The journey to Kalamba Village, a remote village located in a rocky mountain valley, was one of the most meaningful experiences in my life. This village is located in a remote area in East Sumba Regency. It takes more than two hours to reach it from Waingapu city. The dry geographical conditions of the village, no access to electricity, hard-to-get clean water, and minimal public facilities such as bathrooms and distant access to elementary schools, illustrate how isolated this village is from development. The number of families in Kalamba is also much smaller than other villages, and there is almost no communication signal.
My arrival, in the context of cross-learning activities with INKLUSI DAY participants, was warmly welcomed by the traditional elders. They presented betel nut as a symbol of acceptance and respect. We then talked about the purpose of our arrival, which was to learn from the indigenous people there. Especially from the women's forum and disability groups as well as adherents of the Marapu belief, a local belief that is still strongly held by the local community.
One of the main focuses of the Bumi Lestari Institute (LBL) in Kalamba Village is to revive the women's farmer group forum (KWT). The community here has long been trapped in a cycle of poverty that seems difficult to break. Women in this village are often considered to only play a role in the kitchen. In fact, they have great potential to help improve family welfare.
One of the stories that moved me was from Rambu Anita Mbomba Lapir, an active member of the KWT forum. So far, families in Kalamba have only relied on the proceeds from selling peanuts to meet their living needs. A small number of them have become PAUD teachers to earn additional income. However, the income as a PAUD teacher is only around Rp500 thousand per month, an amount that is not enough to supplement daily needs.
Rambu Anita explained that the income from selling peanuts is also very limited. With a planting season of only once a year and a harvest that only lasts for four months (February to May), they can only produce 5-6 sacks of peanuts, each containing 23 kg. With a selling price of 20 thousand per kilogram, the annual income from peanuts only reaches around 2.3 million to 2.8 million. If divided evenly per month, this amount is still far from enough, only around 200 thousand to 250 thousand per month for household needs.
However, daily expenses are much greater. In addition to buying rice and other basic necessities, the Kalamba community, the majority of whom adhere to the Marapu faith, must also provide funds for traditional rituals that are performed almost every day. In each ritual, at least chicken or pork is needed, which are not cheap. This makes traditional needs often a top priority compared to family needs, including children's education and nutrition.
“We are used to putting customary needs above everything else,” said Rambu Anita. “If we are short of money to buy rice and other basic necessities, we will look for yams in the forest as a substitute.”
It is not uncommon for families in Kalamba village to often have debts with their neighbors and relatives who have sufficient economic levels. While the matter of returning the debt is a matter for later.
This is what makes the barter system still relevant in Kalamba village. Rambu Anita added, when they do not have money, they will exchange the woven mat products they make with rice or other food ingredients. Usually with two mats they can get 10 kg of rice.
The obstacles to women's participation in the KWT forum are not only economic. In the Kalamba indigenous community, the highest decision is still held by men, especially husbands. Hoki Halemang, one of the Estungkara cadres in Kalamba, emphasized that many women cannot participate in KWT training or forums because their husbands do not allow them. "Gender education needs to be given not only to women, but also to men," said Hoki Halemang.
From Hoki Halemang's observation, the mothers in Kalamba village are still very obedient to their husbands' decisions. So when they are not given permission to carry out activities, especially capacity building and strengthening understanding activities in the KWT forum, they will never be able to participate meaningfully.
"This is also an alternative solution when we want to talk about realizing gender justice and equality in indigenous communities. Without gender education for all, any activity created will feel useless," he said.
What Hoki Halemang said, I deeply agree. It turns out, the importance of gender education for all is not only about recognizing women's voices, but more than that. How women and men have an equal share in making decisions in the family. Be it about economic income or making priorities about daily needs.
I am reminded of the message from the book “A Feminist Manifesto: We Must All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In her book, Adichie emphasizes the importance of gender education that is not only aimed at women, but also men. The inequality of gender roles based on stereotypes is the root of discrimination that is still deeply rooted in society, and this continues to be an obstacle for women to develop and be empowered.
What happened in Kalamba Village shows how gender education is key to realizing equality. Gender equality is not only about women's rights, but also about humanity. As long as indigenous communities like those in Kalamba still hold on to the patriarchal system, women will continue to face obstacles in achieving their true potential. This struggle is not only about reviving the KWT forum, but also about changing mindsets and opening up wider spaces for women to contribute to social life. Of course, this does not fall from the sky. It requires collaboration with all parties as well as strong support at the grassroots level.
