On 27 September 2026, 150 people gathered in Jakarta to learn how kitchen waste can heal skin, soil, water and habits. Here is how the journey unfolded.
Why we went
The Bio Enzyme Entrepreneurs Academy of India (BEAI) believes civic problems in cities and villages can be solved at community level, by turning household waste into bio-enzymes, compost and biogas. From 23 to 27 September 2026, three of us (Priti, Swati and Ekta) took that belief to Jakarta, at the invitation of our hosts at the Bodhgaya Indonesian Temple Foundation. The visit led up to the one-day Ecoenzyme Advanced Course.
Before the course - people and places
We spent the first days listening. With our guide Nurlina we visited an Indian and a Chinese temple and a local market, and saw how Jakarta's communities live side by side. At Rumah Alam Bahagia, Master Fatima showed us coffee cultivation and self-help groups that help farmers become self-reliant, and we left with a shared wish to bring bioenzymes into rural farming.
At Tzu Chi Hospital we walked through the waste and sanitation systems and received permission to introduce bioenzymes into the hospital's sewage treatment plant. At Tzu Chi School we proposed to the Director that sustainability and ecoenzyme studies become part of the regular curriculum.
The day itself
The course was inaugurated by Suliarna, S.Ag., M.Pd, Director for Buddhist Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Jakarta office, who rang the bell. Teenagers from the Panna band opened with a song, a fitting start to a day about the generation that will inherit the Earth. The five sessions then covered:
- dr. Yasavati Kurnia on scabies and ecoenzyme. Ecoenzyme was presented as a supportive aid, never a replacement for standard treatment, with research on its acids, wound healing and rhizome-fortified formulas.
- BEAI's Gift of Time, described below.
- Prof. Dr. Ratu Safitri of Padjadjaran University on the microbiome inside ecoenzyme. Sequencing shows lactic and acetic acid bacteria doing the work behind its cleaning and antimicrobial power.
- Mr. Dody, who leads the Eco Enzyme Bandung community, on growing fruit in pots. He grows grapes, oranges and dragon fruit with ecoenzyme and uses it as a natural leaf spray against fungus. His community also pours ecoenzyme into polluted waterways around Bandung.
- Mrs. Vera Tan, founder of Eco Enzyme Indonesia, on turning ecoenzyme into home and personal-care products, with humour and live demonstrations.
After lunch, an ecoenzyme dance and a ramp walk by local Indonesian ladies and our own team showcased bioenzyme-based products, set to the "Bioenzyme Boogie" and an ecoenzyme song. Science, art and joy shared one stage.
The Gift of Time
For us, the heart of the day was a simple question. Think of someone who gave you their time. Do you remember the gift, or the time?
We showed two boxes: the gift we buy and the gift we give. The second was a box of time. Then we asked: if you can give ten minutes to someone you care about, can you give ten minutes to the Earth?
With 150 people in the room, that is 1500 minutes, over 17 hours of collective action. Each person chose one small, doable action: question one chemical product at home, find out where household wastewater goes, segregate waste better, teach one person something, or care for a plant.
We don't need everyone to do everything. We need everyone to do something.
What people took home
A volunteer wrote that without access to laboratories, hearing experts share science in person was vital, and she learned everything from treating scabies to making cold powder from rice flour. Another said the Gift of Time made her realise that because the Earth gives us life, we must give back for our grandchildren, and asked for the event to be held every one to two years.
The PDF carries a message from Dr. Rosukon Poompanvong, who formulated ecoenzyme in 2006, urging us to turn waste into something sacred and to take care of everything around us.
Gratitude
We thank the Bodhgaya Indonesian Temple Foundation, Juny Leong, Mario Andika, Juliana of EcoEnzyme Nusantara, Nurlina, KCBI, the volunteers, the Panna Shikha group and dance school, our speakers, and all 500 participants. You gave your time to the Earth, and that was the gift of the day.
Ten minutes to learn. Ten minutes to teach. Ten minutes to begin.
No comments:
Post a Comment