In many quiet corners of Indonesia, hope never truly dies. It grows slowly, amidst limitations, through the hands that never give up—a honest village chief, a young person returning to their hometown, or a midwife who never misses a posyandu. And sometimes, that hope comes from an unexpected place, a palm oil company, which quietly plants the seeds of the future together with the villagers.
The morning had just begun when the sound of a backhoe engine broke the silence at Bungintimbe Market. The mud that had been an obstacle is now being replaced with a smoother path, a small symbol of the significant changes that are beginning. “Thank God, our market has finally been fixed,” said Musniati, the Head of Bungintimbe Village, with a relieved smile.
“Usually, we work for days, but now this heavy machinery speeds everything up.” The revitalization of this market is not a massive project, but it is enough to drive the village’s economic wheel. The heavy machinery was a donation from PT Agro Nusa Abadi (ANA), a subsidiary of PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk. But more than just heavy machinery, the company offers the intention to walk alongside the community.
“We don’t want to just be a business that passes by,” said Rendy Heryandi Prabowo, Administrator of PT ANA. “We want to be present and grow together with the community.”
“Thank God, our market has finally been fixed!” exclaimed Musniati, the Head of Bungintimbe Village, with a relieved smile. “With this heavy equipment, work that usually takes days can be completed much more quickly.” Meanwhile, in another area of Central Sulawesi, Towiora Village in North Morowali, the spirit of community development is driven by its young people.
Novita Sari, a young woman from Central Sulawesi, returned to her village after studying in Palu and chose to develop her village in a simple way: cultivating oyster mushrooms. “If we return to the village, we must have the intention to build the village.” “Not just staying,” Novita said firmly.
Together with the Towiora Youth Organization, Novita manages a mushroom house supported by PT Lestari Tani Teladan (LTT), which is also part of Astra Agro. Every day, they harvest between 1-5 kilograms of mushrooms, selling them to the village market and companies. The results become an additional source of income for the young people who want to continue working in their hometown. Not only mushrooms, but they are also actively revitalizing the village’s social activities. “The most challenging aspect is maintaining everyone’s enthusiasm to ensure they remain engaged and active.” Many are busy with work, getting married, or studying,” said Novita with a small smile.
Furthermore, this CSR activity has received appreciation from various parties, including the Chairman of the Volunteers for People and Nature (ROA), Rizal. He believes that PT LTT’s CSR program has encouraged the economic independence of village youth.
“Through the CSR program of PT LTT, the youth in Towiora Village now have the opportunity to achieve economic independence through oyster mushroom cultivation. This is a positive step that deserves support,” said Rizal.
Furthermore, Rizal hopes that other companies can follow this example. “We hope other companies can adopt a participatory CSR approach like this,” he added.
In Pelalawan, Riau, a significant struggle is happening, focused not on infrastructure or economy, but on the survival of future generations.The head of the Kerumutan Health Center, Harno, along with PT Sawit Lembah Subur (SLS), is working to reduce the stunting rate by cultivating moringa leaves. “Initially, there were 20 malnourished children. Now, since 2023, this district has achieved zero stunting,” said Harno. Since 2019, the planting of moringa has been encouraged in residents’ yards.
PT SLS fully supports, starting from the provision of seedlings, processing training, to the construction of the Community Feeding Center (CFC). PT SLS CSR Assistant, Hanafi Febrian, stated that collaborations like this are a real example of empowering CSR, not just temporary charity. “If public health is good, the village can grow together,” he said.
The stories from Bungintimbe, Towiora, and Kerumutan illustrate how villages in Indonesia develop with help from companies that aim for profit while listening to community needs.
Indeed, the journey to prosperity remains long. Conflicts persist, dissatisfaction lingers, and challenges remain unresolved. As Novita remarked, “Living in the village, the needs are endless.”
Today, the Bungintimbe market is beginning to take shape, the Towiora mushroom house is filled with a harvest of hope, and the children of Kerumutan are growing up healthy, free from the shadow of stunting.
Constructing a village is a journey that takes time, but as long as there are individuals who care, even the smallest steps bring us closer to a hopeful future.
Source: Antara News
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