WITH THE SPIRIT OF KARTINI, ANJ SUPPORTS TODAY’S WOMEN INDEPENDENCE

20 Apr 2022

 

       

Jakarta, 20 April 2022 – RA Kartini has a big role in the history of Indonesian women's independence, thanks to her efforts in fighting for gender equality and fostering women's independence in all aspects of life, including the economy so that many women today can contribute to the pace of the economy.

In supporting the independence of women around the company's area, PT Austindo Nusantara Jaya Tbk (ANJ), through its two subsidiaries PT ANJ Agri Papua (ANJAP) located in West Papua and PT Sahabat Mewah dan Makmur (SMM) in East Belitung, empowers women by carrying out community programs to create economic opportunities in achieving sustainable development.

Nunik Maharani, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Communications of ANJ Group, said ANJ has a focus on programs that benefit women. For example, the Warung Mama programs in Papua and Daun Lais in Belitung aim to create economic opportunities for women, where there are few opportunities for them to generate additional income for their families.

In West Papua, the Warung Mama Program facilitates local women (mama) from Saga village, Metamani District, South Sorong Regency by providing learning opportunities and training for mothers to prepare various dishes to be sold. ANJAP also provides guidance and assistance in managing simple finances for mothers.

Since 2019 Warung Mama has had eleven members from Saga and Puragi villages, Metamani District. This initiative not only empowers women from South Sorong but also raises the profile of sago as a versatile, nutritious, and locally produced food source.

Each member of the group generates income from the sale of various dishes such as Es Cendol Sago, Chicken Noodles made from sago to Cake Talam Pandan, Donuts, and Molen. In one month, they can earn up to 2 million rupiahs.

A resident of Puragi Village, Mama Dorkas Derione, said she was very grateful because she could generate income by working at Warung Mama. In addition, she also received training to make cakes with sago starch as the basic ingredient, it's a skill that she did not have before.

“My average income is more than 2 million rupiahs per month, depending on attendance and the results of cake production on that day. The money from my work, apart from being used to buy household needs, I also put it as a charity in the church. I thank ANJAP and the CID (Community Involvement and Development) team for always assisting us, the Warung Mama group,” he added.

ANJAP works closely with the team and the mothers have shown commitment and perseverance with the training and facilities that have been provided. This project is quite popular with the local community and among our employees. Following this success, Warung Mama will open a new location at PT Permata Putera Mandiri (PPM).

Currently, the mothers are given the opportunity to develop their farming skills through hydroponic gardens. They are taught by the ANJAP team to grow various vegetables that can be consumed by the family and can also be sold as additional income apart from the Warung Mama. In the future, these fresh vegetables can be developed into locally processed products to be marketed.

In Belitung, SMM supports a lais leaf craft project which is also able to generate income.  Since 2016, a group of women from the hamlet of Aik Ruak, Simpang Tiga Village, has used lais leaves, a type of leaves that resemble pandanus but have thorns, to make various handicrafts. Some of the handicrafts produced are women's handbags, wallets, food containers, baskets, and several other crafts. Lais leaf woven crafts are often used as souvenirs that can be purchased when traveling to Belitung.

In 2021, the SME gallery called "Sahabat Lais," managed to get up to 54 million rupiahs in revenue. Lia Mardiana, a lais leaf craftsman, said that the assistance from SMM enable Sahabat Lais to grow rapidly. The SMM team provided equipment for weaving and also introduced the craft of lais leaves to visiting company guests. These guests often buy Sahabat Lais crafts such as bags.

Lais leaf is a local commodity, but its utilization has not been maximized. To improve the business prospects of the local community, ANJ continues to support and share knowledge about the environment and traditions of Belitung. Local wisdom like this should be maintained and preserved.

 

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