Mariati Plants Hope: A Woman from Mekar Mulya Village Harvests Dreams through Mushroom Cultivation

In the village of Mekar Mulya, Mariati has long observed the harsh reality faced by the women in her community. As both a village secretary and a mushroom cultivator, she has seen how many housewives and palm oil plantation workers struggle under economic pressure—dependent on unstable income from their husbands or enduring long, physically demanding hours in the fields. 

Change began when PT Borneo Indobara’s Community Empowerment Program (PPM) was introduced in her village. With support in the form of raw materials for producing mushroom growing bags (baglog), the construction of mushroom houses (kumbung), and intensive training, Mariati and her group began learning the proper techniques of mushroom farming. From knowing nothing about cultivation, they now produce over 500 kilograms of mushrooms annually.