Last month, two new organic products were showcased in the Bali Direct Online Food Store. These were not just any organic products, they are special because the producers of these products are supported by Five Pillar Foundation and the marketing was supported by two generous Dojo members through Cogiving, Caroline and Anna! They helped find retailers in Bali who would be interested to sell these products on their platform and connect them with Five Pillar Foundation.
Caro and Anna were one of the participants of the West Bali Adventure back in December 2017. It was on this Cogiving Trip that they met Mrs. Sukma and Suma who are the entrepreneurs behind the two products they are supporting. They were amazed by the quality of the products even though it was home-made using traditional methods. The two products supported are the Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil and the West Bali Mushroom.
Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil
Mrs. Sukma (51) was first introduced into the world of coconut oil production more than 10 years ago, when she joined a group of farmers from her village in West Bali in processing a coconut fruit into a nutritious and beneficial product. She started to become more serious in producing coconut oil herself after her sample products received awards at several agricultural contests and the local demand for her virgin coconut oil increased. Until today, all reviews she has received for her product, the Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil, has been positive and her customers can feel the health benefits of her product almost directly after consuming it.
One thing that makes her product unique from other virgin coconut oils is that the ingredients of the Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil uses 11 different types of coconuts, whereas other products usually only use 1 type of coconut. These coconut types in Balinese are called Sudamala, Mulung, Udang, Pudak, Kebo, Caling, Rangda, Bulan, Surya, Julit, and Bojog coconuts. Until now, Mrs. Sukma still insist on only using traditional methods with very simple tools to produce the coconut oil. This process usually takes place starting in the late afternoon and ends the next day at noon.
What is also unique about the Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil is that ever since Mrs. Sukma first started her business, she only harvests the coconut during a sacred day the Balinese calls Kajeng Kliwon which falls 1 week after the full moon. She believes that harvesting the coconut during this very sacred day in the Balinese calendar will give the oil special spiritual properties and enhance its healing benefits for the user.
The health benefit of the Sudamala Virgin Coconut Oil is not to be doubted, especially after being scientifically proven by laboratory testings in Jakarta by the panel judges of a national contest. First place was awarded to Mrs. Sukma’s product for its quality and benefits. She recommends to consume a table-spoon of this coconut oil everyday to strengthen the body’s immune system.
Today, this coconut oil is still very popular among the locals of West Bali for its benefits, quality, consistency and affordability. It gives Mrs. Sukma great joy that her product is supported by Dojo Cogiving and Five Pillar Foundation so that more people can reap the health benefits of her unique product.
https://balidirectstore.com/product/virgin-coconut-oil/
West Bali Mushroom
West Bali Mushroom is an original snack product from the Jembrana regency of Bali that is processed organically using fresh locally-grown oyster mushrooms that are grown by the local farmers of this area. It is a healthy, delicious and crispy mushroom snack that is high in protein and is vegetarian-friendly.
This business started from the founder Suma’s (23) fondness of snacking on crispy mushrooms. Since he saw that there are no such products yet in the area, he decided to make his own brand of crispy mushrooms with its own uniqueness, starting with 100% organic ingredients, his own home-made spices and special flavours which is sure to please your taste-buds.
Suma was raised in a family of farmers and hence is very familiar with agricultural practices. He started to grow an interest in mushrooms specifically after being introduced to the organic methods of mushroom farming by a farmer in his home village. That farmer is now his main supplier for his mushrooms. Suma’s time learning about mushroom farming and production has made him confident that the quality and flavour of his products are consistent.
West Bali Mushroom has gotten very popular among the youth in West Bali. Suma is also very happy to be able to support the farmers in his village through his product and is very excited that it was supported by Cogiving so that more people, especially that from the international community could know and enjoy this delicious snack.
https://balidirectstore.com/product/crispy-mushroom-chips/
I bet you can now see how Caroline and Anna were intrigued by these products. They were also further motivated to support Five Pillar Foundation and their entrepreneurs knowing that their effort could help the people in the rural areas of Bali develop their resources and not have to go to the already over-populated cities for average wages. It was a pleasure to have Caroline and Anna’s support in Cogiving and I am grateful for their generousity to donate their time and energy to further expose these products to the wider market. You can also support Five Pillar Foundation and the entrpreneurs they support in West Bali by purchasing these products via the links above.
