Strengthening the Livelihoods of the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community through Agriculture, Conservation, and Weaving Innovation

The Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community largely utilizes the potential within their customary territory to meet their daily needs. These include agricultural products, livestock raising, and the production of Sumbanese ikat woven fabrics made from cotton or gewang leaves (a type of palm leaf), and natural dyes from noni roots, indigo leaves, mud, and loba leaves and bark found in the forests within their customary territory. However, the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community, located in Maubokul Village, Pandawai District, East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, often encounters several challenges related to managing the livelihood resources within their customary territory to meet their household economic needs. 

These include a shortage of seeds for perennial crops with economic value; a lack of understanding of the cultivation and care of agricultural crops; and, specifically, the lack of innovative skills among women in the community in processing ikat cloth and woven sarongs into clothing with high market value. This also needs to be balanced with other forest products with long-term economic value and planting local corn to support the daily household economy. 

The Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community has initiated a long-term planting program of 1.500 trees, consisting of 1.000 cashew seedlings, 300 gmelina seedlings, and 200 mahogany seedlings. Over the long term, these planted trees will provide economic value through the cashew harvest. In addition to the economic impact, the planting of these seedlings also has ecological implications. This is because the seedlings were planted near a spring, aiming to maintain the quality of the spring water source and ensure a stable water supply in the Praing Laitaku customary area.

In addition to perennial crops, the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community also planted 150 kg of local Sumba corn seeds on a 3-hectare plot. The estimated yield is approximately 6 tons of local corn. The harvest is divided into three uses: the majority is used to meet daily staple food needs. A portion is sold to generate cash income, and the remainder is stored for use as corn seed the following year.

It doesn't stop there. From the sales of the first corn harvest, the Indigenous Community built a farm by purchasing pigs, chickens, and ducks for long-term income. Some members also used the proceeds from the harvest to pay for the school fees of the children of the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community.

To achieve high-quality harvests, the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community provides technical training in organic fertilizer (compost) production and training in plant care. This not only aims to maintain soil nutrients but also to increase the economic value of the harvest. These results contribute to improving the Indigenous Community's economy without damaging the soil quality.

Other educational programs are also provided specifically for women, including technical training in sewing and embroidering sarongs. sambuli for Indigenous Women and Youth of the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community. This is a step towards creating product innovation without abandoning their local knowledge. The Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community continues to use raw materials and methods believed in for generations. Innovation is carried out in the creation of derivative products from existing woven fabrics. This improves technical skills, which influences the selling value of Praing Laitaku woven fabrics. This initiative has a direct impact on all 1884 members of the Praing Laitaku Indigenous Community.