SUKABUMI, WEST JAVA — Who would have thought that the profession of a breeder, which is usually carried out by men, can also empower women. This inspiring story comes from Bumi Pasundan, Sukabumi, where Yuyum Susilawati is a strong woman who supports her family and sends her children to school by raising sheep.
Being the backbone of a family is not easy, especially for a woman. That’s what Yuyum feels, a woman from Sukabumi who continues to struggle to support her family by working hard as a breeder and farmer. Despite her relentless efforts, Yuyum often finds it difficult to fulfill her family’s needs. However, Yuyum’s determination and sacrifice led to results she never expected.
Her husband, who worked as a construction worker, made Yuyum not only rely on one way. Inevitably, she also helped her husband to support the family. In addition to being a farmer, she also works as a farm laborer managing other people’s gardens.
“Alhamdulillah, the children’s school has also been completed. The father works in construction and that too if there is, so we just farm, managing empty land,” Yuyum told the Dompet Dhuafa Team, on Eid al-Adha Day in 2023.
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Yuyum is one of the breeder partners and an active board member at the Riung Mukti Multipurpose Breeder Cooperative (KPSU), Sukabumi, which has been Dompet Dhuafa’s livestock empowerment partner since 2009. As a native of Sukabumi, Yuyum has been known by the community as a tough and hardworking woman.
However, Yuyum’s life began to get a bright spot when she had the opportunity to join one of the beneficiaries, as a breeder of Dompet Dhuafa’s Tebar Hewan Kurban (THK) Program. In 2012, she became the only female breeder who joined KPSU Riung Mukti, Sukabumi.
Not to be discouraged, as a hardworking person, Yuyum is accustomed to scavenging herself for animal feed, directly managing her livestock, and being able to educate and manage her family well. One of the things she is most grateful for is that thanks to the THK Program, Yuyum was able to send her two daughters to college.
“Alhamdulillah, this way, I take care of the goats, but my children can go to school, I am touched. I just joined because I didn’t have the capital to send my children to school. Alhamdulillah, this opened the way. This blessing has many benefits, and then I continued to follow it, my (second) child entered (school), joining one of the school branches of Al Fath Sukabumi,” said Yuyum emotionally.
Thanks to her efforts, her son is now a teacher at the junior high school level. Previously, she majored in D3 Education, while her other son majored in Banking.
“So until now, Alhamdulillah, he is teaching, useful in junior high school,” she added.
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Her hard work as a rancher and farmer can fulfill her family’s economic needs, and Yuyum was even able to buy two motorbikes that she uses to ease her work in gleaning grass to feed her sheep, as well as supporting her daily activities.
Being the only female farmer there did not dampen Yuyum’s enthusiasm to continue learning how to raise good livestock. Starting from feed management, animal health, to animal reproduction. Economic changes have greatly improved when Yuyum was involved in the management and business of her sheep farm. Yuyum, who graduated from elementary school, continues to be enthusiastic about continuing her education in the package pursuit program, and is able to send her two daughters to college.
Thanks to her persistence and dedication in the world of animal husbandry, Yuyum was given the mandate as chairperson and has served for two years in the Panggugah Lumaku Farmer Group, which means “for us to unite”.
Now the number of livestock owned and cared for by Yuyum is 15. Yuyum is very grateful to be part of the Panggugah Lumaku Breeder Group. She dreams of continuing to be a strong and empowered female breeder.
“If there is time to get together for a meeting, we share. Here there are 11 members or breeders, purely taking care of the goats themselves in their respective cages,” added Yuyum.
“For me, we prioritize having fun when we go out together, with members, while eating. Just be happy,” she continued.
Yuyum is only a small part of the majority of male partners who manage livestock in general. Yuyum’s motivation and enthusiasm in managing her farm until she succeeds today has earned her the nickname of an inspiring woman. Besides being active in several organizations, Yuyum is known to be trustworthy and quickly understands the livestock program at KPSU Riung Mukti, so that now Yuyum can reap the rewards of her hard work.
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“There are many benefits for all residents, here, thank God, they all eat goats. Thank you for Dompet Dhuafa, every year Tebar Hewan Kurban (THK) for the people here are all happy. They are happy, in the past there were still those who did not eat goats, now there are goats every year, it has been 12 years eating goats continuously. They are enthusiastic about Eid al-Adha,” explained Yuyun.
Yuyum has succeeded in proving that the potential of women in the world of animal husbandry shows that women can also manage their livestock and farms well. She also empowers four other women to take care of the farm.
“Thank you very much, the qurbani always flows from Dompet Dhuafa. Hopefully there will be many benefits, for the future it will also increase, hopefully everything will go smoothly,” concluded Yuyum. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Anndini Dwi Putri, Aryo Prasojo
Editors: Dhika Prabowo, Ronna