OKI Fish and Water Buffalo Project (2000-2004)
22-0806-02

Bangsal village and Serikembang Ogan (Desko) village are in a swampy area in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district of South Sumatra province. Agriculture is the main economic activity. In addition, many farmers also supplement income and family nutrition by fishing or raising water buffalo for plowing, transporting crops, and milk production.

This project will:

• Distribute 10,000 fish fingerlings (Desko village) and 17 milking water buffalo (Bangsal village) to benefit 32 families. An additional 62 families will benefit from the pass-on animals.

• Improve the knowledge and skills of all members in group management and technical aspects of raising fish and milking water buffalo.

• Develop an effective savings and loan system within the Desko group

• Collaborate with village leaders and related institutions to promote sustainable fishing methods and to prevent and eliminate unsustainable methods of fishing in the Ogan River.

• Develop a self-reliant women’s group of 12 members who will process the milk

• Increase the families' nutrition and income from the consumption of 25% and the sale of 75% of the water buffalo milk and milk products.

Yayasan Putra Desa or Village Youth Foundation (YPD) was started by several village youth who wanted to improve the human and natural resources in their village. YPD works without restrictions on race, religion, or political party. They work by supporting local community organizations (CO), improving small-scale home industries, agriculture, tree crops, livestock, fishery, savings and loan cooperatives, and also education and training for community development workers.

Farmers plant rice, rubber, and vegetables and supplement income and family nutrition by fishing, while some people raise water buffalo for plowing, transporting crops and milk production. The nearest city, Palembang, is the center for water buffalo, where there is a very good market for buffalo milk. Farm families sell the milk and milk products, such as candy, cultured milk, milk powder, oil, and also condensed milk. Farmers use the vast areas of otherwise unused swamp land as fodder sources. Grasses grow year-round, even in the dry season. The villagers raise buffalo collectively.

This project will give families in Bangsal village not only animals, but also technical skills they want to enable them to become a milk center in the province. This project will unite the community because they will share and gather together to protect the animals, learn milk processing skills, increase their income, and build pride in their village.

Serikembang Ogan village (called Desko) is a swampy area that lies along the Ogan River basin. The main economic activity is agriculture, especially rice production. Traditionally, people have fished in the natural fish ponds formed in the flood plains of the river bank. However, the local government passed laws prohibited people from fishing, while the government sold the fishing rights to wealthy people from the city. These people use poison and electric shock to catch fish, and now the villagers also learned to use these techniques to catch fish in the river. These methods are endangering the environment of the river and native fish species and resulting in declining fish populations. The village group is working with YPD’s advocacy and support to regain the village rights to their traditional fish ponds. The legal recourse system is unreliable, so their strategy is to use this HPI project to prove their aquaculture abilities and eventually raise the capital to win the government contract for the ponds. If they are successful, they will open opportunities for the many other villages along the Ogan River, and the villagers will return to their traditional fishing system that supports the environment and their family needs.

YPD will arrange or conduct trainings for these groups and the pass on groups. Groups will receive training in livestock management and reproduction. The Desko group will also learn about maintaining the water pH, and the Bangsal group will learn about producing biogas and training water buffalo for plowing. YPD will continue to teach the groups values-based planning and management (Cornerstones Model), including monitoring and self-evaluation. YPD will use some of their part of the funding to apply the Heifer International Cornerstones Model in the strengthening of at least eight more village groups.

The recipient group in Bangsal village will pass on the first buffalo offspring (age two to three years) to the next group. The second offspring will be shared between the group and YPD; the third offspring and original animal will be owned by the group member.

The Desko group will return their loan capital after three harvests of fish (approximately 30 months). This capital will be revolved as pass-on to another group. In addition, the group will submit 20% of the profit from each fish harvest to YPD, 5% of which will be shared by the families, and the rest of it will go to build group and group member capital and for special funds.

Heifer International will provide 70% of the cost of this project; YPD will provide 24%; and the project partners will provide 6%.

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