THE YAVA STORY
In 2011, a healthcare volunteer arrived in East Bali. He was astonished by the breathtaking beauty of the region. The volcanoes, dense jungle and rugged hillsides are home to a rich, complex culture and a vibrant community. At the same time, persistent and preventable health problems shared root causes of low income and lack of information.
Everywhere you look, the trees are full of cashews, coconuts, bananas and other fruits – but they were almost all sold as bulk commodities, to be processed elsewhere. If these delicious foods could be bought and processed right here in Desa Ban, the improved incomes could head to healthier people and villages.
In 2012, in the village of Desa Ban, in a shed with a handful of people and a few sacks of cashew nuts, YAVA was born. Now, over 400 people work at and help lead the factory in Desa Ban. It puts into the local economy many billions of Indonesian rupiahs as it pays for local ingredients and wages.
And, operations have expanded to include producing dried fruits and coconut strips in the village of Oka, in eastern Flores - an area with even greater needs at this point.
