Dried Chilli and rice grains
Starting this year CDI has refocused its programs from the general community development programs, to a more cost effective single training and education or capacity building organization.
CDI as an NGO is now committed to assisting the locals with trainings to see them become self reliable in income generation projects then being a direct social service delivery NGO.
With the change from a subsistence life style to a cash dependence society from royalty and equity payments from the project, there is a growing dependency on cash, at the same time an increase in consumption of imported and processed foods. The Sustainable Livelihood Training (SLP) program in CDI has taken the responsibility to assist the people in the project impacted areas (PIA) to be self reliance, thus promoting increased food production locally at the same time become financially active through trainings and awareness.
Damayu village in Kutubu, is one of the model villages CDI Foundation has been working with over the last 9 years to improve farming activities.
Amongst other projects carried out in Damayu village, spice farming, to be more specific Chilli and Vanilla has grasped the attention of the locals.
Birds eye Chilli farming was established in the early 1980s in the Kutubu area; however, it died out due to lack of market and road access. The locals have started the spice farming project again this year, with the help of CDI and are now working towards establishing a market for their produce.
Most of the locals involved in spice farming have attended trainings conducted by CDI on how to go about with their projects with regular consultation from SLP staff.
The project is not seen as a business venture but a community development project to assist the locals, since most people in the PIA do not benefit directly from the oil and gas projects.
Local farmer, life skills trainer and community leader, Mr Kofe Ibu said the idea behind is to assist the locals to look for ways to be financially active at the same time use the land available for their own food production, rather than waiting for the Government and the Developers.
Mr Ibu said this is not something for the Kutubu people only but is hopeful that people in other project area communities can follow to help themselves sustain themselves financially from spice farming.
CDI did a market sample of 3kg birds’ eye chilli to Paradise Spice Ltd in Port Moresby. The company is now requesting for more after grading Kutubu’s Bird eye chilli as the top.
CDI Foundation through its SLP program has arranged to bring on site an officer form the company to carry out awareness. The awareness will be on the quality and marketing from a Spice company’s perspective, which CDI believes will encourage the local farmers.