Under the scorching sun in Tegal Mulyo Village, Keluang sub-District, Musi Banyuasin, the sound of hoes blends with the laughter of women tending their gardens. They are not just planting vegetables — they are planting hope: for their families, for their children, and for the future of their village.
The nutrition garden (kebun gizi) is a key pillar of a collaborative program between PT. Cargill, Yayasan CARE Peduli (YCP), and the Musi Banyuasin District Government. This initiative aims to help fulfill household nutritional needs through home gardens. As of March 2025, there are already 222 nutrition gardens established — including 11 village gardens, 15 hamlet gardens, 86 neighborhood (RT) gardens, and 110 home gardens — across 13 program villages. Besides being used for family consumption, the harvests from these gardens are also sold to the community. The average income from each harvest between January and March 2025 reached approximately IDR 378,000.
Siti Asih, chairperson of the Bougenville Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Tegal Mulyo Village, shared the story of how their garden began, originally as a government initiative.
“We were given seeds, tools, and capital. The goal was to create activities for the PKK women (a local women’s organization), so they could help increase family income and also have produce for themselves,” she explained.
The garden is managed cooperatively by around 20 active members out of a total of 30. Each hamlet is responsible for the garden one day per week, with the seventh day reserved for group meetings. The garden is home to a variety of plants such as water spinach, long beans, corn, bananas, and longans. Unfortunately, not all the crops can be enjoyed, as there’s an unwelcome visitor — wild monkeys that frequently steal the fruit.
Nevertheless, this initiative has inspired other women in the village to start their own home nutrition gardens. Support from the village continues to flow in — from seed assistance to catfish cultivation as an additional protein source.
“Some plant chilies or spinach in pots and polybags. The soil here is still fertile, so we can grow all kinds of things. During the dry season, water can be scarce, but thankfully our garden is near a river, so we can draw water for irrigation,” she added.
The nutrition gardens also align with Indonesia’s national food security agenda, which aims to ensure availability, accessibility, and safety of food for all citizens.
In line with this, Khalifah, the chairperson of the Sidomulyo Village KWT, noted that community involvement poses its own challenges. However, through persuasive and educational approaches — such as agricultural training and business development — the KWT members have gained capacity to improve the quality of their gardens. This approach has helped the community realize the direct benefits of nutrition gardens, such as saving on household expenses and improving family nutrition.
According to her, the gardens help cut down on the cost of buying vegetables. Thanks to support from the village government, YCP, and PT. Cargill, the nutrition garden program has eased the economic burden on the local community. Part of the harvest is shared with group members and nearby residents, especially those who are ill or facing hardship.
“We save money on vegetables, and from the garden we can earn around IDR 600,000 per month. We also have a social fund. If someone has an accident, we visit and provide support,” Khalifah concluded.
Author: Kukuh A. Tohari
