A new
program is encouraging women to care for nature
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| Participants at a recent meeting. (Photo courtesy of Unilever) |
Large companies are often seen as enemies of the environment. With their large production capacities, many generate lots of pollution and waste.
But not all
corporations are the same. Some have business plans focusing on continuity
through the sustainable use of natural resources and the wellbeing of their
customers. Unilever Indonesia is one example.
This large
consumer goods producer, which has been in Indonesia since 1933, aims to grow
its businesses while preserving the natural environment at the same time.
“We intend
to keep growing our business in this country,” said Unilever Indonesia
corporate communications head Maria Dewantini Dwianto. “And the only way to do
so, is to ensure people and resources touched by our business are sustained.”
Unilever
plans to double the size of its businesses globally, while at the same time
decreasing its environmental impact and improving local communities.
“Our
sustainability plan is to help 1 billion people [globally] to lead better and
healthier lives,” Maria said.
In
Indonesia, Unilever recently established the Komunitas Ibu Bercahaya (Community
of Shining Mothers).
“Bercahaya”
is also an acronym of bersih (clean), cermat (carefully considered, smart),
ramah lingkungan (environmentally friendly) and diberdayakan (empowered).
Through
this group, Unilever hopes to inspire Indonesian women, their families and
local communities to lead cleaner, smarter and more eco-friendly lifestyles.
Recently,
60 Indonesian women from various backgrounds were welcomed as its first members
in Jakarta.
“Women are
our main customers,” Maria said. “The life and death of our businesses depend a
lot on them.”
Women also
have a central role in their families.
“By educating
the women, we’ll also [indirectly] educate their husbands and children,” Maria
said.
Unilever,
in collaboration with educational institutes and universities, will provide
regular training and workshops to teach the women easy and practical ways to
conserve the environment.
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| Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar. (Photo courtesy of Unilever) |
“Most of
them are homemakers,” Maria said. “But they’re also leaders in their neighborhoods.
By participating in our previous activities [with Yayasan Unilever Indonesia],
we know they have a strong passion to create a change.”
In this new
community, these agents of change will learn new ways to manage garbage and
water, as well as cultivate more trees in their surroundings.
They will
then introduce these new methods to their neighborhoods. Each member is also be
expected to bring in 10 new members from their local communities.
“As a
person and educator, I’m touched,” said Firdaus Ali, the chairman of the
Indonesian Water Institute. “This is what we’ve been waiting for for a long
time: a large corporation that collaborates with local communities to share its
knowledge and expertise in natural conservation.”
According
to Firdaus, such a movement is necessary as Indonesia, especially Jakarta, is
facing a huge water crisis.
“There are
13 rivers and 76 sub-rivers in Jakarta,” he said. “Yet, we always lack water
during the dry season. While on the other hand, the city always floods during
the rainy season.”
In the
first training session, Firdaus taught the women how to create biopore
infiltration holes and save water.
Biopores
are created by making holes 50-100 centimeter deep in the soil. We can put
organic waste into these holes.
The waste
will attract worms, which create more bioporic tunnels into these holes.
When it
rains, these biopores will also absorb rainwater and thus help to prevent
floods in the city. The organic waste inside the holes will turn into compost
that fertilize plants.
During this
training session, Unilever also promoted one of its products — Molto Ultra
Sekali Bilas (One-Rinse Molto Ultra).
According
to the company’s research, people usually rinse their laundry three times and
thus consume around 40 liters of water. With Molto Ultra Sekali Bilas, one can
save around 20 liters of water.
The
community plans to create 1 million biopores and conserve 1 billion liters of
water within a year.
“Just
imagine,” Firdaus said, “if we have saved 1 billion liters of water within one
year, approximately 30,000 other families will be able to get clean water.”
According
to him, there are presently about 29,000 families without access to clean water
in North Jakarta alone.
During the
training, Firdaus also encouraged community members to grow more trees in their
neighborhoods.
“I’m so
inspired,” said Ratih, a woman from East Jakarta. “We don’t have a large yard
at home, but I can plant in pots. With more plants, the earth will be greener
and cooler.”
The
60-year-old housewife also plans to introduce these eco-living techniques to
her five children, who all have families of their own.
“I think we
should start within our own families,” she said. “The change should come from
within. And then the people will see and do as we do.”
Sri Endang,
a kindergarten teacher and mother of two from West Jakarta, was also inspired
by the training.
“Water is
so crucial to our lives, yet we rarely respect it,” she said. “We only realize
how precious it is during the dry season, when we lack it. But we never do
anything to save it.”
Sri plans
to replace her traditional bak mandi (bathtub) and gayung (water dipper), which
use lots of water, with a modern shower kit.
“Change
doesn’t have to be expensive,” the 42-year-old said. “I can buy a second-hand
shower kit at the market, clean it and install it at home. It’ll save a lot of
water.”
Sri also
plans to ask her local community heads to mobilize people in her neighborhood
to create biopores in their yards.
“To be
effective, men and women should work together in these programs,” Sri said.
M0inister
of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, who
attended the inauguration of the community’s first members, was impressed with
the corporation’s initiative.
“I truly
appreciate what Unilever Indonesia is doing,” she said. “With this program,
they show that they care about people and support the government’s efforts to
develop the country.”
According
to the minister, the community programs will not only preserve Indonesia’s
natural environment, but also empower women.
“Women and
children suffer most in natural disasters,” she said. “But women have large
potential. They should be empowered to become the solution, instead of victims
of their circumstances.”
According
to the Central Statistics Bureau (BPS), women made up 49.6 percent of
Indonesia’s 240 million total population in 2011.
The
activities of Komunitas Ibu Bercahaya will be evaluated by an independent jury
and a winner will be selected every three months. The winner will appear in a
special program on national television.
All women
in Indonesia can join this community free of charge by registering online, or
by calling directly.
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