JUNE NEWSLETTER 22222201422014

JUNE NEWSLETTER
22222201422014
2016
Dear Friends of PPMK,
This past month, most people here in Indonesia have been
celebrating Ramadan. Muslims celebrate Ramadan with 30
days of fasting during the day. It’s challenging for all of us,
including our clients. Ramadan is a time of worship and
reflection. Below are details on our activities during this special
month. We hope you are uplifted by the stories we have to
share.
JUNE NEWSLETTER
22222201422014
In June, we received 32 loan applications from four groups and six
individuals. Two of these groups, consisting of 18 women in total, were
applying for the first time. We approved 11 loans, including three individual
loans. Our individual loans are for special cases in which a woman’s community
does not have a good repayment record and is unable to form a group.
Client Profile: Mrs. Yati
One of the groups that got approved in June consists of six members from Sanggrahan.
Mrs. Yati is the most successful among them. She has been our client for five years. She
makes jadah tempe— sticky coconut rice served with sweet tempeh or tofu.
She first applied for a loan for her then-tiny food business in 2011. Over time, her business
grew and grew. Eventually, she delegated the task of sales to her daughter, while she and
her husband made the jadah tempe at home.
Now, five years on, Mrs. Yati’s life
has completely changed. Her
enterprise is so successful that she
has even hired someone to help
her. She’s been able to put floor
tiles in her house and is also
building a bigger kitchen and
bathroom. During Ramadan, jadah
tempe does not sell very well, so
this month, Mrs. Yati also sold
people’s favorite food and drinks
for breaking the fast at night.
2016
JUNE NEWSLETTER
22222201422014
2016
IN KIND PROJECT
This June, we gave food packages to 20 people in
the village of Banaran. As usual, our recipients were
poor widows, widowers, and orphans. Generally, a
week before each giveaway, we collect data on those
in need in the village. We ask for help from our current
clients in that village. In Banaran, we found out that
most of our recipients were not able to walk properly,
so we decided to hand-deliver food packages
individually to each house. Luckily, we were helped this
time around by our guests, Monica and Rob, and their
children.
JUNE NEWSLETTER
22222201422014
2016
An Insider’s View of Ramadan
By Sulastri Miharja
The month of Ramadan is eagerly awaited by many Muslims. It is
celebrated all over, including here in Indonesia, where over 80% of citizens
are Muslim. We are supposed to fast before sundown every day. Even
more important than resisting food and drink is controlling our desire and
anger.
Thankfully, Jogjakarta is a city that respects people’s differences. Those
who aren’t fasting can eat, drink, and sell food during the day freely here.
In some other places, these activities are illegal to do publicly during
Ramadan.
Around half of PPMK’s clients are in the food business. They make
tempeh, noodles, chips, cookies, and more. During Ramadan, many of
them have no income, since they are not able to sell their products.
Although it’s not forbidden, there are not many buyers, so they often
decide to stop for the month or reduce their food production by up to
50%.
I asked a few of our clients how they were feeling about their businesses
this month. They all said they were a bit sad, since they were making less
of a profit than usual (or none at all), even though they needed extra
money for the festivities at the end of Ramadan.
In response to this situation, we gave our clients extra time to repay their
loans: they can delay repayment until next month. This kind of occasional
flexibility is one of the many services we give our clients. We hope it
allowed them peace during this holy month.
Contact us: Email: [email protected] ǀ Web: WWW.PPMKJOGJA.OR Face book: PPMK Empowering
Women to Fight Poverty