By: Elisabeth Uru Ndaya, S.Pd.     

Digital literacy is one of the efforts to increase knowledge of digital technology for women. Moreover, during the Covid-19 pandemic like now, the women are required to work harder than before because besides working at home, they should be able to perform as mothers and teachers for their children who study online at home. What a pity if women today do not understand the media, because digital media could help women to educate and to teach their children. In addition, the media can also help women to do business to support the family's economic life.

In response to this, the women of the weaving group gathered to learn how to create social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, using Google, a Youtube channel for the weaving group (Monday, 30/08/2021). They were accompanied by Elisabeth Uru Ndaya and the name of their Youtube channel of the weaving group is ‘Kawara Panamung’ having a meaning of embracing each other. The channel contains content on women's activities in Sumba, such as the process of producing woven cloth and the Sumba women’s daily lives. They were so enthusiastic about learning and creating social media accounts because most of them had gadgets that made it easier for them to create their accounts.

The interesting thing they learned was the use and optimize of Google and Youtube. Katrin Njola, one of the participants said, “This is the first time I know Google and Youtube. It turns out through this media I can learn all things we want to know, for example, if my children learn from Google, they can be smart,” she said. The media can help them to find the knowledge they want to know, even as a tool to find learning materials for their children, cooking recipes, and many more uses of digital media. During the activity, Elisabeth Uru Ndaya emphasized several important things to women, such as, while using the media, they must be careful of what can be shared and what cannot, they must think critically, and not easily believe everything from the media, protect privacy, and avoid the media as a place for gossiping and judging someone. This is the reference for women to manage digital media smartly and wisely.

On that occasion, Kalita Mboru, one participant, promoted her handmade works in the form of wallets, small bags, and masks made from leftover woven cloth. Other participants appreciated the work, and the products will be promoted through digital media. Next, the group participants prepare themselves to start producing woven cloth from the beginning using 20 bulks of yarn and proceed from the first stage, namely ‘kabukul’ or winding the yarns. This process will be uploaded to 'Kawara Panamung's Youtube channel. The channel is expected to help the group promote the work, and be a platform to promote local culture, including documenting the activities of Sumba women in Tanatuku village.

Hopefully, through productive, healthy, and safe digital use, it will help the women and weaving group participants to do business of woven fabrics, both for domestic and foreign market customers.***

By Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Sumba.          

The pig farm cannot be separated from the daily life of the Sumbanese, except the Muslims. Apart from being a basic need, in certain cases, pig farms become an irreplaceable symbol for other livestock. Almost all houses in the countryside raised pigs. During this time, pigs have been one of the economic supports of the family, and even as savings for children's education fees and the pig farming is one of the best saving.

ASF virus has hit the livestock of Sumba since 2019 and it brought difficulties in people's lives. More than 60% pigs in Sumba died, even the farmers lost their livestock totally. The enthusiasm to raise pigs is still high among Sumba people. The main problem now is the difficulties in getting piglets as the price is very high that make the farmers in Sumba cannot afford them. The East Sumba Regional Government, the Livestock Service Office, and the Legislative support various activities by restoring and developing community farms by allocating a budget for piglet procurement for farmer community groups.

Several groups were already made covering the ‘Harapan Kita’ Group, the ‘Lai Welik’ Group, and the ‘Rita’ Groups with 54 members. These groups were accompanied by multiplication program since the beginning, to establish group, until how to make proposals. Hopefully, the members of this group got support from local government for direct assistance and livestock seeds for each so that pig farming activities that are part of the daily life of the Sumba people will be active again to support the community's economy. (AH) ***

By Stube HEMAT Multiplication in Sumba

The ASF virus outbreak caused multi-dimensional impacts, not only devastating the pig population in Sumba but also cutting off economic resources and causing trauma for pig farmers to restart. It must be admitted that the demand for pork supply is still high, but the availability is limited so that the price goes up. This situation has attracted the attention of various parties, including the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Sumba which focuses on pigs farms by continuing to strengthen members group through various activities to encourage motivation, increase knowledge and strengthen networks among farmers, livestock marketing, academics, and the government through the East Sumba livestock service. The regular meeting was held on Saturday, August 21, 2021, in Paddi village, Nggaha Ori Angu, where twenty-seven members of the pig farmers under the coordination of Apriyanto Hangga, the Multiplicator of Stube HEMAT in Sumba in the field of pig farming, conducted member strengthening through the material presentation, discussion, and question & answer.

Daniel Gabriel Lado, A.Md.Pet., the resource person, told the current condition of pigs in East Sumba after the ASF attack. It must be admitted that the availability of pork is low and unable to meet the demand. Economically, the imbalance of supply and demand has pushed prices up, even if compared to last year, the increase could be doubled. In addition, the virus attack has also traumatized the community to raise pigs again. In the presentation, the resource person gave encouragement and reinforcement, based on the experience, he said that farmers should not be afraid of the virus, but must have a strong belief that the virus can be defeated and must remain optimistic in raising pigs because it is an inseparable part of people's lives in Sumba. Besides having enthusiasm, the pig farmers must have complete knowledge to raise pigs. So this community is needed because it assists farmers to continue to learn and improve their knowledge.

Some basic notes on raising pigs, such as (1) Sterilization of cage; sterilization of cages is crucial, we must change the traditional pattern of raising a pig to modern with a cage system and carry out routine cleaning, install air circulation and avoid the reach of other animals. (2) Vaccination and vitamins are carried out periodically so that the immune system of the livestock becomes stronger. (3) Provision of quality food means clean and nutritious food, (4) Attention and care, continuous and sustainable attention to livestock is important to know the development of livestock so that they can anticipate if there are symptoms of the disease.

He continued that pigs are now relatively safe because the ASF virus has been successfully suppressed with vaccines and changes in the way of farming, as proved by this time there is no report of the remaining pigs getting sick and dying. In addition, the real conditions that occurred in several other areas affected by the virus, in Nias, North Sumatra, Bangli, Bali. Timor and Flores, NTT are all relatively safe and they are starting to move again. Including government regulations in the form of a ban on inter-island traffic for pigs has been lifted and the trade of pigs between islands has been reopened. Therefore, the resource person invited the community, especially the discussion participants, to be a resource person in the community to tell the good news so that pig farmers are not afraid to raise pigs, but must breed and be brave to start instead.

Changes in the behavior of raising pigs are required, starting from a strong will and being equipped with complete knowledge, we can face challenges in raising pigs and get satisfactory results. Starting from a pig that is released in the field to being penned, from one pig and gradually increase in number if the situation improves and finally, the economic welfare of the community is increasing.

Stube HEMAT Multiplication Program in Sumba

By: Elisabeth Uru Ndaya, S.Pd.      

On the 76th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia’s independence, the youth's role as initiators is still much needed to fill independence by doing positive things, especially in today's digital era. Digitalization with all the conveniences to obtain and process information makes all human activities can be presented online, as well as Indonesia's potencies can be introduced to the rest of the world only through internet access. Therefore, youth and students are required to continuously learn and produce real works to improve Indonesia's competitiveness.

To welcome independence day, Elisabeth Uru Ndaya, the Multiplicator of Stube HEMAT in Sumba as well as an igniter and leader of the village youth, lifted the enthusiasm of the students and youth of the Tanatuku village to become productive, innovative, and creative youth using social media as a communication and socialization platform, in a discussions with Reynaldo Erick (Monday, 16/08/2021). He is a young man who is engaged in the digital world and shares an interesting experience of what he is doing. He has a YouTube account with thousands of subscribers. His YouTube’s contents are the introduction to tourist attractions in East Sumba that has succeeded in bringing tourists from several countries to travel in Sumba, and he is the guide. Not only YouTube, but he also uses FB and Instagram to promote regional tourism. This is one of the benefits and uses of digital media, not only bringing income but also successfully having a promotion of the region to foreign countries. Erick invited youth to be 'literate' with media and trained them how to create a YouTube account, how to make videos and how to promote the content and media.

Knowing many benefits of digital media, as the first step, the youth and students agreed to create video content on the hill of Ndapayami, Pambotandjara village, Waingapu district, East Sumba, with the theme 'Tough Youth, Indonesia Grows', as well as the celebration of the 76th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. The beauty of the hills with its amazing curves, complemented with an extraordinary view of the sunset, boosted the enthusiasm of the participants to prepare the content. The black and white uniform and the red and white ribbon tied to their head, as well as the waving of the red and white flag, inspire a high sense of nationalism and love for the homeland. Here is the impression and messages of one participant, Melyanti Njurumana, "The Covid-19 limits people who should gather together but have to keep their distance from each other". Meanwhile, other youth expressed hopes that this nation would soon recover and be free from Covid-19.

Once again, it is important for the innovative and creative youth to have self-awareness to see social conditions, to open up to a wider environment, and to have sensitivity to problems that occur in society. Especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic, the role of youth is important to educate public so that they can free themselves from the pandemic. ***

By: Elisabeth Uru Ndaya, S.Pd

Digital technology is an important element for the transformation process on social, cultural, political, and economic. Technology becomes the latest communication medium and affects the aspects of human life, including women,so that they can increase their contribution to the family economy. The women's awareness in utilizing technology still needs to be improved, so that holistic and comprehensive digital literacy is needed, especially the encouragement for women to learn and master digital technology in order to increase their capacity.

Through the Stube HEMAT Multiplication program in Sumba, Elisabeth Uru Ndaya as the program multiplicator in Sumba invited village women and tied woven group members to gather and discuss a topic ‘the women today must be digitally literate” (Wednesday, 4/08/2021). On this occasion, she opened insight, awareness as well as ways of thinking to realize business potencies, learn and know the use of digital technology such as the use of Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and others to facilitate Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSME) business development. From the discussion, it turned out that most of the women and youth in Tanatuku village had a Facebook account already, but only to see the status of friends, to update status, to upload selfie photos, even they use it as a medium for gossiping and mocking others.

This discussion helped the women and youth open their horizons that social media is not only Facebook, and they can optimize it for more useful things even to earn 'income' to support the family's economy. The woman group also reflected a year's program of women's empowerment that had been going well. They agreed on three important things as reference for future programs, covering, 1) the women of the weaving groups are ready to learn and utilize digital technology to increase existing capacity and productivity, 2) the women of the weaving group will continue to produce original Sumba woven fabrics in the form of cloth, sarongs, scarves, and other woven fabric creativities, 3) the women of the weaving group collaborate with other parties to prepare time and power to build a weaving house as a weaving learning house as well as a place to store weaving assets in the future.

The Multiplication Program of Stube HEMAT in Sumba through the women's empowerment program is expected to enable women in Tanatuku village to be digitally literate and to use technology as a way to increase women's capacity.