Growing mushrooms in a few sheds in your garden seems as low-tech as it gets. Yet over time, Frengki Duwith has become a savvy online marketer.
“Only if we see that the mushrooms are plentiful and ripe do we start posting on social media,” Frengki says. “If we post out of schedule, orders and inquiries come in too quickly.” And that can lead to disappointed customers.
Frengki in a shed where he grows mushrooms
Frengki lives in Sorong, Indonesia. It is the largest city in the province of Papua, but the total population of the municipality is only around 250,000. He used to be a driver, but switched to mushroom farming about five years ago, picking up many of the required skills by watching videos on YouTube. He likes it very much, especially since one of the advantages is working with his wife. Theirs is the oyster mushroom, a large white species, widely used in cuisines around the world.
Sorong, one of the main towns in Papua
When the mushrooms are ripe, they must be sold quickly. Frengki’s house isn’t near a main road, but that’s no problem. “We are backed by the power of the internet and social media,” says Frengki. “When we post online, people from as far away as Jayapura, Manokwari, South Sorong and even Java contact me and sometimes even visit me.”
As connectivity continues to improve in remote parts of Indonesia like Papua, this opens up new opportunities. Frengki is not only a beneficiary of the changes taking place, he also teaches others about entrepreneurship through a local NGO he co-founded, Papua Muda Inspiratif.
Frengki (left, with shorter hair and no beard now) chats with a potential buyer
“We want to serve as role models,” says Frengki. “We are committed to helping inspire others to become entrepreneurs.”
Connectivity plays a fundamental role in promoting development throughout Indonesia. The national government has a policy of providing everyone in the vast archipelago of 17,500 islands with a decent connection no matter where they live. Huawei is working hard with its local partners to make this ambitious vision a reality.
Huawei has developed a wide range of products, technologies and know-how to provide connectivity to the tens of millions of people around the world who are still unconnected. This includes low cost antennas; solar energy, batteries and energy management systems; and a wide range of microwave links that can reach isolated communities.
Pre-harvest oyster mushrooms
Solutions can be basic and very affordable, or more sophisticated, depending on local needs. Huawei’s highly cost-effective RuralStar solution represents a complete overhaul of base station design. RuralStar is made up of robust but simple telecommunications components. The kit requires so little energy to operate that a few solar panels are enough. More complex “butterfly sites” are installed on taller antenna poles. They can usually provide network coverage on multiple frequency bands and can serve a wider territory due to their height.
Watch Frengki’s story below. And join us on November 23 for our sustainability event Connectivity+: Innovate for Impact, where you can learn how connectivity is advancing in isolated communities around the world.
