Having been able to provide emergency food aid to coastal villages in West Sumatra during 2020, SEEDS partner the Perahu Nusantara Foundation has been back in one of those villages training young men with business skills.
The training took place outdoors, observing local COVID protocols, and participants learned about book-keeping, business planning and how to identify business opportunities. They also explored together what aspects of character make an entrepreneur successful for the long term benefit of the wider community and not just themselves. As many of the villagers are employed in fishing, participants also learned about fish processing as a way to add value, especially when catches are high and the price of fish drops.
As part of the training, participants were encouraged to design and build their own business. They chose a dried fish business and with a small grant from the Perahu Nusantara Foundation have started this business. Staff from the Perahu Nusantara Foundation will continue to mentor these young men to help their ideas and passion to translate into community transformation.