Weaving houses were evicted, materials for natural dyes were also cleared for the Mbay Lambo Dam.
By FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN
KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN Bibiana Doe (68) weaves at her home in Rendubutowe Village, South Aesesa District, Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, as on Friday (23/8/2024).
Behind the lenses of her 2.2 plus glasses, Bibiana Doe’s eyes are fixed on each strand of yarn. The gnarled fingers of the 68-year-old grandmother smooth each strip of yarn so that they do not overlap. The threads are made lengthwise and crosswise, then woven into sheets of cloth.
That Friday (23/8/2024) evening, she was weaving in the kitchen of her house in Rendubutowe Village, South Aesesa District, Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Alone. It was quiet. There was no sound of neighbors who were usually busy.
“There is already an order for us to vacate this place. The neighbor went to look for vacant land elsewhere. I’m still confused about where to go,” he said.
The house belonging to Doe and dozens of other residents had to be immediately vacated and demolished. The area has been pegged by the government as part of the Mbay Lambo Dam area. Despite the residents’ rejection, the government unilaterally took measurements and determined the compensation price.
Rosiana Wonga (55) and Anggela Merciana Mau (46) (left to right) show the point that will be the final limit of the Mbay Lambo Dam inundation in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, as seen on Friday (23/8/2024).
Like it or not, the community must accept the government’s decision. For people who still refuse, they are welcome to take legal action. Whatever happens, the area is still vacated. The compensation money is deposited by the government in court.
Construction of the dam began in 2021 and is targeted for completion by the end of 2024. The dam is a national strategic project with a budget of IDR 1.4 trillion. A total of 555 parcels of residents’ land were taken, with a total area of 496.14 hectares.
These are Bibiana’s last days at home.
She will be leaving the house she and her family have lived in for decades.
The house where she raised her seven children.
The house where joys and sorrows came and went.
It is also the house where she first learned to weave, some 50 years ago.
“Maybe this is my last weaving,” she said with a sad face.
The cloth being woven is about 2 meters long and 0.8 meters wide.
It took him about three weeks to complete it.
Once finished, the cloth is sold for Rp 700,000.
If the need is urgent, it can be reduced to IDR 500,000.
Kristina Ito (67) weaves at her home in Rendubutowe Village, South Aesesa Subdistrict, Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, as seen on Friday (23/8/2024).
Similar concerns were expressed by Kristina Ito (67), another weaver. Many materials for natural dyes are starting to disappear along with the clearing of forests for dam areas. The coloring materials, such as the roots of a local plant they call loba. There is also noni and mahogany.
By using natural dyes, they no longer incur the cost of buying synthetic dyes. The price of woven fabrics with natural dyes is also much more expensive because they are more marketable. The price difference between natural and synthetic dyes is up to millions of rupiah.
“This might be my last weaving”
They could cultivate natural dye plants, but it would take years. Not to mention, they now have no more land to plant on after the government took it away. “I am already old. I’m tired of having to look for natural dyes. Maybe I will stop weaving,” says Kristina.
Angela Merciana Mau (46), a female leader in Rendubutowe, motivates the weavers not to be discouraged. She promised to help market their weavings on social media, as she has been doing. Merciana’s weavings are spread across several regions of Indonesia.
KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERINTanaman was evicted for the construction of the Mbay Lambo Dam in Nagekeo Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday (21/8/2024). Many of them are economically valuable plants, such as pandanus and enau.
For natural dyes, Merciana is trying out several formulas of ingredients found around the house and garden. While waiting for the results, she uses synthetic dyes. Alternatively, she buys yarn whose color is directly adjusted to the motif and pattern of the fabric.
To empower the weavers, Merciana and several women in Rendubutowe are involved in the Equality to Eliminate Injustice and Discrimination program. The program is part of a collaboration between the Partnership for Governance Reform and the Women’s Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago.
Nagekeo’s fabric is generally black with golden yellow motifs and patterns. According to Merciana, the black color symbolizes the land that is always attached to the community, and yellow which means prosperity.
This means that it is from the land that people will prosper. The land is where they live, farm, raise livestock and hunt. The results support them. Now, their land has been taken by the government for the construction of the Mbay Lambo Dam. Prosperity is getting away from them.
KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERINThe Mbay Lambo Dam in Nagekeo Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, is under construction, as seen on Wednesday (21/8/2024). The dam is one of the national strategic projects. The construction budget is around Rp 1.4 trillion.
Nagekeo Regency Regional Secretary Lukas Mere said the government is preparing an empowerment program for communities affected by the construction of the Mbay Lambo Dam. One of them is weaving. However, until now, the program has not been seen in the community.
During the interview, Lukas also showed the Nagekeo community a typical bag made of pandan leaves. He encouraged creative economy players to continue producing this type of bag. Unfortunately, the forest where the pandanus plants are now cleared for dams. It is increasingly difficult for craftsmen to get raw materials.
Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Communication Manager at the Partnership for Governance Reform, encourages weavers to continue weaving. He believes that the market for woven fabrics is promising. It is used daily, during traditional ceremonies, weddings, and deaths. Also for souvenirs for guests.
Rakhmat understands the increasingly difficult fate of the weavers when their land is taken away, and natural dyes for weaving are increasingly difficult to obtain. However, if they stop weaving, their economy will deteriorate even further. He promises to continue providing assistance until the weavers can truly be independent.
An indigenous woman from Rendubutowe Village affected by the construction of the Mbay Lambo Dam in Nagekeo Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Wednesday (21/8/2024). They lost their farmlands, cattle grazing areas, and houses.
Don’t let woven fabrics, such as those being worked on by Mama Bibiana Doe and Mama Kristina Ito today, become the last sheets before the Mbay Lambo Dam’s inundation comes.
Pada bulan Maret 2016, KEMITRAAN menerima akreditasi internasional dari Adaptation Fund. Dewan Adaptation Fund, dalam pertemuannya yang ke-27, memutuskan untuk mengakreditasi KEMITRAAN sebagai National Implementing Entity (NIE) dari Adaptation Fund. KEMITRAAN menjadi lembaga pertama dan satu-satunya lembaga Indonesia yang terakreditasi sebagai NIE Adaptation Fund di Indonesia.
Perjanjian ini ditandatangani antara Green Climate Fund (GCF) dan KEMITRAAN. Perjanjian ini meresmikan akuntabilitas KEMITRAAN dalam melaksanakan proyek-proyek yang disetujui oleh GCF.
Untuk diketahui, GCF adalah dana khusus terbesar di dunia yang membantu negara-negara berkembang untuk mengurangi emisi gas rumah kaca dan meningkatkan kemampuan mereka dalam merespons perubahan iklim.
Dana ini dihimpun oleh Konvensi Kerangka Kerja PBB tentang Perubahan Iklim (UNFCCC) pada tahun 2010. GCF memiliki peran penting dalam mewujudkan Perjanjian Paris, yakni mendukung tujuan untuk menjaga kenaikan suhu global rata-rata di bawah 2 derajat celsius.
KEMITRAAN memainkan peran krusial dalam mendukung pengembangan undang-undang untuk membentuk KPK. Hal ini diikuti dengan langkah mendukung Pemerintah dan DPR dalam memilih calon komisioner yang kompeten dan juga mendukung kelompok masyarakat sipil untuk mengawasi secara kritis proses seleksinya. Setelah komisioner ditunjuk, mereka meminta KEMITRAAN untuk membantu mendesain kelembagaan dan rekrutmen awal KPK, serta memainkan peran sebagai koordinator donor. Sangat jelas bahwa KEMITRAAN memainkan peran kunci dalam mendukung KPK untuk mengembangkan kapasitas dan strategi yang diperlukan agar dapat bekerja seefektif mungkin.
Pada tahun 2003, KEMITRAAN menjadi badan hukum yang independen yang terdaftar sebagai Persekutuan Perdata Nirlaba. Pada saat itu, KEMITRAAN masih menjadi program yang dikelola oleh UNDP hingga akhir tahun 2009. Sejak awal tahun 2010, KEMITRAAN mengambil alih tanggung jawab dan akuntabilitas penuh atas program-program dan perkembangannya.
Kemitraan bagi Pembaruan Tata Kelola Pemerintahan, atau KEMITRAAN, didirikan pada tahun 2000 setelah berlangsungnya pemilihan umum pertama di Indonesia yang bebas dan adil pada tahun 1999. Pemilu bersejarah ini merupakan langkah penting dalam upaya Indonesia keluar dari masa lalu yang otoriter menuju masa depan yang demokratis. KEMITRAAN didirikan dari dana perwalian multi-donor dan dikelola oleh United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) dengan mandat untuk memajukan reformasi tata kelola pemerintahan di Indonesia.
This agreement was signed between Green Climate Fund (GCF) and PARTNERSHIP. This agreement formalizes KEMITRAAN’s accountability in implementing projects approved by the GCF.
For your information, the GCF is the world’s largest special fund that helps developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase their ability to respond to climate change.
These funds were collected by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010. The GCF has an important role in realizing the Paris Agreement, namely supporting the goal of keeping the average global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.
This agreement was signed between Green Climate Fund (GCF) and PARTNERSHIP. This agreement formalizes KEMITRAAN’s accountability in implementing projects approved by the GCF.
For your information, the GCF is the world’s largest special fund that helps developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase their ability to respond to climate change.
These funds were collected by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010. The GCF has an important role in realizing the Paris Agreement, namely supporting the goal of keeping the average global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.
In March 2016, KEMITRAAN received international accreditation from the Adaptation Fund. The Adaptation Fund Board, in its 27th meeting, decided to accredit KEMITRAAN as National Implementing Entity (NIE) from the Adaptation Fund. KEMITRAAN is the first and only Indonesian institution to be accredited as a NIE Adaptation Fund in Indonesia.
In 2003, KEMITRAAN became an independent legal entity registered as a Non-Profit Civil Partnership. At that time, KEMITRAAN was still a program managed by UNDP until the end of 2009. Since the beginning of 2010, KEMITRAAN took over full responsibility and accountability for the programs and their development.
KEMITRAAN played a crucial role in supporting the development of legislation to establish the KPK. This was followed by steps to support the Government and DPR in selecting competent commissioner candidates and also supporting civil society groups to critically monitor the selection process. After the commissioners were appointed, they asked KEMITRAAN to help with the institutional design and initial recruitment of the KPK, as well as play the role of donor coordinator. It is clear that KEMITRAAN plays a key role in supporting the Corruption Eradication Commission to develop the capacity and strategies needed to work as effectively as possible.
The Partnership for Governance Reform, or KEMITRAAN, was founded in 2000 following Indonesia’s first free and fair general election in 1999. This historic election is an important step in Indonesia’s efforts to move away from an authoritarian past towards a democratic future. PARTNERSHIP was established from a multi-donor trust fund and is managed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with a mandate to advance governance reform in Indonesia
Kemitraan bagi Pembaruan Tata Kelola Pemerintahan, atau KEMITRAAN, didirikan pada tahun 2000 setelah berlangsungnya pemilihan umum pertama di Indonesia yang bebas dan adil pada tahun 1999. Pemilu bersejarah ini merupakan langkah penting dalam upaya Indonesia keluar dari masa lalu yang otoriter menuju masa depan yang demokratis. KEMITRAAN didirikan dari dana perwalian multi-donor dan dikelola oleh United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) dengan mandat untuk memajukan reformasi tata kelola pemerintahan di Indonesia.
