The blazing hot of the sun did not decrease the enthusiasm of SMP Pangerasan students to follow Hans van Florenstein Mulder’s instructions -trainer from New Zealand, in arranging layers of animal manure, weed, straw, rice husk, small cutting of banana trunk to become organic fertilizer pile. That was seen at the school yard with blue roof at the slope of Salak Mountain, where 206 students studying for free since the year 2007.
Make friends with nature as one method to educate children at school!This issue is not too pompous and will never be out-of-date considering the condition of our nature which is already damaged heavily and less convenience anymore for our children. However, we can not blame the nature to react extremely beyond our imagination to what we have done to the environment itself. This activity was not scheduled in particular to commemorate ‘World Environment Day’* on 5 June 2009.
”Make friends with nature and educate students with life skill training” becomes part of HDI Foundation’s commitment and is applied to HDI Foundation’s assisted schools, one of them is SMP Pangerasan in Cibalung Village, Bogor. This responsibility has motivated us to carry out ‘Producing Organic Fertilizer Training’ as part of organic farming principles introduction on Tuesday, 2 June 2009, involving about 60 participants from students and teachers of SMP Pangerasan of course, parents, village farmer groups and some external people who’s interested to this issue. Useful
As mentioned above, this training was especially addressed to keep on equipping the students with practical skill needed in their daily life along with the background of the land condition in Cibalung Village which is already damaged because of modern plantation method that relied on chemical fertilizer and insecticide. Though some farmers admitted that they had tried to reduce chemical fertilizer, yet they could not completely turn to organic fertilizer considering the result was not as much and fast as using chemical. They were really aware that this could ruin the nature.
This concern happens to be a haunted dilemma, and if there is no start to encourage the using of organic fertilizer, then the villagers and SMP Pangerasan’s students -as part of it, later on, will not be able to live and hold out on their own land. It is necessary to implant this awareness to SMP Pangerasan’ students who will be ‘the next generation agent’ to their village. This culture will be more effective if started from their school environment without reducing community’s role. SMP Pangerasan has been determined to be the centre of community life-skill development in Cibalung Village.
”The gist of organic farming is on how to appreciate and collaborate with nature using natural pattern and cycle, instead of destroying it,” explained Hans van Florenstein Mulder to all participants. ”By training this principles, the students will learn on how to appreciate the nature, then to appreciate theirselves, and later on they will have enough skills to be independent and finally be able to develop their village which based on farming,” added Anita Permatawaty, the Operations Manager of HDI Foundation.
In the middle of fertilizer dearth and prices soared, the most appropriate way out is to self-producing the organic fertilizer together with organic system husbandry cultivation. This time the materials are taken from surroundings area in Cibalung Village, such as animal manure (carabou, goat and chicken), straw, weed, rice husk, banana trunks from fruitless tree, and banana leaves to cover the compos layer.
Organic system has many advantages like producing healthier plants since it contains zero chemical fertilizer, faster growing of the plants, creating cheaper cost (by using natural resources), effectively preserving natural resources by avoiding the use of chemical substance which can damage the land, air and water and right now the most important thing is to produce good quality organic fertilizer. Besides making the environment healthier, superiority from this organic fertilizer is; it can help to revitalize the land productivity, reduce farming effort expenses, as well as to upgrade the product quality.
Trainer
HDI Foundation represented Hans van Mulder, a trainer in organic farming sector and the representation of Florenstein General Anthrosposophical Society in Asia. Hans, a Dutch man born in Medan (North Sumatera) 70 years ago, together with his beloved wife Ineke, became voluntary instructors in this event. They both had the same profession as educator in New Zealand. Hans himself has already become a teacher and trainer for more than 30 years, and for about 12 years he had deepened the technique of organic farming. His devotion on education and community development has brought Hans to various nations in Asia –Nepal, India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, etc- to teach organic farming principles without any charges.
Hans was very blissful could share his knowledge with many people from various countries, including Indonesian. It became his first experience to train the technique on how to produce organic fertilizer to the schoolchildren. Hans was also very proud of the children who have very big desire on the knowledge and organic farming skill.
Note:
* World Environment Day was born ‘in the connection’ of EARTH DAY on 22 April 1970 by United State of America’s Senator Garlord Nelson. While Earth Day was sparked 2 years later on 5 June 1972, during United Nations Congress about Environment Day in Stockholm.
