I

magine a scenario where villages purchase solar-power systems and power generators for their TVs, which give them not only entertainment but also more information on education and business developments, including, of course, the unavoidable negative influences.

The presence of cellular phones and the easy purchase of motorcycles provide them with the means for unlimited business opportunities in neighboring towns.

The presence of a national bank in villages will provide the villagers a direct link to capital providers abroad. The creation of jobs will provide earnings and eventually generate taxes to build all related infrastructure and other means to keep improving the village as the core of business development in the country.

With the help of a village bank, the ready provision of capital will help villagers invest in infrastructure, such as solar power and hydropower, forest maintenance for better irrigation and continuous drinking water availability, better sanitation and the corresponding inherent fertilizer production from waste.

In the meantime, vocational high schools in the villages might be tasked with the maintenance of the mechanical systems in the villages, from electricity to all agricultural systems, including all rolling stocks in the villages, and maybe that of neighboring villages, too.

This way, it is expected that the villages would become the very source of business activities where a small part of business industries are distributed to support corresponding central industries in nearby cities.

The village chiefs, who are expected to be able to lead village small-scale industries, are should be at least vocational school graduates with a desire of developing the nation, starting from the very core of the nation, the villages.

Japan adopted this system long ago with the effective development of its automotive industry, including that of selected aero-industrial sections. We can improve their system to suite the mood and idiosyncrasies of our villagers.

While traditional farming is still the mode in our agricultural system, more mechanical and technical farming methods will surely be introduced, although slowly in the beginning and in parallel with the schooling and training of village workforces.

Fair competition among villages must be encouraged to produce not only better, but also cheaper, agriculture and livestock products; aside from electrical, automotive and aviation equipment manufacturing; we also need to support related manufacturing for small-scale industry in nearby cities.

I sincerely hope that in this way we, the caring, can help the poorest of the poor from door to door.

Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta