One of the big challenges that SEEDS faces is to make a sustainable contribution. International development projects may seem fruitful and effective, but the real acid test is when the outside resources, both funding and personnel, stop flowing. At this point it becomes clear whether there has been genuine empowerment and lasting transformation, or not. Ensuring that development partners are self-funding is an important part of the development process. This is why a new café in West Sumatra is such an exciting venture. The café was started by a SEEDS partner, the Perahu Nusantara Foundation (YPN), to:
- Model the business principles that YPN already teaches to groups of young men and women in coastal communities.
- Provide employment. For example, the cook comes from a nearby fishing village.
- Provide a sustainable source of income. Profit from the café flows into the Foundation to support education, entrepreneurship and environmental projects in coastal communities.
Foundation staff are learning what it takes to establish a successful business. In the early months of opening they have had to contend with the twin challenges of too many customers and not enough staff, and a COVID pandemic which led to a ban on any customers! Starting a new business requires grit, a “can-do” spirit and tremendous resilience. This is just as true in the city as in remote coastal communities.
So there are lots of encouragements with much learnt, but also continued challenges in order to make the work sustainable.
