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#TanahAirWaterCrisis: Harvesting rainwater with Banyu Bening (Part 1)
Rainwater is considered the purest form of water. Collecting it is a form of community resilience.
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Source of life: Sri Wahyuningsih shows a jar filled with rainwater at the Banyu Bening rainwater harvesting community in Yogyakarta in this undated photo file. (Magdalene/Tommy Triardhikara)
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riday is typically a day of rest for Sri “Yu Ning” Wahyuningsih, 56, but not the Friday when Magdalene paid a visit. Yu Ning’s home in Sleman, Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY), was packed with out-of-town guests, including relatives, university lecturers and students.
“We get no rest here,” Yu Ning said, laughing. “But it’s always my pleasure to share knowledge with others.”
Magdalene glanced at the whiteboard on the terrace, which displayed a full calendar filled with activities ranging from media interviews to visits from students interested in learning about rainwater harvesting.
Since 2012, Yu Ning has been running rainwater harvesting activities and advocated for the technique in the local community. Her efforts have attracted communities from not only Yogyakarta, but also Riau, Lampung, Bali and even Papua.
Her dedication led her to establish on Sept. 9, 2019 the Banyu Bening School, a training center that empowers people to make use of rainwater for personal consumption and household chores.
To this day, interest in this age-old practice remains high.
“In early 2024, a group of elementary and junior high school students from Kalimantan came here by boat, just to learn about rainwater harvesting at Banyu Bening," said Yu Ning, who offers the classes for free.
