Let’s Grow!

All Indonesia projects are managed by EWS-KT’s sister organization, Yayasan Bina Tani Sejahtera (YBTS).

 

Context and Project Objective

Rural youth in Indonesia continue to face high unemployment and limited access to sustainable livelihood opportunities. In East Nusa Tenggara, more than 1.1 million people live below the poverty line, with 33% of them being youth between the ages of 15 and 34. In West Nusa Tenggara, 23% of the more than 700,000 people living in poverty are youth. Many young people in both provinces earn less than US$1 per day, far below a sustainable living income.

The Let’s Grow! program aims to improve youth livelihoods through productive and sustainable vegetable farming that increases participants’ income to at least US$4 (IDR 60,000) per day. The program combines Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training with life skills development, including financial literacy, discipline, and entrepreneurship, to support long-term independence.

To strengthen productivity and reduce farming risks, the program applies a demonstration plot learning approach that integrates leafy vegetables with companion crops. Participants go through a structured learning cycle consisting of youth selection, onboarding, demo plot implementation, monitoring, refresher sessions, graduation, and sustainability support.

Since its launch in Flores in 2022, the program has expanded progressively across eastern Indonesia:

• 2022–2023 (pilot): 200 youth in Flores
• 2023–2024 (scaling up): 865 youth across Flores, West Timor, Sumba, and Sumbawa
• 2024–2025: Additional 500 youth
• 2025–2026: 1,360 youth targeted, with expansion to North Maluku
• 2026–2027: Stabilization phase involving approximately 1,530 additional youth

The program aims to have at least 80% of participants complete three planting cycles, enabling them to build sustainable farming practices and stable income sources.

Expected outcomes

• Higher youth income through productive and sustainable vegetable farming
• Improved technical capacity in GAP implementation
• Strengthened life skills, including entrepreneurship and financial literacy
• Development of a connected and self-sustaining youth farmer ecosystem
• Replication of best practices through youth alumni serving as community role models

YBTS Partners

Funding partner: Ganesha Foundation

Local partners: Department of Agriculture and Food Security; village governments; local community

Project Period

• June 2022 – May 2023: “Youth Upskilling” pilot (Flores)
• June 2023 – March 2026: Scaling and multi-cluster expansion
• April 2026 – March 2027: Stabilization and impact strengthening

Location

Indonesia: East Nusa Tenggara (Flores, West Timor, and Sumba clusters); West Nusa Tenggara (Sumbawa cluster); Timor (Kupang, South Central Timor); North Maluku