ACCESS Project with Gaura Village Residents Reactivates BUM Hawongu Ate Village
'Hawongu Ate,' which means 'one heart,' is a Village-Owned Enterprise (BUM Desa) located in Gaura Village, Laboya Barat Subdistrict, West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. This Village-Owned Enterprise has been in operation for six years, since 2017. When it was established, BUM Desa Hawongu Ate received substantial capital support from Gaura Village Government, amounting to 240 million Indonesian Rupiah.
After its establishment, the development of BUM Desa Hawongu Ate did not progress smoothly, and the Village-Owned Enterprise remained inactive for several years. This was due to various reasons, including a lack of understanding among the management regarding how to operate a Village-Owned Enterprise, difficulties in determining the type of business to pursue, limited knowledge about financial management, and other factors.
As a result of the mentioned challenges, the capital support received by BUM Desa Hawongu Ate was not optimally utilized. Through the ACCESS UNDP Project, various efforts have been made to reactivate the Village-Owned Enterprise, including mentoring and a reorganization of the management body. The efforts of the ACCESS team and the local community have borne fruit, with BUM Desa Hawongu Ate becoming active again in 2022 after five years of inactivity.
With the assistance of the ACCESS Project, BUM Desa Hawongu Ate has successfully engaged in a layer chicken business. Therefore, the capital injection received in 2017 will be used for constructing poultry coops, purchasing layer chicken breeds, acquiring chicken feed, and providing other infrastructure and facilities to support the layer chicken business. In the future, BUM Desa Hawongu Ate plans to undertake additional businesses, such as office supplies sales, photocopy services, and purchasing boats for fishing.
To support the development of the Village-Owned Enterprise, the ACCESS Project has provided facilitators in all target villages of the ACCESS Project. In Gaura Village, Aci Rambu Paji Malairu serves as the facilitator. These facilitators aim to help communities prepare to receive the Solar Power Plants (PLTS) being constructed by the ACCESS Project. It is hoped that the electricity generated by the PLTS in Gaura Village can be optimally utilized by BUM Desa to enhance the local economy.
The Gaura Village Government is committed to continuously providing support to BUM Desa Hawongu Ate to ensure its proper operation and benefit both the management of the Village-Owned Enterprise and the local community in Gaura Village. With the revival of BUM Desa Hawongu Ate, when the PLTS in Gaura Village is successfully established by the ACCESS Project, the Village-Owned Enterprise is expected to be ready to manage the PLTS together with the community.
Author: Dawam Faizul Amal