Rainwater Harvesting: Sustaining Life in Manikaji Asti

By: Km Kurniawan, Chairman & Team Leader

The widely dispersed families of Manikaji Asti Hamlet, located on the steep and sandy slopes of Mount Abang at 850 meters above sea level, have no nearby springs or other sources of water. The people rely solely on rainwater for survival, yet many families do not have rainwater harvesting reservoirs, locally called ‘cubang’. At the beginning of April however, things started looking up when our current supporter, PT Mitra Prodin through its CSR program, provided funding for EBPP to facilitate 10 cubang for the 10 most needy families: those with the youngest children.

Today, I visited several family’s houses that were quite remote to monitor their cubang progress. Getting off my trailbike, I walked down a steep path to simple houses made mostly of bamboo. Despite living in simplicity, their faces greeted with a sincere smile that was so warm.

A grandfather approached and said with tears in his eyes, "Thank you, Mr. Komang and EBPP, to help us for the cubang. Please convey our greetings to the donors. So far, we have had a lot of trouble getting water during the drought, now I have a place to store my own rainwater."

His words touched my heart. This assistance not only gives water, but also hope. Thank you, #Mitraprodin. Now, the people of Manikaji Asti cannot only meet their daily needs, but also save their beloved livestock. Currently, there are still many people who do not have rainwater reservoirs; for benefactors who want to help, please contact us. Thank you.