West Manggarai, September 29, 2025 – A total of 19 youth groups (40 participants) from various regions in West Manggarai presented their best ideas in the SAPA BUMI Ideas Competition (Solutions from Young People for Inclusive Food and a Sustainable Earth), held on September 25-26, 2025, at the West Manggarai Regency Secretariat Hall.
This competition was organized by the RISE Foundation, Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial (Humanis), and Yayasan Aksi Solidaritas Sesama (Sadarsama), in collaboration with the Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah (Bappeda)of West Manggarai Regency, through the Urban Futures program.
SAPA BUMI Inovator is an idea competition organized to encourage meaningful and inclusive involvement of young people in West Manggarai in realizing a sustainable food system. In his speech, the Regional Secretary of West Manggarai, Fransiskus S. Sodo, emphasized that young people have a strategic role in regional development. This activity is expected to be a platform for them to develop their potential, make real contributions, and encourage the creation of a more empowered local food system.
“This competition is part of a series of Urban Futures programs in West Manggarai, which aim to improve food security by involving young people as key actors in our regional food system,” said Fransiskus in his speech. Fransiskus also added that prosperity must be felt by farmers and local businesses.
Therefore, facilitating and strengthening community capacity is a shared responsibility, so that food staples like eggs, meat, and fish are not always dependent on supplies from outside the region. Over the two-day event, participants attended a Capacity Building Bootcamp. This activity aimed to strengthen capacity and refine ideas through training on Food and Nutrition Rights, Social Innovation, and effective pitching and storytelling techniques.
Afterwards, participants presented their ideas to a panel of judges from various stakeholder sectors in West Manggarai, such as Bappeda, the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority Implementation Agency (BPOLBF), Politektik El Bajo, RISE Foundation, and The Kitchen Garden.
From this process, ten best ideas were selected to receive funding support for pilot implementation during the October–November 2025 period. The following ten ideas advanced to the implementation mentoring stage:
- Aquilinus Royen – Maggotnesia (Maggot Farming)
- Ermina Salju (Komunitas Tuli LBJ) – Sign Language as a Bridge for Inclusive Local Food Information
- Yosefa Saraswati Hagun – Improving Local Food Security through Sorghum Crop Cultivation as an Alternative to Rice as an Alternative Rice Substitute
- Paulina Mega Meo – Liang Ndara Village Facing Local Food Availability Challenges (Urban Farming as a Solution)
- Benyamin Ewa – Food Self-Sufficiency and Agricultural Downstreaming from Conventional to Modern as a Foundation for Addressing Underdevelopment, Poverty, and Becoming a Partner in Food Needs in the Sustainable Tourism Industry and Towards a Healthy West Manggarai Community.
- Godefridus Agar – Increasing the Selling Value and Quality of Vanilla through Plant Conservation Efforts by Implementing Healthy Cultivation
- Leonardus Mindo – Overcoming Farmers’ Addiction to the Ijon System through Diversification of Cashew Products
- Sabina Satrinda Pandu – Integrated Agrotourism Based on Local Wisdom for Food Security and Educational Tourism
- Gabriela Arcangela Girlani Jamin (Forum GenRe LBJ) – From Plate to Mind: Education on the Right to Nutritious Food in Schools
- Arnoldena Safira (Bracha Harvest LBJ) – Chemical-Free Agriculture: An Inclusive Solution for Sustainable Agriculture in Labuan Bajo
In addition, the jury also selected three best ideas that received coaching funds from Bank NTT:
- Best Idea 1: Ermina Salju (Komunitas Tuli LBJ) – Sign Language as a Bridge Inclusive Local Food Information
- Best Idea 2: Arnoldena Safira (Bracha Harvest LBJ) – Chemical Free Farming Inclusive Solution for Sustainable Agriculture in Labuan Bajo
- Best Idea 3: Gabriela Arcangela Girlani Jamin (GenRe Forum LBJ): From Plate to Mind: Education on the Right to Nutritious Food in Schools
On the same occasion, the jury also named Gabriela Arcangela Girlani Jamin (Forum GenRe LBJ) as the Best Presenter in this activity.
The Head of Bappeda West Manggarai Regency, Peter A. Rasyid, emphasized that this program is in line with the regional development agenda, particularly in strengthening food security and nutrition.
“Young people play a very strategic role in development in Manggarai Barat. Activities like this provide young people with an opportunity to test or activate ideas. This activity is not just a one-time implementation and then done, but how it (must) be sustained,” said Peter.
Peter also said that young people must dare to take concrete action and turn their ideas into sustainable actions. The SAPA BUMI Idea Competition is a training ground and proof that young people’s creativity can be translated into concrete solutions that benefit communities and regions.
In line with this, Artin Wuriyani, Executive Director of the RISE Foundation, said that SAPA BUMI emphasizes the importance of combining young people’s innovation with local wisdom and traditional practices that have been passed down from generation to generation, including the spirit of mutual cooperation and sustainable resource management.
SAPA BUMI provides a space for participants to apply their ideas in practice and collaborate with various parties to realize a food system that is fair, sustainable, and rooted in local culture from upstream to downstream.
“We are committed alongside Bappeda to oversee the implementation of the best ideas and hope this initiative inspires a model of cross-sector collaboration that delivers tangible impact for the community and environment of West Manggarai,” he added.
Participants demonstrated high enthusiasm throughout the activities, both during the bootcamp and final pitching. Many of them felt that this experience provided new knowledge and motivation to innovate in the areas of food security and food systems.
“The theme of caring for the earth and the environment is part of our individual responsibilities. Especially since we have a focus on food security. This is something we need to nurture and continue in the future. So, I feel that these two days have been quite extraordinary. The knowledge and competition from our friends motivate us to keep striving and competing again,” said Adrianus Carli Nantu (31), one of the participants from Asosiasi Usaha Muda Labuan Bajo (Akunitas).
The SAPA BUMI initiative is part of Urban Futures, a five-year global program (2023–2027) that integrates urban food systems, youth well-being, and climate action. Since 2024, Urban Futures has been present in West Manggarai to promote fair, inclusive, and locally-based food solutions. Since 2024, Urban Futures has been present in West Manggarai to promote fair, inclusive, and locally-based food solutions.
The SAPA BUMI Bootcamp and Final Pitching were supported by Bank NTT, The Kitchen Garden, Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo, KSP Kopdit Pintu Air, and community partners Konsorsium Pangan Bernas and Rumah Pekerti. Support includes savings for the best ideas, dinner vouchers for the Best Presenter, merchandise, and session facilitation. Support from the private sector and local partners strengthens multi-stakeholder collaboration to create meaningful engagement spaces for young people, including young people with disabilities, in West Manggarai.
