Forests & land
Berau, East Kalimantan
Cocoa, Forests & Livelihoods
A 12-month programme with cocoa-farming families: training, coaching, local trainers and agroforestry demonstration plots in villages bordering forest.
Berau, East Kalimantan
Resilient Women of Berau: Cocoa, Savings & Preparedness
Strengthening the rights and livelihood resilience of women farmers from transmigrant families in 12 villages, learning alongside a Dayak community. Programme target: 500 women cocoa farmers.
Families & communitiesDiscuss this initiative
- Location
- 12 villages in Berau Regency
- Programme target
- 500 women cocoa farmers
- Focus
- Savings, cocoa, agroforestry, haze preparedness
- Duration
- 10 months
Local need
Transmigration was meant to give families in Berau a more secure livelihood. Today mining and oil-palm expansion, unclear land rights, recurring fires and haze, and falling cocoa yields put that security under strain. Women's work in cocoa often goes unseen, and haze adds to the care work that falls mostly on them.
Aim
Strengthen families' economic, environmental and health resilience, and women's voice in village decisions.
Who takes part
500 women cocoa farmers from former transmigrant households (about 42 per village), prioritising female-headed and lowest-income households. Peer learning takes place with the Dayak community of Kampung Merasa.
Activities
- Village selection, participatory assessment, hazard mapping and group formation.
- 12 women's savings groups, financial literacy and livelihood training.
- Cocoa coaching, fermentation, shared processing equipment, group bookkeeping and buyer dialogue.
- Field schools on cocoa rehabilitation and fire-free agroforestry, and planting 5,000 shade and fruit trees.
- Haze preparedness plans for 500 households with health centres, protective kits and 12 PM2.5 monitors.
- Village agreements on fire prevention and coexistence with wildlife, plus safety dialogues and referral services for women.
Ten-month plan
- Months 1–2
Selecting 12 villages, assessment, hazard mapping and forming savings groups.
- Months 3–8
Cocoa and agroforestry field schools, tree planting, haze preparedness and a learning visit to Kampung Merasa.
- Months 9–10
Village agreements, evaluation, a district learning workshop and a policy brief.
What we track
- Active savings groups and women saving regularly
- Cocoa income and the quality of fermented beans
- Trees planted and household haze-preparedness plans
- Women's control over income and participation in village planning
These are the things assessed during the programme, not verified results. Results are reported after delivery and checks.
Cocoa is the entry point for a wider resilience programme, not a commercial venture. Price premiums are not guaranteed.
Ways to collaborate
- Cocoa buyers who value quality fermented beans from women's groups.
- Village governments and health centres for referral services and haze preparedness.
- Conservation partners on coexistence with wildlife, including orangutans.
Gallery
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Have a site, community or programme you want to develop with us?
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