We are grateful that OBI is present and providing hope through the vegetable farming capital assistance program… 

Thanks to your support, Obor Berkat Indonesia (OBI) has provided assistance to Mr. Marcelinus, a struggling father supporting his family. This 43-year-old man from Flores left his wife and four children to seek better opportunities in Batam, Riau Island, in 2011. 

During the Covid pandemic, he lost his job. The difficulty of finding a new job prompted him to take up farming on a vacant lot near his house. With very limited capital, he could only plant bananas, sweet potatoes, and jackfruit. While waiting for the harvest, he also raised pigs. However, his income remains uncertain because he depends solely on the harvest season. Meanwhile, he must keep sending money to his family for his children’s school fees in Flores. 

Mr. Marcelinus’s only hope is to acquire capital to develop his farming. Thankfully, OBI came to his aid through the vegetable farming capital assistance program. He received fertilizer, pesticides, plastic polybags, and long bean seeds. 

On his small farm, long bean vegetables also thrived. Unfortunately, rat infestation damaged his beans, so the harvest he got was only Rp 300,000. Undeterred, he tried planting other vegetables such as cucumbers and bitter melon. This time his efforts paid off! He harvested 63 kg of cucumbers, which sold for a total of IDR 847,000. Meanwhile, he harvested 54 kg of bitter melon, which sold for a total of IDR 689,000. He used this money to meet his daily needs and to pay for his children’s school fees in Flores.

Now, Mr. Marcelinus hopes to increase his income to raise capital, open new land, and realize his dream of bringing his wife and children to Batam. 

“Thank you to OBI for giving me agricultural capital. Now I can plan to bring my children and wife to Batam next year, and we can live together again,” said Mr. Marcelinus. 

You are not just providing a temporary solution to people out there. But you are giving them hope for a better life. OBI partners, thank you for your kindness, and let’s continue this good work.