Joniston and Chatherine touring the women-run communal farm at Kampung Bambangan Lama, Kiulu.
KIULU: Women in Kampung Bambangan Lama here have started running a communal vegetable farm at their village recreational centre – planting, harvesting and selling their own produce to earn extra income while supporting their community.
At the Kampung Bambangan Lama Recreational Centre, the women grow cherry tomatoes, eggplant, kailan and winter melon among others, which they sell at the markets and also use for their own consumption.
Chairperson of the women’s vegetable farm Catherine Barantis said while the earnings may not be much, it makes a meaningful difference.
“Some of us can earn up to RM4,000 a year. It may not sound like a lot, but it’s our own effort. We also grow for our families to eat, so nothing goes to waste,” she said.
Recently, the women received assistance from incumbent Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai to build a fence around their communal farm to prevent stray animals from damaging their crops.
“We are grateful for the support. With the fence, we can now focus on improving our farm, and this also echoes our wakil rakyat’s call for us to continue empowering ourselves and contributing through agrotourism,” said Barantis.
The women-run recreational centre is now being developed as part of an agrotourism initiative, where visitors can experience simple farm-to-table activities – picking vegetables straight from the garden and learning about village life.
Last year, the Kampung Bambangan Lama Recreational Centre was nominated for the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Standard in recognition of its community-driven approach, although it did not make the final cut.
During his visit to the village yesterday, Joniston commended the women’s effort, describing it as a strong example of how rural women can drive community-based tourism through their own initiative.
“These women are not just helping their families, they’re showing how empowerment can start at the community level.
“They show that through cooperation and creativity, small community projects can bring value to both the people and the tourism experience,” he said, adding that he hopes to continue supporting initiatives that benefit women and families in Kiulu.
