BASO DIRI

                 Diri, self, nafs, dipadu dengan macam-macam kato, cak "baso", "caro", "urang", jadila baso diri, caro diri, urang diri; semacam batasan menentukan asal muasal seseorang. Urang Sekayu ngomongke dirinyo "wang kite", urang Pagar Alam ngomongke dirinyo "jeme kite", wong Plembang ngomengke dirinyo "wong kito" atau "wong kame", urang Jawo nyang la kawen dengan urang Sumatera jugo ado istilah horang : "Jasuma" Jawa Sumatera, baitu jugo dengan urang kubu ngomongke dirinyo "urang dalam" (Suku Anak Dalam).

                Batasan kedirian itu banyak nian munafa'atnyo, ado nyang ngeraso pengen balek ke dusun tapi apo bole buat nasib idup di rantau urang, laju jadi muat persatuan urang diri untuk melepas rindu dan galak saling keroankan, kalu ado gawe saling kabari, kalu ado balak dan rizki samo-samo bebagi, ba'itula caronyo...... kagi disambeng pulo....

Umar Husein, Pionir Teh Rosella

Hibiscus sabdariffa. Mungkin, banyak orang di Sumatera Selatan yang merasa asing dengan nama Latin tanaman tersebut meskipun sudah pernah melihatnya. Tanaman berbunga merah yang memiliki kemiripan dengan tanaman kembang sepatu itu ternyata dapat diolah menjadi teh yang memiliki banyak khasiat bagi kesehatan.

M Umar Husein (48) semula tidak menyangka tanaman yang di kampungnya biasa digunakan sebagai pengganti asam jawa itu bisa diracik jadi teh. Pengetahuan yang diperoleh Umar untuk membuat teh melalui proses yang cukup panjang.

"Tahun 2003 saya mulai menanam tanaman itu. Tahun 2004 sudah mulai panen. Saya tahu nama tanaman itu Hibiscus sabdariffa setelah diteliti di Balai Penelitian Agro di Bogor," kata Umar yang lahir di Tanjung Batu, Ogan Ilir, 14 Agustus 1958.


Umar kemudian berusaha mencari informasi tentang tanaman tersebut melalui internet dan buku selama tahun 2004-2005. Ternyata informasi yang diperoleh dari internet sangat banyak. Di sejumlah negara, bunga tanaman itu diolah menjadi teh dengan cara dikeringkan, lalu digiling sampai halus. Namanya bermacam-macam, ada teh rosella, teh merah, atau teh rosel.

Umar pun tertarik mencoba mengolah tanaman rosella menjadi teh seperti di negara-negara lain. Istilah teh rosella merupakan istilah yang dipilih oleh Umar.

Untuk budidaya tanaman rosella, Umar menggandeng sejumlah petani yang tersebar di Palembang, Ogan Ilir, Banyuasin, dan Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan. Keuntungan yang diperoleh petani dengan menanam rosella lebih banyak daripada menanam jagung atau tanaman sayuran lainnya. Hasil panen tanaman rosella yang telah kering dibeli seluruhnya oleh Umar kemudian dikemas dalam kemasan yang menarik di Palembang.

Menurut Umar, di Jawa, seperti di Yogyakarta dan Jawa Timur, tanaman rosella juga banyak dibudidayakan. Namun di Sumsel, Umar adalah pionir yang membudidayakan tanaman rosella sekaligus memasarkan teh rosella.

Pemasaran teh rosella buatan Umar melalui CV Keluarga Madani telah menembus Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Jambi, Medan, Bangka Belitung, Batam, Yogyakarta, dan Indramayu. Bahkan 60 persen pemasaran teh rosella produksinya adalah di Jakarta dan sekitarnya.

"Sekarang saya sedang mencoba memproduksi teh rosella dalam bentuk teh celup. Sebentar lagi produk ini akan saya lempar ke pasaran," kata Umar. (WAD

http://202.146.5.33/kompas-cetak/0710/08/sumbagsel/3908577.htm

Red, hot & cool

Dian Kuswandini , THE JAKARTA POST , JAKARTA

Wed, 08/05/2009 1:05 PM
Body & Soul

It creates one of the most beautiful and delicious floral infusions you can imagine. And, even better, roselle is full of healing properties and has been served as natural health tonic for centuries.
The deep red roselle, with its slightly tangy flavor, is known by different names across the world; some call it rosella, while others know it as karkad*, oseille rouge, asam susur or Florida cranberry. In some countries, its infusion is simply known as hibiscus tea, which follows from its binomial name, Hibiscus sabdariffa.
But whatever they call it, many cultures agree that a roselle infusion can do more than just raise your mood with the first sniff - it can also help treat ailments ranging from cough and overweight to gout and high blood pressure.
Found in many countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, China, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil and the United States, roselle is believed to have originated in Africa. Ancient Egyptian legend has it that roselle tea was the favorite beverage of the Pharaohs of the Nile Valley. Because of its natural cooling properties, the Pharaohs would enjoy sipping the roselle drink to refresh themselves in the desert heat. Today, however, the roselle drink isn't only for the Pharaohs anymore: Any of us can enjoy it, hot or cold.
According to herbalist Dewani from Planta Medika Loka, many parts of the roselle plant, including its calyces, seeds and leaves, can be used for a range of purposes. Of these parts, however, it's the fleshy red calyx that's the most popular.
"People often mistake this red calyx for the roselle flower, but that's wrong," Dewani reveals. "Roselle has flowers, but it's not the flowers that are used *for making drinks and food*."
Rather, she goes on, it's the roselle calyces that are used fresh for making wine, juice, jam, syrup, pudding, popsicle sticks and food flavoring. And when used dried, they're brewed into hot or cold tea, which makes a natural health tonic.
According to Dewani, roselle became popular as a natural health tonic in Indonesia about four years ago. Driving its popularity, she says, are its pleasant taste and attractive color.
"Many herbals taste really bad - most are bitter," Dewani says. "But roselle, it's different. Add to its infusion some sugar or honey, and it makes a delicious beverage. And even without any sweetener, it still tastes good."
Roselle also has a very attractive color like syrup, she adds. And because the plant itself is beautiful also, "putting one in your home can make a decorative plant."
But the pretty look and refreshing taste are just a bonus; as Dewani points out, "roselle contains many healing properties that can be used to treat many health problems".
According to Dewani, among the ailments that can benefit from roselle tea are hypertension, gout, high cholesterol and overweight. In addition, many people drink roselle tea to relieve cough, oral ulcers and headache, as well as use it to prevent constipation, because it acts as natural mild laxative.
Behind the healing wonders of roselle tea, Dewani reveals, are the rich antioxidants -flavonoids, gossypetin, hibiscetine and anthocyanin - contained in the roselle calycles.
"Antioxidants help our bodies fight the harmful molecules known as free radicals, which can cause cell damage, leaving the body in a diseased state," Dewani explains. "By taming free radicals, antioxidants help maintain the body's good health," she adds.
Another antioxidant in roselle calyces is vitamin C, which works to fight off infections by strengthening the immune system. In every 100 grams of roselle calyces, there's approximately 260 to 280 milligrams of vitamin C, which means the plant has a vitamin C content three times higher than blackcurrants and nine times higher than citrus.
"That's why roselle tea is good for those who work until night or get tired easily, as it can help maintain stamina," Dewani reveals.
The roselle calyces are also rich in, among others, calcium (486 milligrams per 100 grams), magnesium, beta-carotene and vitamins A, D and B1. And you might also be happy to learn that roselle tea is caffeine-free.
"Roselle also has antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents," Dewani says. "If you go camping, for example, and want to make sure that your hands are clean enough, then you can crumple up roselle leaves and let them clean your hands."
Dewani adds that most of her clients who choose roselle tea are those suffering from ailments such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gout.
"Most of them are from the upper class who tend to eat delicious, fatty foods, so they have high cholesterol."
With regular consumption of roselle tea - about two to three times per day - most of these clients show a significant decrease in their cholesterol level within just one month.
Aritedja, a 58-year-old housewife, is a roselle enthusiast who has been using the herbal remedy for the past five months to treat her high blood pressure. Aritedja says that, after drinking roselle tea three times a day for around three weeks, her blood pressure dropped from 140/90 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg.
"My blood pressure has been stable ever since, but I still drink roselle tea to maintain my health," she says. "Besides, I have to keep my blood pressure down to avoid stroke."
Aritedja says she has recommended roselle tea to many of my friends and relatives who face similar health problems.
"After all, roselle tea tastes so much better than any other herbal drink," she says.
Aritedja's experience isn't a one-off. A number of scientific studies on roselle have been carried out all over the world to investigate its healing wonders. In 2004, a study by naturopath Maureen Williams revealed that people suffering from hypertension can lower their blood pressure significantly by drinking roselle tea daily. The study, published in the journal Phytomedicine included 70 people divided into two groups; one group drank 1.5 liters of roselle tea each day before breakfast, while the other group ingested 25 mg of an antihypertensive medication (captopril) twice daily. After one month, the roselle tea drinkers' blood pressure was reduced at least 10 points in 79 percent of the participants. Blood pressure in the medicated group was reduced at least 10 points in some 84 percent of the participants - a statistically insignificant difference from those who drank roselle tea.
In Taiwan, researcher Yun Ching Chang of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at Chung San Medical University found in his pre-medical research that the natural pigment in dried roselle calyces is effective in impeding and destroying cancer cells (or HL-60 or leukemic cell).
But even if you aren't looking either to prevent cancer or treat hypertension, then you might be interested in trying this tasty drink as an alternative way to help you lose weight. Yes, drinking a cup of roselle tea after meals can help reduce the absorption of dietary fats and carbohydrates, thanks to its natural enzyme inhibitors like phaseolamin. In addition, roselle tea has cleansing and anti-bloating properties that help rid the body of excess fluids, therefore further contributing to weight loss.
But despite the many benefits of drinking roselle tea, Dewani says that those with low blood pressure cannot benefit from this natural drink.
"Of course, because it works to decrease blood pressure, then it's recommended that those who already have low blood pressure don't drink roselle tea," she says, adding, "and those who're suffering from gastric ulcers should consider taking roselle calyces in darker colors *like purple* because they are less acidic."

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/05/red-hot-amp-cool.html-0

Roselle benefits more

Khairul Saleh , The Jakarta Post , Palembang

Wed, 08/05/2009 11:19 AM
Body & Soul 
 
If you ask people in South Sumatra whether they are familiar with “roselle”, they will almost definitely reply in the negative. But show them the plant and they are sure to recognize it.
In South Sumatra, the red flowered herb has various local names depending on where it grows: asam kesur, asam rejang, deduhok jawe, asam jarot and bunga sugus.
Until recently, it was used only to give flavor to boiled fish (pindang) in place of tamarind, to make relish or to mix with spicy steamed fish or soybean cake in rolls (brengkes or pepes).
But after its other benefits began to be known, roselle became a crop and source of income for villagers throughout the province — all thanks to the work of 50-year-old Muhammad Umar Husein. The activist from Pemberdayan Masyarakat Mandiri, a community empowerment NGO in Palembang, first started helping farmers to cultivate the plant in 2003 on blocks of land in several South Sumatra regencies and cities.
Attractively packaged roselle products — unrefined plant parts, tea bags and jams — are now available in shops, supermarkets, restaurants and pharmacies across Palembang.
“It wasn’t easy to ask farmers to grow roselle because they never knew about its advantages,” said Umar. “They only ever used it for relish or pindang and brengkes flavoring and it was just a wild herb.”

Umar spent two years researching the plant before setting out to oversee its mass-cultivation. When he visited the Cimanggu Agro Research Park, he was surprised to learn of roselle’s multiple uses and benefits.
Now, each month, Umar’s farmers produce between 400 and 700 kilograms of dried rosella; the monthly market demand is 500 to 600 kilograms.
Roselle tea, also called red tea because of its color, has a distinctive sweet-and-sour taste due to its citric acid and ascorbic acid content. The tea is high in antioxidants and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease because it can retard the clogging of blood vessels by fat.
Fatimah, a lecturer at the Nutrition College in Palembang, describes how roselle can be processed into a refreshing and health-promoting alternative drink. According to studies by an American biologist and pharmacologist, Dr. James Duck, she says, 100 grams of fresh roselle calyces contains between 260 and 280 milligrams of vitamins C, D, B1, B2. The vitamin C content is considerably higher than that found in citrus fruits, star fruit and guava.
“Roselle is also rich in amino acids,” said Fatimah. “It contains 18 out of the 22 amino acids needed by the human body, including the two essential acids, arginine and lysine, which stimulate the growth of nerves and hormones while inducing fertility and maintaining youthfulness. The tea made from it can help liver troubles and diarrhea.”
Among the other health benefits of roselle that she named were its ability to: lower blood sugar and cholesterol, prevent dental decay, slow down premature aging, prevent joint inflammation, improve concentration, reduce the risk of a stroke, stabilize blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and cancer growth.
It can also help obese people, she explained. “Roselle consumption will reduce body weight because of its three main elements: caffeine as a stimulant, L-theanine with its capacity to neutralize caffeine’s dangerous effects and suppress the appetite, and EGCC for accelerated fat burning.”
She also recommended the plant for treating cough, sore throat, Coeliac disease and muscle pain.

Nearly all parts of the plant are beneficial, she added. The seeds, which contain essential amino acids, can be used as a coffee mixture to boost fertility and the leaves and dregs remaining after serving roselle tea can help smooth the skin.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/05/roselle-benefits-more.html

M. Umar Husein: A Healthy Obsession

Khairul Saleh , The Jakarta Post , Palembang

Wed, 08/05/2009 11:25 AM
People
 
It took Muhammad Umar Husein two years of intensive research to become convinced of the economic potential of roselle, and nearly as long to convince farmers in Palembang, South Sumatra to grow it.

“The deciding moment came when I went to the agricultural research center in Bogor,” Umar says of his decision to start cultivating roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), a plant that is rapidly gaining popularity as word of its health benefits spreads.
“I was surprised because it appears that the plant, which has long been ignored and grows wild in the dense forest, has so many health benefits. Knowing that, I was optimistic about cultivation.”
The Palembang farmers he approached to partner with him in his endeavor were less optimistic. As they could see no commercial value in growing roselle as a crop, they weren’t interested.
But Umar is not one to give up easily. He also isn’t one to waste time. He decided instead to start cultivating it in his hometown of Tanjung Batu village in Ogan Ilir regency. There, the results did the talking.
“After the first harvest many village people were surprised that all the plants were sold, even though I had explained the benefits,” he says. “Now the communities are planting it for their own consumption.”
He went back to the farmers who had turned him down, using the success in his own village as proof. This time, they were all ears, bringing in their friends and relatives to be part of the roselle cultivation.
Umar distributed roselle seedlings to the farmers, and trained them in planting, maintenance and harvesting so they could produce high-quality flowers. Six years later, he has at least 200 farmers growing the crop across Sumatra, making him the pioneer of commercial roselle cultivation in Sumatra.
Through his company, CV Keluarga Madani, Umar stored and marketed the roselle grown by the farmers. They provide between 400 and 700 kilograms of dried roselle each month, which sells for Rp 50,000 per kilogram. Buyers come from across the country, and there has been interest from those looking to sell it into Malaysia.
And, Umar says, there is room to grow. Consider Malaysia and China, where it is already widely produced and consumed, and further abroad.
“In Saudi Arabia, roselle is considered to be a kingly beverage,” Umar adds. “There roselle is known as yaman tea.”
But as demand grew and the success of Umar and his farmers became known, the market saw a boom in the number and range of roselle products – some of which did not have a permit. And some of which blatantly copied his own products – a situation he faces with equanimity.
“They also want to make an income,” he says.
For nothing will dampen his enthusiasm for his obsession.
“One day I hope that roselle will become part of people’s lives so that people’s health can be improved.”
Although roselle was a new venture to Umar, now nearly 51, helping local people was not: He is the leader and founder of an NGO called Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Mandiri (PM2) Palembang, or The Palembang Independent Society for Empowering People.
This institution, which Umar and some friends founded in 1993, is a vehicle to help overcome poverty, a struggle he has been actively involved in since high school.
“It’s important not just to build self-confidence, but also to get involved in organizations where we learn how to face and overcome conflict,” he says. “We need to be aware that the problems aren’t straightforward, but are more complex.”
Umar says he and his partners were aware that most government initiatives to combat poverty fail; he claims that such programs produce little apart from endless reports and talkfests for officials.
Alternative professional programs designed to eliminate poverty tend to be funded by international institutions, he adds.
“This implies that people in other countries, through funding or NGOs, more often take the side of the Indonesian poor than our own government does,” he says.
Umar believes it is important to distinguish among the different types of poor — such as the elderly, beggars, children — and that each type needs a different strategy and approach.
“The karitatif or charitable approach is quite appropriate in helping the elderly poor, the vulnerable and children. But it isn’t appropriate to build the small businesses that are managed by poor people, because these people, to different degrees, can envisage hope, self-esteem and life spirit. Even their dreams differ,” he says.
“The approaches that are taken to eliminate poverty will involve many factors and emotions including people’s spirits, whether they are lazy, what they consume and the level of corruption, which often affects other poor people who run businesses that are progressive and clean.”
As the government definition of a small business in one with assets of at least Rp 1 billion (US$100,000), businesses run by poor people are classified as micro businesses.
“So if they are classified as micro businesses they aren’t affected by banking requirements and the BUMN [state-owned enterprises], which set aside part of their profits to develop cooperatives and small business development projects,” he says.
The way Umar sees it, economic poverty is about more than just lack of money; it is also related to knowledge, skills, motivation, spiritual beliefs and social issues. This is why, he says, any attempts to increase opportunities for small businesses run by the poor need to adopt a holistic framework.
“The real situation of poor families can’t be measured by the size of their income … but by the influence of other factors, such as motivation and targets and their way of life as human beings.”

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/05/m-umar-husein-a-healthy-obsession.html