August 25, 2014
Indonesia
In September 2014 Caritas Czech Republic plans to terminate all their activities in Indonesia. They have operated there since 2005 after the devastating tsunami in 2004. The last project includes training for local patchouli growers and producers of oil from this plant in province Aceh.
Patchouli is a tropical evergreen little bush of deadnettle family, it is sensitive and difficult to plant. Valuable essential oil is gained by distillation of dried leaves used for many cosmetics and especially perfumes. Caritas Czech Republic supports four planting societies in four regions in province Aceh in west part of Sumatra: Aceh Barat, Aceh Jaya, Aceh Selatan and Gayo Lues.
The aim is to support these societies so that they are able to have a stable or increasing income. Every society associates several groups of growers and oil producers who received distillation kettles from Caritas Czech Republic during previous projects.
Over the last two years Caritas Czech Republic provided vocational training aimed at correct rotation of crops, growing technology (using of organic fertilizers and insecticides) and patchouli processing. Last but not least they tried to build up a collection of growers and producers with local and international market of patchouli oil customers.
Caritas Czech Republic decided to terminate their activities in June this year. With the last project it managed to establish 4 societies, ensure them a good position among local oil producers, created a good connection with the network of customers, and helped create good cooperation with local authorities. One of the customers became a Czech company – Botanicus, they produce a whole cosmetic set from Aceh´s oil.
The representative of Caritas Czech Republic in the country, Isfani Yunus, due to termination of organisation activities in this country will do his best to ensure that the societies continue their activities and to ensure continuous support from local government. He passed the control of the societies to local government, especially Provincial Planning Office of Aceh that should take over the responsibility for monitoring of societies, they should use the geographic trade mark of Aceh patchouli oil and help increase farmers’ profits from patchouli processing.
At present meetings of Mr. Yunus and Province Plan Office Aceh, Planting Agency Aceh, Cooperative Agency Aceh etc. are held. One aim of these meetings is the activity and results valuation since 2012. For example, during the last week of July the meeting with representatives of the above mentioned authorities for province Aceh Jaya was held, they and the representative of Caritas Czech Republic visited five societies of growers who belong to the Aceh Jaya cooperative. They spoke with local growers and chairmen of single groups.
On the basis of these meetings research will be conducted on the actual state of patchouli oil manufacturing industry in four regions of Aceh. Similar visits will take place in another three regions where the rest of cooperatives operate. Afterwards, the strategy for industry of patchouli growing and patchouli oil production in province Aceh will be made with regards to added value of Aceh´s oil trade mark.
