Dangiang Batuwangi Traditional School Chicken Farming for Financial Independence and Sustainability of Tradition

Customary schools are a vital part of Indigenous Community structures, serving as a means of transmitting traditional knowledge, including knowledge of local foods, traditional medicine, agricultural systems, and the preservation of cultural values, to the younger generation. However, customary schools often face challenges in achieving financial independence. As educational institutions serving Indigenous Community children, customary schools lack a stable and sustainable source of income, thus facing difficulties in meeting their operational needs.

However, to support sustainability and improve the quality of education, traditional schools require adequate financial support. This funding is needed for building rehabilitation, maintenance of facilities and infrastructure, and improving the quality of the teaching and learning process. Recognizing the importance of financial independence, the Indigenous Youth and Women's Group involved in the Dangiang Batuwangi Traditional School is working to develop an independent source of income through chicken farming.

This initiative was realized through the formation of the Indigenous Peoples Business Group (KUMA) as a joint venture management forum, which is expected to become a source of funding for the future operations of the traditional school. Furthermore, this initiative successfully built a chicken coop and provided 400 chicks and 100 adult chickens. During its implementation, this initiative still encountered challenges due to extreme weather and poultry diseases, which resulted in mortality rates of up to 64% of chicks and 10% of adult chickens.

Despite this, with chicks and adult chickens still available, the Indigenous Youth and Women's Group persisted in raising chickens. This chicken farm has successfully produced 68 eggs, generating a potential annual income of Rp 44 million. Another benefit is that this initiative can serve as an educational center for Indigenous Peoples' food sufficiency through sustainable production, a strategic step in building the foundation for economic independence for indigenous schools, and strengthening the involvement of youth and women in supporting the sustainability of indigenous education in Dangiang Batuwangi.