Kuta Local Market

Mele Pacu Group the day we started the Savings and loans group

The Kuta Pakan Group was formed in early november with a total of 31 women, who decided do name themselves MELE PACU, “I want the truth” in the Sasak local language.

This is one of the most homogeneous groups of all of which we are currently working with, as the majority of the women earn a little income selling fish in the local market. The market in Kuta takes place every day at a very small scale (mainly for people living in Kuta area), and Sundays and Wednesdays on a larger scale, receiving people from all around southern Lombok.  The competition is fierce so these women are also the most assertive of all and are very likely to speak up.

One of the main interests that the women have shown during the group meetings is the need to improve the health and sanitary conditions of the market: it gets extremely muddy in the rainy season, making the working conditions unhealthy, and the waste is just dumped in the middle of the market left there for the chickens and goats to feed from it.

Those women married to fishermen get the fish directly from them, while the rest buy it from local fishermen every day. Some of the women sell raw fish, while others will grill or smoke the fish, following the traditional ways. We can guarantee that the fish is fresh when bought from the women and if you get them not to overcook it the grilled tuna and mahi-mahi are delicious!

Ina Denta selling fried sardines, "Ikan Goreng"

Ina Wiwik grilling tuna

To date, the Mele Pacu women have already saved approx. 300US$, having loaned a total of approx. 525US$ in 14 loans, most of them with the objective of investing in their small fish selling businesses.