Sartono, in his work, Biogas installation (Photo: Sr. Huberta, FSGM)
“All things in this world have been run according to their function. Rainwater caught by the tree’s roots, so that the water supply in the world can supply the needs of all creatures. If all run well, no one will run out of water. But, it is not easy for me to talk about the relation between trees and water, moreover I talk in front of the elders. Because of what? All people clearly use firewood and it can be counted,” told a man who is called Sartono.
He memorized his childhood when he played in the spring well near his house. What had been seen by Sartono in his childhood, cannot be seen nowadays. Even, he currently experienced when the dry season come, all people in his village run out of water which increasing each year. Sartono thought, he had to do something.
His anxiety was answered by the presence of biogas program. His understanding on the relation between tress and water made him full of spirit when he knew about biogas program.
“If all people in this village use biogas, it will reduce the use of firewood, because almost all of the people use firewood for cooking,” he said vigorously.
Sartono knew biogas when there was a training from the government on the making of biogas installation using plastic. He and some other participants attended the training to know it directly in the East Java. But, when he saw the biogas using plastic, he thought that it was not strong enough, and how long it will hold?
From that point, he and other partners started to capture on what about if the biogas is made permanently and cheap enough using the existent materials. Sartono made the biogas in the measurement of 4 x 3 m. Then his group received a fund from TNGM (Taman Nasional Gunung Merapi/Merapi Volcano Nasional Park) in the amount of 30 million Rupiahs. They took turns for making biogas using that fund.
When KARINAKAS had a community assistance program after the Merapi eruption, he had an idea on what if the fund is used for making biogas. He vigorously developed the biogas because it has been a long time for him to think about the bad water condition which worsens each year.
Sartono realized that his village is in the water catchment area. He found the difficulty to explain that there is a relation between water and trees to his elders. Each time he tried to deliver the explanation to his people who were older than him, there was always opinion which said that Merapi saved millions of wealth, even the water could come out from the stones. Buts, it can be happened because the roots catch the rainwater, and the water can be use by us. He did not expect much, when the people made the biogas, they will understand the relation between the water and tress.
In the Biogas program held by KARINAKAS, Sartono becomes the expert of making the biogas installation. He invited the people who want to make biogas to actively involve in because he hopes that the knowledge on biogas can be spread to more people and it can be used by a lot of people.
“For me, if someone can make biogas independently, he will understand the risen difficulty when there is a leak, etc,” he said.
Sartono is aware that it is not as easy as flipping the hand palm when he invited people to have the awareness that the over-using of firewood will cause the run out of water.
“Let me promote that biogas is good to be used. When the people use biogas, they will reduce the consumption of firewood, so that the water supply will be saved,” he ended. (Author: Sr. M. Huberta FSGM, translated by: Mita)
