Standard Chartered and Plan Indonesia Support MSME Development in Kupang through a Training Programme for Young Entrepreneurs

Kupang, 5 October 2023 – To create equal business access for young people in Kupang, Standard Chartered Indonesia and Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) held the Business Meet Up Event in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (5/10). Government bodies representatives, financial institutions and various stakeholders attended the event held with Futuremakers participants.

About 80 out of 400 participants who have obtained MSME training in the craft sector with Plan Indonesia and their implementing partner, Krealogi by Du Anyam, showcased their business in three different craft categories, including tote bags, woven products, and general craft products. The Futuremakers participants also exercised their ability to gain access to a new market through the colouring contest held for the public, highlighting the use of their handmade tote bags as the primary material in the competition. Each MSME craft training participant will be gaining similar opportunities gradually in the future.

Dini Widiastuti, Plan Indonesia’s Executive Director, explained that the business meet-up is designed to facilitate a real experience for program participants. “One of the most important supports for young entrepreneurs is access to the market. Plan Indonesia consistently strives to ensure equitable access for every youth employment and entrepreneurship program participant, including the Futuremakers participants attending the event today. Plan Indonesia aspires for this business meeting to serve as the starting point for young entrepreneurs to thrive and compete in the East Nusa Tenggara market,” ” said Dini at the opening of the Business Meet Up event in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (5/10).

The initiative implemented by Futuremakers is in line with the craft industry potential in Kupang. In 2022, the Kupang Statistics (BPS Kupang) noted that the investment value within the craft sector (cork, bamboo woven products, rattan, and similar products) in Kupang amounted to Rp 43 billion. Meanwhile, according to the Indonesia National Survey (Sakernas) 2022, there were 224,422 people, or 61.33 percent of the Kupang city residents within the workforce demography, with 56.08 percent among them employed and 5.35 percent looking for a job.

Futuremakers – Dini Widiastuti in the opening of Futuremakers Business Meet Up

Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, an initiative that has trained young people between the ages of 16 and 29 to start their own craft businesses, gained appreciation from the East Nusa Tenggara provincial government. Ayodhia G.L. Kalake, the acting governor of East Nusa Tenggara, stated that Futuremakers and its business meet-up event had opened a new economic opportunity for the participants.

“The government appreciates the Kupang young people who have strived to enhance their skills through this business meet-up. The initiative created by Standard Chartered Indonesia and Plan Indonesia has also reminded us of the need to provide more optimized support to the young entrepreneurs so that they could compete equally in the market,” Ayodhia said.

Meanwhile, Diana Mudadalam, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Indonesia & ASEAN Markets (AU, BN, PH), Standard Chartered, stated that this event is tangible evidence of sustainable economic empowerment that the Bank has supported in the past year with Plan Indonesia.

“We appreciate the Futuremakers by Standard Chartered participants who have succeeded in their learning and now can create and sell their craft products. We are very proud to learn that this training has been running smoothly, which we cannot achieve without the support and cooperation of our partner, Plan Indonesia, and other stakeholders. We hope this could be a good start to improve the youth’s access to sustainable economic advancement, especially in Kupang,” Diana said.

Futuremakers – Diana Mudadalam in the opening of Futuremakers Business Meet Up

Diana also added that the Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is a global initiative launched in 2019 as a part of the Bank’s concern for the communities around its operational area. Through the entrepreneurship pillar of the Futuremakers program, the Bank partnered with Plan Indonesia to implement the MSME craft training for the entrepreneurship program in East Nusa Tenggara in 2022. This program aims to support the advancement of economic conditions for young people after the COVID-19 pandemic, including for young women and people with disabilities in the region. The program, with a value of USD 300,000 (Rp 4.3 billion), was funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, with the target to support 400 young people, including 240 young women and 100 people with disabilities, through job readiness training and micro business assistance. In addition to that, the Futuremakers by Standard Chartered program also implements several other training programs in Indonesia to support young people and women to improve their education, independence, and quality of life.

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About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia)

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969, officially registered as a national foundation named Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in 2017. Our vision is to strive for children’s rights and equality for girls. We also work with youth to ensure youth meaningful participation in decision-making that has impact to their lives.

Plan Indonesia as a member of Plan International Inc., has a core program on child sponsorship which currently assisting more than 36,000 marginalized children in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province with five commitments to meet their basic rights from access to birth certificate, basic vaccines, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as education.

In total, Plan Indonesia works in 8 provinces to strive for children’s rights and equality for girls through seven thematic programmes, including Stunting Prevention, Elimination of Violence against Children and Youth, Adolescent Health, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (YEE), Resilient School, Gender-Responsive Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response, Youth-led Climate Resilience. Plan Indonesia is taking part in a global campaign, Girls Get Equal, with Girls Leadership as the main focus. It aims to increase leadership capacity, agency and social movement involving the 3 million targeted girls to claim more equal power, freedom and representatives.