Innovation

For surrounding people who live near PLN Puslitbang Mini Hydro, Megamendung, most of their backyard is narrow usually only used for storing shoes/sandals, broomstick or not used at all. Some of them, work as farmers, traders in traditional market, or labor. With the rising price in some of food ingredients such as chili, the company sees it as an opportunity to give a solution of their problem.

As Minister of Trade said last year, "Plant chili by yourself at your home", He said that since the chili price was rising. In order to achieve common goals with the government, PLN Puslitbang cooperate with BBP2TP to educate the surrounding community to implement the chili plantation in their home. This program will not stop once they finished the learning program, they continue this year with the education of business so that they can also sell the chili to the market.

Inspiration

The idea of utilizing narrow yard to plant productive crop started when the supply of vegetable decreased (especially chili) which made the price rise. The higher price meant some people could not have the money to buy it. With that condition, the idea came up to increase the supply, reduce the poverty and partnership with right person to achieve the goals then people could also produce vegetable in their yard and utilize all their yard to be more productive. They can use it for their own, or sell it to the market.

Overall impact

For the people around PLN puslitbang mini hydro, they can learn about the optimization of their yard for life. They could emphasis from the idea to have more income, lower their monthly expenditure and help the planet with better environment.

PLN Puslitbang held this event start from 2017, this year they will gives the marketing perspective regarding how to market their own product. In the future, PLN hope that this kind of activities could be expanded more in several areas. They also hope that the people could help them to be more aware about PLN puslitbang mini hydro asset in Megamendung, Bogor. More participant means more people tend to help / care about the PLN asset.

The government goals are to reduce the poverty and increase the supply of chili. If the program shown a good result, perhaps this concept can also be delivered to other areas.

Business benefit

With the awareness of the PLN Puslitbang Mini Hydro's existences, hopefully the surrounding society can also help to maintain the security in surrounding area. They can also help surrounding environment become more green.

With this program, actually the company also help the government to reduce the poverty. With the increasing of their welfare hopefully it will also reduce the crime probability which is caused by poverty. Beside that, if their welfare increase, it might lead increase in the lifestyle and more consumption on electricity which will become benefit for PLN business.

Social and environmental benefit

The society in Megamendung, Bogor itself will get the benefit of knowledge, increase the prosperity (if they could sell the product in the future). Reduce their monthly operational cost by harvesting from their plants. The society could also inform about what their learn to their relatives so that the idea could be spread out to the other society.

When people start planting trees they also help the environment to become more green. This little action could have a multiplier effect if the community successfully used their yard to farm plants and there also possibilities that the planting result can be sold or become a good benchmark for other surrounding area of PLN.

Interview

Nurul Firda Yuliani, K3 Analyst Assistant