It was an important day for our team in East Flores, Indonesia. If you were here with us on 1 December, you’d have certainly felt the excitement. After 7 months of intensive preparation, we officially launched our first Depot Desa site on the island of Adonara.
Attended by government officials, community members, local farming groups, Kopernik staff and volunteers, our donor - Polish Aid, and Mama Loretha - one of our Wonder Women who is partnering with Kopernik on this initiative - we officially opened the Depot Desa site with a celebration. Fried cashews and locally grown sorghum porridge made by Mama Loretha were served to, and enjoyed by all.
Covered by media including Flores Post and TVRI Kupang, the event was a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate the facilities at the site and explain how Depot Desa can support the agricultural industry in the area. The initiative aims to assist farmers to increase their incomes by providing access to useful value-adding tools for processing their produce. It also seeks to improve the knowledge of farmers on the supply chain and to connect them to buyers of their value-added produce.
Government officials in attendance were impressed by the facilities. Representatives from Larantuka’s BPMPD (Badan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Pemerintahan Desa), Elisabeth Prada Koda and Mikael Yemao, and Laurensius Boso from BAPPEDA (Provincial Planning Agency) were keen to discuss ideas for future collaboration to support farmers.
Additionally, officials from surrounding villages - Desa Pajinian, Desa Bugalima, Desa Kimakamak and Desa Hurung - were pleased to see the site officially opened. Having been involved in the initiative since the beginning, they have been integral to the success of the initiative thus far.
We were honoured to have Polish Aid in attendance at the launch event. Polish Aid provided the funding for the development of the Depot Desa, for the purchase of various crop processing tools as well as for training of farmers in cashew opening methods. A traditional scarf from Adonara was presented to Mr. Maciej Duszyński, the Polish Aid representative as a token of appreciation by Payong, a farmer who has been working with Kopernik on the Depot Desa project.
Kopernik will open additional Depot Desa sites in the future, each focusing on the specific needs of farmers in the area. In Adonara, Depot Desa offers a solar dryer, cashew opening tools, training and advice, moisture monitoring devices, a storage warehouse, clean water supply, and co-working spaces. This Depot Desa focuses on the post-harvest processing and improved storage solutions of cashews, sorghum and coconut.
