Women in Indonesia take action for a clean river

The rivers of Indonesia are clogged with tons of trash. River banks have become dumping grounds for plastic waste. Plastic from households, but also from tourists and industry. And plastic even flows in from international waters.

Women along the Brantas River are fed up with the trash and are taking action. They actively monitor the water quality, clean the river from thrash and set up neighborhood stores that re-sell A-brand cleaning products in re-fillable containers.

Their goal is to inspire others to protect the river ecosystem. They also plan to set up a Healthy Forest Food store, a fish nursery with endemic fish, and a botanical park on the river bank to promote healthy food choices.

However, for these initiatives to succeed, they need the government’s help in terms of making land available and providing financial assistance from village funds.

Empowering women’s voices

Inspired by these local women who care about their rivers, Makara works alongside six women groups located in the upstream regions of Jombang, Kediri and Gresik in the midstream of the Brantas River Basin, East Java.

Together with local partner ECOTON, we organise training, network development and funding. The trainings includes expert guidance on developing and marketing organic food products from home gardens, financial training for store setup, and coaching on engaging with governments.

Aksi Brantas: improving water quality through women involvement in water quality management

It is part of AksiBrantas, a collaborative effort between Indonesia and the Netherlands aimed at improving water quality and involving grassroots women groups in the management of the Brantas River Basin. This partnership brings together local environmental NGOs, river basin authorities, TUDelft, and engineering company Tauw from the Netherlands.

Get on board!

Makara works with various sponsors, partners, and friends to create a positive impact on riverine ecosystems and the communities that rely on these rivers.

#aksibrantas

#koalisiperempuanbrantas

#zerowastecities

#gender

#waterquality

#communityempowerment