Wisye Sahambangung used to rely on a government social assistance program to get by in the coastal Indonesian village of Sarawet. The 45-year-old fisher leads a women’s group restoring mangroves and creating livelihood opportunities in North Sulawesi province, Mongabay reported.
Since establishing the women-led group Rhizopora in 2022, Sahambangung has steered her members from government dependency toward financial independence through mangrove restoration. Named after the salt-tolerant Rhizophora genus of trees, the group collects propagules, supplies bulk seedlings, and monitors the shoreline against destructive fishing practices and erosion.
From Government Aid to Corporate Partnerships
The daily reality of running Rhizopora involves grueling physical labor. Members regularly wade through chest-deep mud in coastal areas and around fish ponds to plant saplings and harvest mud crabs. Those mud crabs fetch high prices, selling for around 350,000 rupiah (about $19.40) per kilogram, with some shipments destined for export to Singapore after passing through Manado.
Meanwhile, the group’s seedling business has attracted major corporate clients looking to offset their environmental footprints through corporate social responsibility programs. Rhizopora supplies bulk mangrove stock to national retail chain Alfamidi, state electricity company PLN, and national health insurance agency BPJS Kesehatan. Each mangrove seedling sells for 2,000 rupiah (about 11 U.S. cents), with a wooden support stake adding another 500 rupiah (about 3 cents).
Building Financial Independence Through Mangrove Nurseries
Internal programs within Rhizopora extend beyond direct sales. The group operates an active savings-and-loans scheme that allows members to build secure financial footholds. Sahambangung pointed to single mothers in the village who have leveraged the group’s financial network to launch small businesses, such as cake-selling operations, and even purchase homes.
This localized economic security directly reinforces environmental stewardship. An eight-month restoration project completed this year saw Rhizopora partner with NGOs Yayasan Bumi Tangguh and CARE Indonesia to plant 30,000 mangrove trees.
Global Recognition for Local Conservation
Sahambangung’s leadership recently carried her far beyond the muddy shores of North Sulawesi. Traveling on an airplane for the very first time, she journeyed to Melbourne, Australia, to speak at Women Deliver 2026. Alongside representatives from CARE Indonesia and Yayasan Bumi Tangguh, she shared how women in her small village are spearheading climate adaptation and marine protection.
Back in Sarawet, the work continues unabated. The group has earned the formal trust of regional fisheries authorities and now participates in a community-based monitoring group. Beyond seedlings and crabs, Rhizopora is currently navigating business and product registrations to market a new line of soap made from mangrove materials, ensuring that the village’s economic future remains tied to the health of its restored coast.
