other, where all members of the group benefit. Also, the management of the institution must be accompanied by the management of the area and business. This is one of the things that increasingly strengthens Wisnu’s efforts to realize the independence of the institution. Come on, let’s go…