The SAPA BUMI Collaborative Workshop marked a significant moment for RISE Foundation’s Urban Futures project in West Manggarai. At RISE, we hold a firm belief: the most meaningful development comes from within communities themselves. SAPA BUMI, initiated by the Kopaja consortium, was born from exactly that conviction.
Nine groups gathered, each bringing their own stories and causes. They were Kameku Mente, Bracha Harvest, Maggotnesia, Aroma Tani Vanili, Forum GenRe, Pena Sorgum, Tiwu Empo, Komunitas Tuli Labuan Bajo, and Mailambu Farm. Their work spans a remarkable range vanilla processing, sorghum cultivation, maggot bioconversion, community farming, and the push to bring sign language into everyday life. Each group is living proof that youth innovation in West Manggarai is real, diverse, and full of drive.
The event opened in a way that was simple but intentional. The opening session was designed to make everyone feel genuinely welcomed including a brief introduction to basic sign language, so that Komunitas Tuli Labuan Bajo wasn’t merely present, but truly part of the conversation. That small gesture carried a bigger message: inclusion here wasn’t a talking point, it was the practice.
As the workshop moved into its core sessions, participants were invited to be honest not just to showcase achievements, but to talk about what lay beneath them: the frustrations, the plans that had to change mid-course, and the hopes that sometimes felt heavy to carry. Each group also mapped out their next steps across three-month, six-month, and one-year horizons.
The seminar room became a space where people felt safe enough to say what was really going on. And from that honesty came something invaluable: a shared recognition of the real challenges these groups face on the ground.
The workshop was also a space to grow together. Sessions of peer sharing, mentor feedback, and cross-community conversations gradually strengthened the network that SAPA BUMI is building. At the end of the day, each group recorded a video testimonial to preserve their story: who they are, how far they’ve come, and where their project is headed.
As an organization, RISE’s role is to stand alongside them opening access, making the right connections, and making sure their hard work gets the platform it deserves.
At the same time, there’s a question we can’t answer alone and it’s one the workshop participants themselves raised: are the institutions around them, including local government, truly ready to show up and move forward together? At RISE, we believe the answer can be, and should be, yes.
