Introduction
There are no local bamboo craft and furniture products being produced and sold in Sembalun and disadvantaged youth do not have the adequate skills or facilities to produce and sell bamboo products. The youth community centre in Sembalun was severely damaged in the 2018 earthquakes and since then the economic empowerment programs, in tourism, farm and business development, offered to the more than 50 members through the centre have mostly ceased.
Sembalun village has limited human resource development and a high poverty rate which has increased due to both the 2018 earthquakes that damaged or destroyed up to 65% of the houses in the region and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic during 2020. Pre-pandemic, 50% of the total population in Sembalun was earning below minimum wage based on a recent study by Sekolah Tinggi Parawisata Trisakti in 2017. Covid-19 has further increased unemployment in Sembalun, as across Indonesia, by 24%, and 64% of the population have seen reduced incomes, with poverty rates three times higher in Lombok and other eastern islands than the rest of Indonesia.1
The younger generation in Sembalun rely heavily on tourism for income. The impact on tourism and the resulting loss in income firstly due to the 2018 earthquakes, and now Covid- 19, has further increased the need for capacity-building activities to support alternative income generation for disadvantaged rural youth. This will support the development of a skilled and more productive workforce and aid in the economic recovery of the region whilst tourism slowly increases.
Bamboo forests are an existing local asset in Sembalun, that hold significant ecological and economic benefits for local community members that are currently underutilised for income- generating activities. When properly treated and processed, the value of local bamboo is significantly increased, offering rural communities increased income through the sale of bamboo products and services to domestic and international markets. For local construction bamboo offers an earthquake-safe, strong alternative as building material. The market for bamboo products is fast growing and the lightweight nature of many bamboo crafts and products offers the potential to sell both locally and internationally.
Bamboo also has an incredible potential to aid in environmental conservation through reforestation, improved water regulation, reduced soil erosion and as an effective carbon sink and the development of a bamboo industry in Sembalun will contribute to a unique ecotourism destination when tourism increases.
Impact
1a. At the beginning of this project there was no community centre available to youth in Sembalun due to earthquake damage in 2018. By the end of 4 months a 150sqm community centre co-designed by Sembalun youth will be accessible for at least 60 local youth. We will assess completion once a Completion of Construction Certificate is obtained.
1b The community centre will be built using local bamboo. By building completion 90% of the main frame, roofing, walls and interior structures will be built using local bamboo. We will track use of local bamboo with site visits and invoices.
1c. By the end of 6 months 50 female and 50 male youth in Sembalun will have been offered registration and access to facilities as community centre members, we will track the number of youth accessing the centre’s facilities through registration and booking sheets.
1d. At the beginning of this project the community centre had 10% regular female participation. To support culturally acceptable female participation, up to 50% of classrooms and workshop spaces will be designated for females only, as needed. We will track female participation via booking lists.
2a. By the end of 6 months 20 youth will be trained in bamboo construction, 20 youth will be trained in bamboo craft making and 20 youth will be trained in bamboo furniture making. We will track participation through training registrations.
3a. By the end of six months the workshop space and equipment needed for cooperative members to produce and sell bamboo products will be installed at the community centre. We will track equipment usage via log books.
3b At the beginning of this project the local bamboo cooperative had started building the community centre and members had trained in bamboo treatment. By the end of twelve months cooperative members will be producing and selling a variety of bamboo craft, furniture and construction projects in Lombok region. We will track the success of the cooperative via financial records of sales and quality assurance checks for products
Core team
Sembalun Community Development Centre - the local based youth organisation who are the direct beneficiary of this project.
http://www.cdc-sembalun.org/
Ceres Global Australia
- Australian NGO who have been working with SCDC since 2014 through volunteering activities centred around environmental education and the main fundraiser of this project.
https://ceres.org.au/global/projects/sembalun-sustainable-rebuild/
etc.lab, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore
- a design research outfit based in Singapore which led the participatory design workshop, initial design of the centre based on the workshop findings and project management of this project
https://www.np.edu.sg/etclab/Pages/default.aspx
Aurbamboo - A social enterprise established from this project whose mission is to maximise the potential of bamboo in rural communities to achieve economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits.
http://instagram.com/aur.bamboo
Meeting with the youth members to discuss about the construction of the youth centre
image: Raja Mohd Fairuz |
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Image gallery
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Youth visit to bamboo buildings in other parts of lombok
image: Raja Mohd Fairuz |
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Planning the schedule of the construction of the youth centre
image: Raja Mohd Fairuz |
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Youths and their business plan for a bamboo social enterprise
image: Raja Mohd Fairuz |
some rights reservedi
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