Fruits of SOLVE Programme for Iskandar

By Angel Christy Patricia, campaign officer of SOLVE project 

After Iskandar, 33, was actively involved in World Vision Indonesia’s Strengthening Livelihoods and Reducing Local Vulnerabilities (SOLVE), he began to reap fruits that he never expected. 

Taking part in World Vision’s Disaster Preparedness Program gave him the knowledge to create participative mapping for Iskandar. The SOLVE programme started in 2011 and will finish in 2014.

“Formerly I didn’t know what a GPS was, and what a map is. After World Vision facilitated a training, I began to know that maps use scale and a coordinator point,” says Iskandar, referring to the Global Positioning System. 

Iskandar got the opportunity to attend trainings on rubber grafting and on producing compost, so that he could share his new skills to others. 

Frequently joining World Vision’s SOLVE programme and sharing his skills with others, Iskandar now speaks in public.

“I ask several friends previously joining the training to gather people so that we could share our experiences in producing compost. Earlier, I was not confident. After I realised that many people came, I became more confident,” the father of one child says.

Iskandar could now prove that with the compost he produced by himself, he could fertilise his yard and his vegetables. “People noticed that I don’t use chemical fertiliser. As a result, the vegetables grow well,” Iskandar says.

Iskandar explains that people in general want to get direct benefits. “But for me, providing knowledge and skill would be better,” Iskandar says, explaining the approach applied by World Vision.

As he felt the fruits of joining World Vision’s SOLVE program, he now promotes the programme to other people.

“I try to grow the seeds in the garden by myself. There is no negative comment from other people. Otherwise, they want to know how to make it happen,” Iskandar says.

Iskandar hopes that there will be a farmers’ group in his village. “That is my idea. It seems that it would be able to improve our economy,” he explains.

“Many people want to follow me and learn how to grow rubber plants, but after they realised how broad their land is [and that] they need a lot of compost, they become pessimistic to do it. 

“They think the difficult things first, [and then] don’t try from the simple things and then try the bigger things,” Iskandar explains.