Being Born in Indonesia

Ina Ana, 7 months pregnant, receiving her first loan from the group

A few days ago, only one week before delivery due date, Ina Ana was coming out of her house when she fell down. Her husband, the Kadus from Baturiti Desa, drove her immediately to the hospital in Praya. By the time they arrived the doctor said the baby girl was already dead. They are not sure whether Ina Ana fell because the baby had been dead in her womb for a few days, or whether the baby died because of the fall. This was the second child for Ina Ana and her husband.

If you are a woman in Indonesia the chances that you get pregnant while an adolescent are 45 out of 100 (Adolescent fertility rate @ 45,1%)*. Still only 57% of Indonesian women will use a contraceptive method (mainly the contraceptive injection), still well below the average of 76,9% contraceptive use in East and Pacific Region countries, where Indonesia is included.  If pregnant, most women will have at least one ante-natal visit during pregnancy (93%), however only 75% of them will be attended by a skilled professional at birth (vs. 91,9% for Region average).   Therefore Indonesian women have a higher risk of death at birth (240 out of every 100,000 live births, vs. 79 for the regional average). Although the fertility rate is well below the lowest development index countries, Indonesian women will have an average of 2,1 children (vs. 1.8 for the region), who will then have a 41% chance of making it after 5 years old (mortality rate below 5 years is 39%, well above regional 26%).

* All statistics source: UNDP 2011 Human Development Global Statistics

Lombok being part of the least developed province in Indonesia after Papua, Nusa Tenggara Barat has a low 65,2% HDI (Human Development Index), vs. 72.7% for Indonesia, (source Badan Pusat Statistik Indonesia 2010), one of the highest fertility rates in Indonesia, and one of the highest under five infant mortality death rate in the country. 

Bersahara is therefore considering initiating a basic health and maternal centre to attend these primary basic and important needs in Southern Lombok.

Kartini Day

Ibu Kartini (photo from google)

"Ibu Kartini", how many Indonesians call her, is a national heroine recognized as the first women to fight for the rights of Indonesian women.

Last April 21st the Indonesians celebrated the "Kartini Day", a national holiday, time to remember this incredible and forward women, who was born in Dutch colonized Indonesia to a wealthy and well-educated family. 

She was lucky to attend school until 12, most women back then and even today did not, and learnt Dutch. Although following local traditions she then had to retire home to prepare for marriage, Kartini used her language skills and found several pen pals, many of them women in Holland who would share with her the European feminist thinking and magazines which inspired Kartini to work for the emancipation of women in her country, their struggles for freedom, autonomy and equality. She started a school for women before she died young after giving birth to her first and only child.

Today Indonesia has many "Kartini Schools" who honour the values and work of this inspirational Indonesian women.

From Bersahara we feel in debt to continue Kartini's work in her country.

Welcome Group Number 5!

"Harum Kemuning" Group

We are happy to announce that yesterday we finished the KAF Savings and Loans 3 day workshop with a new group of women in Aiklengis Desa, near Kuta village. They have named themselves "Harum Kemuning", something like "the smell of flowers".

The group is made out of 25 women, of a very low income level. Most of them work on the rice paddies or making mats out of bamboo. 30% of them (8 women) are illiterate and barely speak Bahasa indonesia. The group has an average age of 28 and 2.3 children.

Making Bamboo Mats

In line with their income, during their first KAF meeting they all saved 10.000Rp each, amounting a total of 250.000Rp. As usual in every first meeting, they decided not to take loans this first meeting, hoping they can save more next month and therefore access larger loans.

Day 1: analyzing income and expenses

Getting illiterate women to sign the rules

Listening carefully to the rules

Helping each other

Celebrating

SELAMAT DATANG TO BERSAHARA

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.

One more group has joined!

We are very happy to post that yesterday we finished the 3 days workshop we normally have when start a new KAF savings and loans group. During 3 days we go through different group dynamics and train the women on the savings and loans methodology, how to calculate interest rates, how to organize themselves in order to enable decision making and conflict solving among the group.

Hari Internasional Wanita

Yesterday March 8th we celebrated International Women’s Day. All the women from the 3 established savings and loans groups met at Pantai Sene (Sene Beach in Kuta) for the first gathering since Bersahara started in September 2011.

The idea was to celebrate that Bersahara has become a reality and that we are all happy to be women. 

Women in the East and the West

In some Western countries women change their names when they get married, losing their family name and taking over their husband's surname, somehow acquiring a whole new identity.

Ina Lisa

In Indonesia the change happens when you have babies. So, after your first born, your name will change to "mother of ...." your first born's name. So a women named Putri (princess) who has a first born girl named Lisa, will now be Ina Lisa. 

Funny how women are expected by societies to change their identities and become "wives" or "mothers" ahead of "women".

Ina Anisa

We are sad to share with you the unexpected death of Ina Anisa’s 2.5 year old daughter. Anisa was born with a disease called Hydrocephaly which is a complex disease which has a very expensive and difficult treatment. Few days ago Anisa had a high fever. The doctor prescribed some medicines which apparently helped improved her situation. However, two days later the fever picked up again and Anisa’s fragile health could not cope with it again. 


Ina Anisa is one of the members of the Women’s group in Baturiti Desa. She is still in shock and can not believe her only baby is not here anymore. All our  love and blessings to her and her family.

Mandalika

Miss Mandalika 2011

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess called Mandalika. She lived in the South of the island of Lombok. Her beauty was such that all the Princes in the island wanted to marry her. Because sheit was difficult for her to chose,  her father the King organized a bow and arrow contest among all the Princes. And so it happened that their desire to marry her was so big, that they all performed excellently so it was impossible for the King to chose. 

Kuta Lombok

Kuta Lombok, view from Ashtari restaurant

Bersahara organization is based in Kuta, Southern Lombok. Kuta is a beautiful land populated mainly by Sasak people who started settling here in the early 50's, mainly to fish and crop some land. The area is popular for its pristine white sand beaches, green hills and world class waves. As the area was discovered by surfers for tourism, it has slowly developed into a quiet small surfer town where locals strive to get used to external influences while preserving their local culture.