The USANA Foundation is now officially halfway to meeting our goal of providing 30,000 Garden Towers. Over the past six months, thousands of volunteers, donors, and individuals from the USANA family have given their time and energy to turn this goal into a reality. Of the global Garden Tower projects currently being worked on, one of the most exciting projects is taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Innovative Gardening
Despite not having a background in gardening, USANA Indonesia’s Roni Fahroni and Charles Suhada took on the challenge of creating a thriving gardening community in their own city. With the global program still in its infancy, Roni and Charles were forced to innovate and think about how to create Garden Towers in a way that worked best for their community.
As the first adopters of the Garden Tower program in Asia, this team had no access to the standard materials or tools. Rather than using that as an excuse, Roni and Charles found unique ways to make the program thrive. Using their business and network connections, leadership ability, and careful planning, the Indonesia team was able to set up a partnership with a local university and plant over 100 towers over the course of a few short months.
Tower Power – Relying on the Experts
As the Garden Tower program grows around the world, many are asking what made the project so successful in Indonesia. Though the hard work and vision of the local USANA Indonesia team can be credited, the overall success of the program was easily summed up by Charles Suhada, the General Manager of USANA Indonesia. “We knew that in order to make these gardens thrive, we needed agricultural experts and volunteers with time to dedicate to the project. By using our time to educate and inspire our USANA leaders, we were able to connect with IPB University, their agricultural program, and local volunteers. Together, we have created a great team with donors, volunteers, and garden recipients all involved in the process.”
Also regarding the huge success of the program, Roni Fahroni stated, ““The first 100 towers implemented in Indonesia were a huge success. Working along with experts from IPB University and over twenty local associates from Women Farmer Groups (WKT), we managed to gather all soil, seeds, and supplies necessary for the towers. This program not only provides food to families who need it most, but it also gives training to women looking to better their lives, and service opportunities to university students and our own USANA associates. We believe that this project will have a positive impact for both the local community and our USANA family here in Indonesia. Our goal is to donate enough to build 2000 towers within the next year.”
