Empowered Women of Kabalidana
Yuliana Bulu, who is familiarly called Mama Yuli, is a member of the Lara Moripa farmer group in Kabalidana Village, West Wewewa District, Southwest Sumba. She is recognized as a resilient woman who supports her family’s need through dedicated efforts in farming, cultivating tomatoes, chilies, and green vegetables such as kale, mustard greens, and spinach.
Mama Yuli's vegetable cultivation was inspired by her relative, Mama Rita, who is one of the farmers assisted by the Agricultural Livelihood through Integrated Approach (PERMATA) program, implemented by Yayasan Bina Tani Sejahtera (YBTS) and supported by the William & Lily Foundation (WLF), has achieved great success through cultivating vegetables. Initially, Mama Yuli only grew vegetables such as mustard greens and spinach, but her income was limited as the quality of her produce was not optimal. Her encounter with Mama Rita marked a turning point in her life. With enthusiasm and perseverance, Mama Yuli learned practical and effective vegetable cultivation techniques. Transforming her land into a farming area, Mama Yuli began planting 1,500 tomato trees. As a result, she managed to achieve a profit of IDR 7,000,000. Additionally, she also utilized the land to grow leafy vegetables such as mustard greens and spinach, managed to get additional profits of around IDR 600,000 per month.
Mama Yuli's determination and dedication did not just stop there. She motivated other members to be more active and participate in the assisting program conducted by the technical field officers (TFO) YBTS. She highly appreciates the PERMATA program. "Through the training and assistance provided, I hope that the knowledge of group members will continue to grow, providing them with better skills in managing their own land," concluded Mama Yuli.