In the last 10 years, I have observed a different situation. I found that the people who lived in villages were those of productive age.
By
SIWI NUGRAHENI
·5 minutes read
A visit to a village on the island of Java in the 1980-1990s showed me a picture of the dominance of the unproductive age population. Most of the male and female population of the working age group migrated to cities. Those who lived in villages were mostly the children who were taken care of by their grandparents.
Urbanization was a buzzword at that time. Even if there were villagers of productive age, their numbers were not so significant. Rice fields and other farming areas were cultivated sparingly because of limited human and capital resources. Their lives depended a lot on the money sent by family members who worked in the city.
Some migrant workers may eventually return home for good, but it usually occurred in their old age. Returning to the village and enjoying retirement in their native land was the goal of migrant workers .
In the last 10 years, I have observed a different situation. I found that the people who lived in villages were those of productive age. They left their previous jobs, moved and then continued their lives in the village. I call them “new villagers” because of their different characteristics from the description of the villagers I met before.
Please Googling the key words "young farmers" will find stories about young people who intentionally want to work in villages.
They were not only of the middle-aged group but were also those who had just graduated from university. Not a few of them decided to live in villages. Please Googling the key words "young farmers" will find stories about young people who intentionally want to work in villages.
These young farmers usually share their experiences through social media so that we can see their daily activities. The “new village residents” and young people living in the village are mostly engaged in the agricultural sector, although some also work on other businesses.
If traditional farmers usually inherit farming techniques from previous, the “new villagers” and young farmers are more open to change. With the help of the internet, access to information and knowledge becomes easier.
Opportunities for collaboration
Various collaboration opportunities are also wide open. Now, we can easily find vegetables and fruit sold on the internet. Some commodities, such as palm sugar, honey and coffee in beautiful packaging, ready for consumption are delivered directly from the village. This, of course, can also create commodities with higher added value.
The combination of human resources and technology also enables villagers to access jobs outside their area without having to move from the village. The story of Kaliabu village in Magelang, where several residents won a logo-making competition, is one example.
Many young people who work in agriculture have the mastery of using computer software in the field of design. Then, they use Google translate to communicate with their employers abroad.
Rural economic activities can also be seen in other creative sectors. Many villages have become tourist destinations. The success of many villages to become tourist destinations, such as Sedari village (Karawang), Pujon Kidul (Malang), and Ponggok (Klaten), cannot be separated from the creative role of young people.
Are there creative products in the village? There are a lot. Wooden guitars from Ngadirejo (Sukoharjo), wooden watches from Paseban (Klaten) and wooden transistor radios from Kandangan (Temanggung) are just some examples. Their products are not only bought by domestic consumers, but have also penetrated the international market.
The production of these goods and services is determined by the available production factors, which are generally divided into three categories: natural resources (including land), labor (human resources) and capital.
Whatever their activities, the presence of these "new villagers" and youths is expected to improve the welfare of all residents in their village. An improvement in welfare can be measured by an increase in income, which is then translated as an increase in the value of goods and services produced. The production of these goods and services is determined by the available production factors, which are generally divided into three categories: natural resources (including land), labor (human resources) and capital.
Rural areas have an advantage over urban areas thanks to the availability of land. The production of goods that requires intensive land should take place in the village. In the past, the availability of capital was the main constraint in rural communities. Since 2015, funds available in the village have become one of the sources of capital.
In terms of labor, the phenomenon of the return of the productive age population to villages provides opportunities for the availability of potential human resources. The combination of productive land, consistent support from village funds and qualified human resources can open up opportunities to bring prosperity to village communities.
The economic activities in villages have brought optimism. However, we have to ensure two things. First, the results of the processing of natural resources in villages should be enjoyed by the entire population, without exception. Second, the economic activities in rural areas must not sacrifice the natural environment and the sociocultural values of the people.
SIWI NUGRAHENI,Lecturer at the School of Economics, Parahyangan Catholic University
(This article was translated byHendarsyah Tarmizi)