As has already been signaled earlier this year, Titian Foundation is planning to work in Lombok. Some work is already underway, such as taking applications for Titian’s high school scholarship programme in the village of Pemenang Barat, North Lombok as well as the subsequent selection process.

However, after further assessment, Titian found one Sasak tribe in the hamlet of Rembitan village, called Rebuk I, Central Lombok that is also worth receiving support. Rebuk I is situated just 500 meter from the popular tourist hamlet of Sade but the conditions in which they live are a far cry from that picturesque image.

Nearly half (49%) of the Pujut subdistrict population, where Rembitan village lies, are still in what’s known as the “prasejahtera” category, which means these families are not able to fulfill their basic needs, and 53% family head of households are not even elementary school graduates.

Access to water and proper sanitation is still a challenge in this hamlet. Families in Rebuk I can only bathe once a week and an open plant-walled bathroom without a sewer is still being used today. Provision of water and sanitation facilities will significantly improve their hygiene and therefore their overall health and well-being.

Opportunities for a significant results (outcome and impact) are enormous when this village is turned around. Already working hand-in-hand with Titian is Soroptimist International of Jakarta (SIJ) which undertakes water and sanitation programmes and women’s empowerment. SIJ has already pledged to sponsor the digging of water wells and the provision of a community restroom for each family in Rebuk I. Titian will take part in other Community Development (Comdev) Programmes, so that the improvement in standards of living will be enjoyed equally by all families in that hamlet.

The major occupation of the Rebuk I community is farming and most families in Rebuk I also own cows. Coupled with their innate knowledge of farming, Titian sees an opportunity for a biogas project. Titian sent four farmers for a permaculture course in Imogiri, Yogyakarta on March 16th to 29th so they can apply the patterns and resilient features observed on the course to their land, transforming its productivity by creating biogas and organic fertilizer.

One month after the permaculture course, one of the farmers, Lalu Talam, started redesigning his hamlet to integrate facilities for water, sanitation and biogas. He proudly showed it to Mrs. Isla Winarto of SIJ when she formally initiated the water and sanitation project on April 26th, 2019.

The government’s plan to build a MotoGP circuit in Mandalika, Rembitan will be bring more tourism opportunities and Titian intends to serve as a source of informal education and soft skills and make Rembitan as a flourishing hub for eco-tourism.