Training on processing ant sugar in Tanete Bulu hamlet. We, the village facilitator team together with the training resource person, spent the night at the house of the head of the Women's Farmers Group, which is shaded by beautiful natural views, located in Tanete Bulu village.
To get there, we went through extreme roads; via Bara hamlet to Tanete Bulu hamlet. (I cried because my motorbike was also crying). We rode a moped. two motorbikes. And, on one of the steep climbs, it was like we were riding a frog motorbike. Really made to crawl. But that's how it is, from one assisted hamlet to another, it is always the road access that dominates our conversation after arriving at the location.
Because energy was used up on the trip, the training event could only take place the next day. We fell asleep after dinner.
The next day, the ant sugar processing training event started at 10 am. Mothers, KWT members gathered under a tree not far from the house of the sugar cooker. In fact, at first we were a little doubtful that the training would be quiet, because we arrived late.
After all the mothers gathered, we walked together to the training location. Under the tent and towering trees, the mothers sat and took turns cooking Nira in one of the sugar cooking kitchens.
While waiting for the Nira water to boil, we discussed about ant sugar; processing methods, quality sap water, the most suitable season for producing ant sugar, and the marketing process for ant sugar.
The mothers were enthusiastic about the resource person's explanation and curious about the results of the ant sugar, because the training process was their first experience. So far, KWT members have processed sap water only to make shell sugar.
Unfortunately, the practice of processing ant sugar failed, because again, the sap water used was old and had undergone a fermentation process. However, just like the enthusiasm of the KWT members in Cindakko hamlet, the mothers in Tanete Bulu hamlet also did not want to give up. They then agreed to move to another resident's brown sugar cooking kitchen in the middle of the forest, about 500 meters from the first location.
There, the women, for example, hijacked the ant sugar making pan which was not there at that time, and transferred half the palm juice from the pan into an empty bucket. It is hoped that the remaining half will boil easily and become ant sugar.
While waiting for the sap water to boil, there was a loose conversation about ant sugar, and why mothers should produce ant sugar. The mothers were very enthusiastic waiting for the sap water to boil and were very curious about the results. After waiting for hours, the water boils, and the pan is lowered from the balombong. While stirring, the mothers began to feel confident, because the Nira water they had been waiting for began to crystallize. The mothers became more enthusiastic, stirring with amazed faces, and finally they produced ant sugar.
