Learning Now, Earning Profit for the Future

Matius Edi, 43, pays close attention of the movement of the knife played by a man with mustache standing in front of him.

No danger here, the knife is used for grafting rubber trees.

The field is owned by Dharma Bhakti Training Center, in Nyarumkop, Singkawang and he is among 15 participants of a rubber seedling management training held by Wahana Visi Indonesia's Sambas Programme area on 17-21 February 2014.

After seeing the example shown by the facilitator, Edi tries it himself. He is absorbed in doing the activity.

Edi is on the quiet side, tending to work and eat alone. When other participants chat, he chooses to review what he has learned or to have a discussion with the training facilitator.

In addition to learning about rubber grafting, the participants also learn how to produce organic fertilizer and organic pesticide.

Like other rubber farmers in Sambas, Edi plants local rubber in a traditional way. During the training, he and other participants learn about superior rubber trees to be planted in Sambas.

The skills of producing organic fertilizer and pesticide will help the participants to decrease their dependency on chemicals. Moreover, the use of organic fertilizer and pesticide will help the farmers preserve environment.

"After the training, I want to share what I learned with other people in my sub-village," says Edi.

Although the participants cannot enjoy the results immediately, Edi believes that if he continues to improve his skills then he will reap the benefits. Edi and other participants return from the training proudly. They bring stems of the superior rubber tree to share in their sub village.

"Thank you Wahana Visi Indonesia and Dharma Bhakti Training Center in Nyarumkop who have helped us to learn," says Edi in the last day of training.

*Written by Rosalia Widyaningrum, Natural Resource Management Officer SOLVE Project, Wahana Visi Indonesia at Sambas operational office