MVB Indonesia Inaugurates Program to Empower Stay-at-Home Moms
Jakarta. The Singapore-based corporate awareness program for sustainability, Most Valued Business Indonesia, launched Usaha KecilKU, or my small business, a sustainability program in collaboration with the Biji Sesawi Foundation, in Jakarta on Monday (08/08).
Usaha KecilKU (UKKU) was introduced as a women's empowerment program to help poverty-stricken stay-at-home mothers become entrepreneurs in order to provide for their families.
The program is also backed by several MVB Indonesia 2016 members, including soft drink distributor Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, furniture retailer IKEA Indonesia, sarong maker Sarung Gajah Duduk, telecommunications operator Telkomsel and printing solutions company Brother.
"We have partnered with nine MVB Indonesia members who have helped us create UKKU, and the idea is to help these women create your own businesses, and become self-sustaining by generating their own incomes," MVB Indonesia chief executive Eamonn Sadler said.
The Biji Sesawi Foundation has selected 10 mothers for the program, where MVB provides them three-months' worth of stock to set up shops in their own homes, with profits going into their own pockets.
"I hope we won't see you here in this foundation by next year since you'll be busy running your own business by then," the chief executive said. Since Telkomsel is one of the sponsors, the women will also receive smartphones to adopt Telkomsel's T-Cash electronic cash payment system, in order to give them a competitive edge.
"In this age of digitalization, we want to educate these women about how to make their business more modern and to sustain their business for the future," MVB Indonesia head of special projects Radja Simatoepang said.
Radja added that the ladies will also be assigned to attend entrepreneurial workshops presented by Coca-Cola Amatil and MVB Indonesia to develop them in becoming leading businesswomen.
The small stores are expected to open by early September, with MVB Indonesia looking into expanding the program to other foundations.
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