Building Sustainable Communities

Case Study: The Making of Eco-Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid,

Bandung, Indonesia

by

Budi Faisal, Ph.D. ∗

Putrikinasih, S.T. **

Husen Gani, S.P. ***

presented at

Global Conference on ‘Enhancing The Role of Philantrophy in Challenging Times’,

22-23 July 2009, Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

∗ Head of Eco-Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid Foundation ** Architect – PT. Tsana Mulia, Associate of Eco-Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid *** Coordinator of Eco-Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid’s Agriculture Division

I. OUR UNEQUAL WORLD

Global Issues: “Un-sustainable” Development

Today, the world has filled with such insufficiencies in many aspects. The

raise of energy consumption has come to main issue of the century. On

May 31, 2009, the United States Census Bureau estimated Earth's

population is 6,763,557,000.i World births have levelled off at about 137

million/yr, since their peak at 163-million in the late 1990s, and expected to

remain constant. However, deaths are only around 56 million/ yr, and are

expected to increase to 90 million in 2050. Since births outnumber deaths,

the world's population estimated to reach about 9 billion by the year 2040.ii

Still, there will be no escalation in the number of habitable area. We are

practically running out of living space in the world because of the erratic

population growth. To make it worse, we were introduced to other two

prominent topics today i.e. the climate change and global economic crisis.

As we all know, there are numerous natural disaster happened for the last

10 years. A part of those happens spontaneously and the other part caused

by excessive exploitation on non-renewable energy resources. Global

climate change is one of the results. The warmer temperature creates

imbalance ecosystem, endangers the human life. The Earth is the only

planet in this solar system that can be inhabited by human being. There is

no replacement when the quality is running toward devastation.

Increases in global average air and sea temperature, ice melting and rising

global sea levels all help us understand and prepare for the coming

challenges. In addition to these observed changes, climate-sensitive

impacts on human health are occurring today. Human beings already

exposed to the effects of climate-sensitive diseases and these diseases today

kill millions. They include malnutrition, which causes over 3.5 million

deaths per year, diarrheal diseases, which kill over 1.8 million, and malaria,

which kills almost 1 million.iii The irony is the domination of human being

generates ecological disasters. Therefore, human being must learn to live in

harmony with the nature.

The Gap: Developed vs. Developing Countries

There are major disparities between the developed and the developing

countries in their energy consumption issues. In “Sustainable Architecture”

(1997) James Steele stated that typical American uses 11.5 kilowatts of

energy per day. That is to say that if you take all of the energy that is used

in United States by industry and commerce, residential, transportation, and

all other purposes, divide by the population equals to 11.5 kilowatts. In

Japan, it is 5 kilowatts and in the third world is less than one. A similar

case is made for the production of carbon dioxide as shown in table below.

All this in a country which represents only 5 percent of the world’s

population and in a group of nations, once the industrialized north that now

share post-industrial status that comprises 24 percent of it.iv

Country CO2 Production Level

Uni Soviet & Eastern Europe 25.8%

USA 23.8%

Western Europe & Japan 23%

China 11.4%

India 4.9%

Latin America 4.4%

Africa 2.7%

Middle East 2.5%

Korea & Taiwan 1.5%

Table 1 Production of Carbon Dioxide

World Trend: Toward Sustainable Communities

Global awareness of sustainable development has grew from numerous

environmental movements and become a global trend ensue the scarcity

issues. Sustainable development implies a broad view of human welfare, a

long-term perspective about the consequences of today's activities, and the

full involvement of civil society to reach viable solutions.v In brief,

sustainable development forces us to fulfil our own basic needs and

develop a self-sufficient manner among ourselves. Furthermore, human

being is not only responsible for the environmental sustainability, neither

natural nor built environments. To develop a sustainable manner, we have

to make it as our way of life. As a sustainable community has reached, it

will be much easier to develop a sustainable environment.

Indonesia as Part of the World

The total tropical equatorial zone is 27% of total world’s land-mass, 11%

of it lies in Indonesia. This makes Indonesia responsible to 40.7% of total

tropical equatorial zone. Abundant sunlight and rainfall make most of the

land in Indonesia cultivatable for a whole year. In the contrary, as an

agrarian country, Indonesian development is still focusing on non-

renewable resources exploitation.

Indonesia’s estimated population in 2009 was 240,271,522, giving it an

average population density of 132 persons per sq km. In 2009 the

population was growing by 1.1 percent a year. With an estimated

population of 101,742,120 in 2000, Java contains somewhat less than half

of Indonesia’s people.vi The fact is, although 60% of its population lives in

rural area as a farmer and food production focused in the village, Indonesia

is still importing its basic food commodities from abroad, especially rice

and sugars. Farmers are socio-economically marginalized and fall into

poverty. Moreover, most of the malnutrition and deficiency cases happen in

the villages. The over-use of agriculture fields has degrades soil nutrition in

Indonesia and extensive usage of chemical component, such as pesticides,

resulting negative environmental impacts, i.e. cancer and birth deformity.

Urbanization has become so notorious amongst the Indonesian villagers

since many years ago. It is considered as the side effect of centralization

policy that adopted in Indonesia for more than 30 years under the New-Era

regime. This movement distinguishes villages from the cities, pushing it

away from modernization issues. Many villagers believe that the cities have

more modern and dynamic life, with more job opportunities, complete

facilities, and more qualified educational institutions. Lack of farming

fields and job opportunity multiply their determination to leave villages for

cities. This seems to be rational regarding the fact that 58-62% of money

distribution is sprawling in Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia, while 29-31%

of it disperses in other big cities and only 7-13% of it left for the villages.

Agricultural tools and products also still depend on the city supply. To

worsen, the agricultural industries do not generate enough benefits to the

farmers. As a result, we can see the city becomes slum and the villages are

left behind.

On the other hand, village has more forgotten valuable things to see. Its

abundant land fields are longing to be ploughed and its people are still as

generous as they were before. In Indonesia -presumably- village is the only

place you can see a sincere generosity. Its people are welcome to help each

other freely. Now, the village, more the city does, needs a lot of

rejuvenation. Indonesians, especially the villagers, are lacking such morale

to struggle and survive in today’s difficult conditions. There are also not

enough pioneers and leaders to act as a “motor” in efforts of improving

villagers quality of life.

II. OUR CONTRIBUTION THROUGH ISLAMIC PHILANTROPHY

Followers of Islam make up more than 80% of the population, making

Indonesia the largest Islamic country in the world.vii Islam entered

Indonesia through the matters of trading (not through battle). Moslem

merchants from Gujarat and Persia began visiting Indonesia in the 13th

Century and established trade links between this country and India and

Persia. Along with trade, they propagated Islam among the Indonesian

people, particularly along the coastal areas of Java, like Demak.viii Since

there are more than 300 ethnics in Indonesia, Islam in Indonesia deals with

various custom and traditions, acculturated with them.

Basically, Islam is deliberated to be a blessing for the universe (rahmatan

lil ‘aalamiin) and human being, especially Moslems, carries a duty as the

Earth’s guardians (khalifah fil ardh) by maintaining and enhancing its

quality. Al Quran, as the primary source of Moslem’s value system, has a

central role in guiding our behaviour toward nature. Allah the Merciful has

granted human being with such intelligence that must be used to maintain

natural resources as good as they are capable of. Human being must not

make any damages in the world because each and every single deed is

going to be counted on the judgement day.

Like many other customs in the world, Islam also taught certain generosity

mechanism. It is believed that we have to maintain a good relationship with

other people and nature as well as spiritual faith to Allah the Almighty.

Moslems also believe that if we do waqf, we will earn a continuous

personal reward from Almighty Allah. Waqf is an inalienable religious

endowment in Islam, typically denoting a building or plot of land for

Muslim religious purposes. It is conceptually similar to the common law

trust.ix This is one of the most common Islamic philanthropic values

applied in current setting.

III. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES IN THE MAKING

Traditional Method of Teaching Islam through Pesantren

For many years, Islamic and Quranic teaching was taught in a traditional

Islamic Institution called Pesantren. It has been existed almost in every

rural area in Indonesia. Conventional pesantren is focusing its education in

religious study only. Pesantren has three important elements, i.e. Islamic

education system, Islamic values, and santri (pesantren’s students). It is

usually located in a remote rural area, isolated from local community, and

associated with the students in peci and sarong carrying antiquated

yellowed book.

However, those days have passed. Nowadays, we have been introduced to a

new level of Islamic teaching through pesantren. As an example, there is a

well-known pesantren in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia named Daarut

Tauhid Pesantren. Not like any other previous pesantren, it is located in

urban area, with distinctive integration between Islamic way of life, urban

lifestyle, and West Java’s culture. Its basic concept is advancing Moslem’s

economy through modern-day practices of business with spiritual values,

and developing Islamic education and religious subjects as well as

economy and management substances. Established in 1990s, it has once

become one of the most visited places in Bandung, even though not spotted

in any of the tourism destination maps. In Daarut Tauhid Pesantren, santris

not only learn the religious studies, but also theory and practice of a good

business, entrepreneurship, and leadership agility. In addition, it has no

physical segregation with the local community.

Pic 1:

Public gathering at Pesantren Daarut

Tauhiid, Gerlong Girang, Bandung

The setting, allows the santris and the neighbours to involve in almost

every day-life activities. Majority of visitors stay in a rented homestay

owned by local communities. This condition is really goes along Daarut

Tauhid’s philosophies: independency, generosity in helping others,

connection’s strength between neighbours that lead to one big family, and

the ability to have a spiritual way of life without neglecting the worldly

life.

However, after 14 years of contribution in various activities, since 2005

Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid tried to create a village pesantren located in rural

area. The design of this new pesantren is planned based on sustainable

development principles, that is why it is called Eco-Pesantren DT (DT

stands for daarut tauhiid).

Pic 2: Location Comparison: Daarut Tauhiid Urban Pesantren and Eco-Pesantren DT

Eco-Pesantren DT: The rural based pesantren

As mentioned before, Indonesia is facing a serious mental problem,

especially in the rural areas. The villagers are lack in self esteem; make

them hard to adjust themselves in the difficult economy situations

nowadays. Moreover, as the major result of urbanization, village is running

out of youth to develop the region.

Eco-Pesantren DT is one of our solution offering, make the most of

Indonesia’s potentials described above. Because rural area is considered to

be closer to a conservation of natural resource compare to the urban, Eco-

Pesantren DT is planned to be an ecological friendly built environment

located in one of Northern Bandung’s rural area. It is brought to become a

model of self-sufficient built environment, which is based mainly on

renewable resources and conduct sustainable way of life. With its several

basic concepts – self-sufficient community, organic food farming,

sustainable buildings, water and waste recycling – it is also expected to

participate in an effort to empower and enhance the quality of life of

villagers through agriculture technology and renewable energy resources to

produce agents of change who have respected manner with strong sense of

leadership and entrepreneurship.

Unlike the existing urban model of Daarut Tauhiid Pesantren which focus

in short term spiritual training (maximun 6 month), a rural model of Eco-

Pesantren Daarut Tauhiid is planned to have more long term formal

education from Junior High school up to Academy level. The curriculum of

this formal education is designed to put nature as the main inspiration.

In this regard, Richard Louv once said in his book “Last Child in the

Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” (2008) that

children needs to contact with nature as they need to eat nutritious foods

and enough of sleep. It explained the children who often play in natural

area tend to have a better motoric ability. Researches in England and

Sweden also proof that such contact with natural elements reduce

anxiousness, anger, and depression. Another research held by

Environmental Psychologist from Cornell University (2003) revealed that

children, who often play in the natural environment, tend to act with lower

behavioural level of chaos, anxiety, and depression compared to those who

seldom or never play in the natural environment.x

Environmental Concern

Eco-Pesantren DT is located on a high plateau of Bandung region (±1200

m above sea level) which consider as a water catchment area for the city of

Bandung. In response to that, in June 10th 2006 Eco-Pesantren in

cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, the Sedaun Foundation and

Trans TV planted 700 Eucalyptus trees in the land reforestation program.

Some trees have also been given to the surrounding communities to be

planted in their own land. In addition to that, the Department of Forestry,

West Java Province planted as many as 2500 Robusta coffee trees seedlings

in the Eco Pesantren area.

Together with farmers and surrounding communities, Eco-Pesantren DT

also manages the agricultural waste program. This waste that comes from

decomposed plants during the harvesting period used as an organic

fertilizer for vegetables planting.

Programs and Facilities in Eco-Pesantren DT

There are three main field of concerns i.e. training and educational field,

agricultural field, and environment preservation activities. Eco-Pesantren

DT plan to have training and educational activities that include Islamic

formal education through junior and senior boarding high school and

agricultural applied science and technology institute. While the agricultural

activities take account of agriculture production and supply, agricultural

cooperation for farmers, and agricultural visit program; the environment

preservation activities concerns are more to the land-reforestation program,

renewable energy source usage, waste recycling, and water treatment

programs.

The future formal education in Eco-Pesantren will strongly emphasizes in

building character (entrepreneurship and leadership), enhancing the

understanding of applied technology – especially those related to

agriculture, and encouraging sustainable way of life to the students since

their school age.

The facility within Eco-Pesantren will consist of agricultural, educational

and religious facilities. Educational and religious facilities in Eco-Pesantren

consist of a Mosque and Multifunction hall – which is currently become the

centre of all educational and social activities although the progress of

construction is still in the finishing stage – and junior and senior boarding

high school that is planned to be built in any near period. To support the

continuous activity in Eco-Pesantren, it will also be equipped with other

supporting facilities such as santri’s boarding house and dormitory, as well

as waste recycling and water treatment facility.

Each and every building inside Eco-Pesantren complex will be designed to

be environmental friendly and sustainable building. Stage-platform

building construction concept is used in most of the buildings to reserve the

water reservoir area and maximize open green spaces for santri and

agricultural matters; besides its tropical architecture principle. The

buildings are also designed to be able to generate and manage both its

energy and waste using the renewable energy sources. It is apply the use of

solar-cells as the electricity source, rain and grey water treatment and

recycle process to be re-used, also waste separation and recycle process.

Eco-Pesantren is also maintain land reforestation and water preservation

concepts by filling the land with productive hardwood plants that

strengthen the soil structure and enhance the rain water soil infiltration.

The mosque has become the main activity centre in every pesantren in

Indonesia. In Eco-Pesantren, the mosque is also dedicated as a model of

sustainable public building. The use of stage-platform building construction

concept and other tropical architecture principles – pitched roof, natural air

and light handling – are applied in this building. As a model of sustainable

public building, it is also designed to use solar-cells as the main electricity

source. The grey-water treatment facility also attached to the building to

make it possible to be used for toilet flushing and plant watering.

What Eco-Pesantren DT Has Achieved So Far As stated earlier, in the first two years of its Establishment, Eco-Pesantren

was focused on agriculture, especially in vegetables production. During

that period we find that farmers have many limitations in terms of land

ownership, lack of capital, as well as accessibility to the market. These

conditions created dependency on the middleman called

Bandar/Tengkulak. Meanwhile, there were only few financial institutions

that can provide capital loans to farmers because of bankability issue.

Since 2006, Eco-Pesantren created partnership program with farmers’

community around the pesantren area. This program is ranging from

providing pesantren’s land, capital loan for seeds and fertilizers, field

assistance in the use of appropriate technology, and marketing program.

Technical assistance has been given to farmers in order to manage the

planting pattern so that the production will be in accordance with the

market’s need. This includes quality, quantity, and sustainability of

vegetable products.

Pic 3: Vegetables Planting in Eco-

Pesantren, Cigugur Girang, West

Bandung

Currently the numbers of farmers who are joining the program are 105

people who are spread in 3 districts in West Bandung regency. Vegetables

produced by farmers consist of 10 types: broccoli, lettuce, cauliflowers,

lettuce head, string-bean, kyuri, zucchini, snow-peas, kailand and red-

pepper, it’s ranging from 300 - 600 kg/day. Eco-Pesantren is responsible to

sell these vegetables to supermarkets as well as traditional markets.

Besides having partnership with vegetable farmers, Eco-Pesantren DT also

develops partnership with flower plant farmers. This partnership is to

accommodate the local potential of the community around eco-Pesantren

which is well-known as one of the biggest flower plant production centre in

West Java.

Pic 3: Flower & Ornamental Plants Partnership with Local Farmer

Since the end of 2007 Eco-Pesantren is supported by the Ministry of

Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, through a LM3 program. The

objective of this program is to empower farmers focusing on marketing

skill enhancement with the supervision of the established Pesantren in

Indonesia. One of the innovative programs of this is the creation of the

Farmer Market - famously called the Agrospot Festival.

Pic 4: farmers directly selling

their product in the Farmer

Market -Agrospot festival

Farmers Market is intended to increase the added value of the farmer’s

products by reducing the chain distribution of the product. Instead of

selling product to the Big Supermarket, farmers can directly sell their

product to the customer, so that the margin received by farmers become

larger and at the same time, the customer can get a lower price compare to

the supermarket’s price. Farmer market provides flexibility and freedom to

farmers to be able to communicate directly with consumers, so that farmers

can see the lack of their products. Products displayed in this market are

fresh products and processed products such as vegetables, fish, processed

foods, traditional medicine (spice), flowers, and merchandise.

It is important to note, Farmer Market is not aiming to compete with

traditional market (pasar tradisional) because the quality of the product is

as good as supermarket’s, while in the traditional market, the quality of the

products is usually lower. Unfortunately, Farmer Market which was

previously planned to be on monthly basis could only be carried out 2 times

in 2008. But some group of farmers get benefit from this activity for

getting a direct order from the company from big cities like Jakarta and

other areas.

In the last 9 months, instead of selling fresh vegetables, Eco-Pesantren is

focused on marketing of processed agriculture products, i.e. fruits chips and

vegetables chips. The packing process is done by neighbours and farmer’s

wife that live around Eco-Pesantren area. This activity has tightened our

social connection among communities as well as earning some little money

for the farmer’s family.

Since the beginning of 2008, Eco-Pesantren is involved in joint

collaboration project with the CIP (Centro Internacionale della Papa),

IVEGRI (Indonesian Vegetable Research Institute), Swisscontact, DAFWA

(Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia), University of

Adelaide, and Department of Agriculture, Government of Indonesia. The

main objective of this project is to connect farmers, especially potatoes

farmers to the market. At the moment, Eco-Pesantren sells potato chips to

Jakarta and Bandung. In Bandung, our product can be found in the snack

food store, while in Jakarta, Eco-Pesantren’s product being sold in a

healthy store.

Dakwah Program and Informal Education for Local Community

In Indonesia, 60% of poorest people live in rural area and majority of them

are farmers. Nowadays, they are not only facing poverty problems, but

also lack of education that lead to inferiority, less discipline as well as

consumptive attitude because of TV’s advertisement. Above all that, the

nature of togetherness (gotong royong) and social cohesiveness - which

traditionally very strong among rural communities – have been gradually

changed into individualistic character.

In response to this issue, since November 2008 Eco-Pesantren DT

established a regular dakwah (islamic teaching) program and informal

education through PAUD (Early Childhood Education), Playgroup,

kindergarten, and regular classes for youngster with a very affordable cost

(even free of charge for some classes). This non-formal education aims to

increase their islamic knowledge as well as to form a good character

towards family, community and environment.

Pic 5: Early Childhood Education

In addition to that, for adults, we also conduct a monthly program under

Public Preaching. In this program, Preacher (ustadz) usually discusses

Islamic principles on how to strengthen family connection, community

relationship and environmental responsibility. With this program we hope

in the future we will have more harmonious families that lead to strong

communities that can revive the traditional value of togetherness as well as

a strong responsibility to care and to keep after our environment.

Pic 6: Public Preaching in Eco

Pesantren’s Mosque

Healthy Living Campaign

As we know, nowadays we are facing so many new diseases that cannot be

totally cured by the so called modern medical treatment, namely: HIV,

Avian Flu and the newest pandemic virus of H1N1. Many research proved

that this is happened – one of them – because of the way we consume

chemical medicines and drugs in our daily life that not only has a negative

effect but also essentially poisoned our body.

It is important to note, based on Tuan Haji research in Malaysia (1995), he

found that Allah the Almighty sends diseases together along with its natural

medicines. His research further found, these medicines are made of plants

that grow naturally in our local environment, or even in our own

backyard/front yard. He concluded, we need to drastically shift from

chemical medicine towards natural medicine as Prophet Muhammad –

peace be upon him- give an example during his noble life.

In response to this issue, together with TNC (Tibbun Nabawi College),

Eco-Pesantren DT regularly conducts a free of charge social event that

offer a new way of consuming alternative medicine from herbal that

naturally grows around us, as well as strengthening our antibody by

consuming honey in a regular basis as our prophet Muhammad – peace be

upon him, teaches us.

i http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population from US Census Bureau World POP Clock Projection ii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population from World Population Clock - Worldometers & International Data Base (IDB) - World Population iii “How Climate Change Effects World Health” http://www.sustdev.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2495 iv Steele, James. 1997. Sustainable Architecture Principles, Paradigms, and Case Studies. New York: McGraw and Hill. v http://www.oecd.org/topic/ vihttp://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573214_3/Republic_of_Indonesia.html#s61 viihttp://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573214_3/Republic_of_Indonesia.html#s61 viii http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/indonesia/pro-history.htm ix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waqf