November 2008 - Rempang Update by Alex

All:
I went to Rempang and Shalom resort today with Alvin, Pheck Choo and 10 other people who were part of the group invited by Andrew Kang to stay in Shalom. We had a great trip! The highlight was relaxing and exchanging ideas in Shalom. We also visited Rempang. I got lots of insights from the group who includes farming experts and importer/distributor of crops in Singapore. One thing we all had in common was the desire to do mission work.
Here are my notes from the trip:
Rempang:
- Fish farm is going well. The first harvest was consumed by the kids and asrama members. The 2nd group is almost ready for harvesting. Lots of catfish! They are working to be self sufficient with creating the starters. They plan to start selling the catfish in the future. It takes about 4 weeks to reach the stage where they can sell them in the market. The potential is promising.
- They are planning to raise chickens in the area behind the pond. They received donation of chicks from Surabaya but unfortunately they all died because the infrastructure was not ready. The chicken huts are almost complete. It is unclear how they plan to get the chicks. Andrew offered assistance with the chicks. I will discuss this with William. The agriculture experts pointed out that the droppings would be excellent source of fertilizers for the plantation. I relayed the tips to Gerardus on how to utilize them.
- Boys dorm almost complete. Need to install doors and finish the wing adjacent to the existing dorm. They expect to move in by the end of the month.
- There is a training plot for farming by the teachers' quarters! This is a government sponsored project. We were impressed by the set up! It looks like a real farm, neatly arranged and separated. This project only got started in the past month but the progress is really impressive. Different crops are being planted: chili, long beans, melons, even durian! It is very obvious the project is led by someone who knows farming. The government put a banner in front of the plot indicating this was a government (dept iof agriculture) nitiative to assist the local community to be more self sufficient. The farmers under Fr Yance' CU scheme are being trained there. The goal is to scale up the farm and utilize the Agrilindo land. I was in disbelief how much progress they made in so short time.
- I learned from Gerardus that the CU was going well. There 30 farmers split in several groups. They got the first harvest done and were successful in selling the crops. The demand for the crops was strong which was encouraging. If this is indeed true, the farmers will be motivated to take on the Agrilindo land. They did mostly corn.
- Another surprise: the government is building 3 classrooms. The structure is about 50% done. The plan is to move the classrooms from the wooden structure to these. The budget as indicated in the project board is Rp.3,850,000 or over $50k. It is clearly stated that the owner is St Ignacius school. I found it to be uncommon for the government to finance the construction of a private (and Catholic) school but let's praise the Lord!
- Myo is leaving in January. They are expecting a French married couple to replace her.
- The Agrilindo land is not exactly adjacent to the Asrama. It is about 200 meters and through challenging terrains. I am not sure we are better off taking this plot or the original plot by the front entrance (by the road). The plot behind the asrama will be tough to clear. I told Gerardus and the Agrilindo team that we needed to think about this. I would like to discuss with William and Fr Yance.
Shalom:
- Not much progress on the boarding home. They have funding to sponsor the kids but have not hired any teachers.
- The agriculture expert decided not to stay.
- They have planted 12k tapioca plants in 2 hectares. The first group will be harvested soon. They plan to use for self consumption and chicken feeds.
- The chicken farming is going well. The group would be having ayam kampung goreng for dinner! I think they can help Asrama with the chicken farming.
- They have cleared another 1 hectare by slash and burn. Andrew was asking the experts for what to plant. The suggestions were: seedless guava, sweet corn, sweet potato and tomatoe.
Andrew and I discussed the potential synergy in crop selection, purchasing seeds and selling the crops. He is also interested in the CU model. We agreed to continue the discussion and possibly meet with Fr Yance.
I still need to contact Fr Yance about the MOU. I will keep you posted.
I had to return back tonight but wished could stay with everyone else in Shalom.
Thanks to Pheck Choo for the trip.
Regards,
Alex