In celebration of its 50th anniversary on July 1, 2020, Jamkrindo continued its empowerment efforts at the Ciletuh Geopark in Sukabumi, West Java. This was marked by the implementation of a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Thursday night, January 23, 2020, in Sukabumi, involving officials from the Sukabumi Regency Government and local communities.
The FGD was attended by Jamkrindo's Corporate Secretary, Abdul Bari, and Assistant II of Sukabumi Regency, Ahmad Riyadi. Also present were heads of departments, sub-district heads, and the community from the 8 sub-districts within the Ciletuh Palabuhanratu UNESCO Global Geopark zone.
Riyadi explained that Jamkrindo's presence in the Ciletuh Geopark through its anti-plastic waste campaign and community empowerment activities has had a positive impact on the geopark's area development. "We thank Jamkrindo for continuously encouraging positive changes in the Ciletuh Palabuhanratu Geopark," said Riyadi.
Alongside this, Jamkrindo also awarded scholarships to outstanding students from the Ciletuh Geopark area as a form of support for the community's education.
Since signing a collaboration agreement with the Sukabumi Regency Government in November 2019, several positive activities have been carried out, including the anti-waste campaign, reforestation of tourist areas, the provision of trash bins, MSME empowerment, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving the community.
In a separate statement, Jamkrindo's President Director, Randi Anto, emphasized that the development of the ecosystem in the geopark area cannot overlook the role of the community. Therefore, Jamkrindo consistently involves the community in every program it undertakes.
"2020 is a milestone year for us in terms of future development. That's why we are holding this FGD with key community figures and all elements in the Ciletuh Geopark to evaluate and plan strategic empowerment programs going forward," said Randi Anto.
This aligns with Jamkrindo's 50th anniversary theme of enhancing the quality of human resources in Indonesia. In 2020, various activities will be conducted, including the formation of a waste bank, improvements to the fish market, the creation of Jamkrindo Center as a community learning center, and an MSME center. Additionally, activities such as tourist data collection, providing clean water facilities, and landscape improvements to support tourism will be carried out.
The Head of the Ciletuh Homestay Association, Yudi Mulyadi, explained that since the intensive anti-plastic waste campaign at Palangpang Beach, Puncak Darma, Curug Sodong, and Curug Cimarinjung, public awareness of the importance of keeping the environment clean from plastic waste has steadily increased. Homestay owners have also seen positive impacts as the Ciletuh Geopark area has become more attractive to tourists, thus increasing homestay occupancy.
"We are confident that with a cleaner environment, tourists will be more likely to enjoy their time in the Ciletuh Geopark area," Yudi said.
The Head of Ciwaru Village, Taopik Guntur Rochmi, also noted the growing awareness of the importance of maintaining a plastic-free environment. "Now, in many places in Ciwaru, the topic of waste is becoming a frequent discussion. The plastic waste scattered around tourist areas has significantly decreased," said Taopik.
The economy of residents around the Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark area in Sukabumi Regency continues to grow. The Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark was designated as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Geoparks (UGG) in 2018.
"After starting in Ciemas Sub-district, similar activities and economic empowerment efforts will be carried out in the other 7 sub-districts in the Ciletuh Palabuhanratu Geopark area. This is part of a collaboration agreement between Jamkrindo and the Sukabumi Regency Government to improve the local economy in the Ciletuh Palabuhanratu Geopark for a duration of three years," he said.