Paulus Ngongo, better known as Bapak Jhoni, is a familiar figure for farmers around West Wewewa and Central Wewewa Subdistrict. He is one of the agricultural extension officers (Penyuluh Pertanian Lapangan / PPL) that has been aiding the farmers for twenty-five years. Throughout his career, Bapak Jhoni spent most of his time on the farmlands with the farmers to improve West Wewewa’s and Central Wewewa’s farming industries. He is currently the leader of the farmers’ training committee (Badan Penyuluhan Pertanian / BPP) in the Central Wewewa Subdistrict.

Throughout his twenty-five years-long experience as a PPL, Bapak Jhoni faced many challenges and hardships. During the 1991s, the farmers were spread in many subdistricts. At that time, no transportation options allowed him to cut through the extreme road conditions. Bapak Jhoni had to walk to his destined villages and spend the night at the locals’ homes every time he was going to assist. However, he did not let the challenges faze him. He continued to work hard in performing his duty as a PPL. According to him, the job at PPL was a duty that needed to be done as best as he could.

As time passed, Bapak Jhoni’s responsibility as PPL got much support from government and non-governmental organizations. Assisting the farmers was made easier with accessible transportation and sufficient stores which supplied the farmers’ necessities. Partnerships with several organizations, such as Yayasan Bina Tani Sejahtera (YBTS) and William & Lily Foundation (WLF) through the Agricultural Livelihood through Integrated Approach (PERMATA) (PERMATA) program, helped assist the farmers. Not only did it help the farmers, but the YBTS team training also improved local PPLs’ skills.

“We’re really thankful for the existence of the PERMATA program. The program helped in enhancing the skills of both farmers and PPLs. The knowledge we obtained will be a valuable asset in developing the locals’ farming industries and increasing the quality of livelihood in this area,” said Bapak Jhoni.

Though the program had been running for a short period only, it already positively impacted the local farmers. Besides the increase in revenue, the farmers also received valuable knowledge to improve their farmlands as a source of sustainable livelihood. The farmers in Southwest Sumba could be more meticulous in capturing the market’s potential and become more efficient in enhancing the farmlands’ productivity.