We are delighted to present a wide range of high-quality products, handmade with love and care by local families of Muntigunung!
About Us
Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise (PT. Munti Cahaya Sejahtera (MCSE)) evolved from a poverty eradication program located in the dry and disadvantaged area of North-East Bali. Thanks to the program’s holistic efforts, access to water, healthcare and education as well as the economic situation have significantly improved over the past years.
Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise’s goal is to produce high quality products that create as many employment opportunities in the local community as possible.
History
Back in 2004 Muntigunung was one of the poorest areas in Bali. The land was exceptionally dry and families had to walk for an average of four hours just to get water. Child mortality was high, and there was little access to education and healthcare. Many had to go begging on the touristy streets of South Bali to make ends meet.
In order to alleviate these fundamental problems faced by the local communities, the Muntigunung Poverty Eradication Program was developed with a particular focus on water, economy, healthcare, and education.
With the goal to improve the economic condition and create productive employment, products from the natural resources that already existed in Muntigunung, such as cashew nuts and lontar palm sugar were developed. This was followed by then expanding into the development of new products made from rosella, mango and moringa.
Starting in 2008 as a small-scale home industry with limited production and sales, food products from Muntigunung were introduced and sold to customers across Bali. Muntigunung’s production and sales increased over the years and in 2019 PT. Munti Cahaya Sejahtera (MCSE) was established to focus on a broader range of business activities. MCSE facilitates the production and sale of food products from the Muntigunung community, and ensures competitive costs and excellent quality.
While the business structure may have changed, the philosophy remains the same. In all activities as a social enterprise, MCSE continues to focus on improving the economic welfare of the Muntigunung community.
Fair Prices
We work alongside local farmers to grow and harvest their crops, buying their yield at fair prices.
High Quality
The crops travel only a short distance from farm to factory where they are gently processed, sealing in the freshness and ensuring the highest quality.
Employment for Former Beggars
Our production purposely avoids the use of machines to create employment opportunities for the community. Most of our workers are former begging women who struggled to make ends meet. Having the opportunity to work fills them with great pride and means that they can now feed their families on a steady income.
Environmentally Conscious and Healthy
Our products are solar dried in custom dryers in a soft, long process at low temperatures of maximum 47ºC to retain the greatest amount of raw nutrients and health benefits, leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible.
Our products are a luxurious treat that carries the love and investment from the local community straight to you!
Cashew Nuts
According to health experts, cashews are packed with antioxidants, proteins and phytochemicals that protect us from heart disease and cancer. They are one of the healthiest nuts: cholesterol free, rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium, zinc, as well as mineral copper and magnesium; providing benefits to bones, joints, skin and hair.
A large part of our cashews are collected and purchased in Muntigunung. They are cold cracked and manually peeled before being gently roasted in a solar-dryer at a low temperature of maximum 47ºC to retain the greatest amount of nutrients.
Rosella
Muntigunung is an ideal location for growing Rosella. The volcanic soil produces an exceptional quality of flowers with a high concentration of vitamins and nutrients. All the rosella used in our products is planted, harvested and processed in Muntigunung. The flowers are dried at low temperatures in solar-dryers to lock-in the nutrients.
Rosella is rich in substances that promote good health including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and omega-3. It reduces the viscosity of the blood, improves digestion, has diuretic effects and stimulates the colon for effective detoxification of the body.
Rosella flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa) tea has a tart, cranberry-like flavour, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine. Rich with Vitamin C, Rosella tea makes a wonderful herbal remedy to combat cold and flu. Drinking Rosella Tea after meals can reduce absorption of dietary carbohydrates and assist in weight loss, and if taken regularly, can prevent bladder infections and constipation.
Lontar Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is considered the next big thing in natural sweeteners because it’s a nutrient-rich, low- glycemic crystalline sweetener that looks, tastes, dissolves and melts almost exactly like sugar, but it’s completely natural and unrefined.
Our Palm Sugar is produced from the sap of the Lontar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer) and differs from palm sugar produced from coconut trees.
It is manually harvested, then cooked and air-dried to form a crystalline sugar that is rich in nutrients. It has the lowest calorie content of any natural sugar, making it the ideal option for those searching for an alternative healthy sweetener.
Moringa
Our high quality Moringa is grown in Muntigunung by local farming communities. Its leaves are harvested by hand in small batches and gently processed to protect the valuable nutritional contents.
The leaf of the Moringa oleifera tree is highly nutritious, packed with 46 powerful antioxidants, a wide range of vitamins and minerals and 36 anti-inflammatory agents. Our Moringa Powder is slowly dried at minimal heat to prevent the enzymes from breaking, ensuring that this plant’s amazing health benefits are in the final product. Moringa powder is an excellent ingredient in a range of healthy recipes
Dried Mango
Drying fruits is one of the best ways to preserve them with a minimal effect on their nutritional value. Mangoes are one of the most nutritionally dense fruits on the planet and one of the best fruits to include in your diet. They are loaded with fiber and healthy compounds like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Our Dried Mango has a sweet, non-acidic flavour that is lush, tasty and rich in vitamins. 100% fat-free, it is dried naturally at low temperatures using our custom solar-dryer.
Sea Salt
The Balinese coastline villages have a centuries-old tradition of salt making, producing a pure premium salt with sweet notes. The Kusamba village is one of the few villages that have continued with this historic tradition. The process begins with the evaporation of seawater in the beds of black volcanic sand to create pure distilled brine. The brine is then left to crystallise inside vessels made from coconut tree logs. The crystal salts that emerge on the surface of the brine are hand-raked and drained to remove the excess brine.
Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise empowers local families in the remote area of Muntigunung, North East Bali. By purchasing our products, you are supporting the people of Muntigunung and providing them with a brighter, sustainable future.
www.muntigunung.com
Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise
PT MUNTI CAHAYA SEJAHTERA
Jalan Kertanegara no 78, Banjar Anyar-Anyar, Ubung Kaja, Denpasar Utara 80116, Bali, Indonesia
Phone : +62 361 424619 , +62 812-3999-9821, email : info@muntigunung.com
