Learning from mistakes

We all make mistakes including our beneficiaries in Bangkang. Every month our group in Bangkang holds group meeting where they come for saving , making payments  and taking loans.
Last month on March 6th our field officer didn't come to their meeting. It was the first meeting without our presence .With big effort they tried to fill out the documents of saving and loan  because usually our field officer guides them step by step.
When we reviewed the documents, we found some mistakes and realized that they  haven't completely understood how to fill out the forms.
Today in their group meeting we assisted them to find the mistakes  and how they can be solved. Finally they understood and have learned from their mistakes.  The group leader and the book keepers worked together to fill out all the documents by themselves . Ina Marta  finally understands how to calculate the final balance  in their cash box , Hj. Nuraini finally has learned to fill in the number of shares of members in to the general ledger form and  Ina Endang now understands how to fill in the  loan payment form. All of them have learned from their mistakes.

Health Celebration on International Women's Day

Friday 8 march 2013 was totally about the women. International Women's Day is an important day for women all over the world and off course Bersahara wanted this day to be all about our women.

For this day we chose “celebrating health” as our theme. We believe that empowerment starts with a good health, together with education, training and income generation.

Many women in Indonesia suffer from unstable blood pressure and diabetes. Main causes are unhealthy nutrition habits and a lack of regular check-ups. Just by educating them on these two simple things we can avoid unnecessary health problems and contribute to the empowerment process.

In order to celebrate International Women's Day , we offered the women a 'healthy present'. Dr. Desi Silaen, general practitioner and expert in natural healing visited our office in Kuta. Together with her team from Mataram , they did health examination for the women. There were 100 women who received blood pressure and glucose test. As the outcome 5 women have diabetes , 20  have high blood sugar and the others have problem with common diseases like headache and back pain that caused by lack of drinking water.

After the check-up they got not only health advices and explanation about how the importance of drinking water as natural remedy but also medication and a goody bag which contains a calendar and fruits .

International Women's Day was a success! We are so grateful for the help we got from Doctor Desi Silaen and volunteers from Adventist Church Mataram. They did an amazing job!

 In the future we will try to give the women extra lessons about health and hygiene.

Consultation with Dr. Desi Silaen.

Blood pressure test

Glucose test

Registration 

medication 

Goody bag 

Goody bag: calender, fruit, healthadvice 

Big thanks to Elite Havens Lombok, Yuli Home Stay Kuta , Harapan Keluarga Hospital Mataram, and  to the people who made this possible by donating and sponsoring Bersahara!!

Food for thought... for Women

In light of the upcoming celebration of International Women's Day here are some inspiring and interesting quotes about women....


“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.” 
― Joseph Conrad

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” 
― Brigham Young

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ” 
― Roseanne Barr

“If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.” 
― Plato, The Republic

“No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.”
― Margaret Sanger

“As a woman I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.” 
― Virginia Woolf

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” 
― Alice Walker

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” 
― Eleanor Roosvelt

“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” 
― Mary Wollstonecraft

“There is a growing strength in women but it's in the forehead, not the forearm.” 
― Beverly Sills

“You don´t have to be an anti-man to be a pro-woman.” 
― Jane Galvin Lewis

“Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths.” 
― Lois Wyse

Celebrating Health on International Women's Day

This year in Bersahara we want to celebrate International Women's Day celebrating health. We believe healing is a fundamental basic that all women need in order to progress in the road to personal and social empowerment.

Many women in Indonesia suffer from health issues, like unstable blood pressure, diabetes, infections, TB, typhoid fevers, all of them problems that can be easily prevented with simple knowledge on health basic care and healthy nutrition habits.

This year Bersahara wants to celebrate women's day by offering the women a healthy present: some education on basic health care and nutrition, as well as free blood and glucose tests. Hopefully this will be a first corner stone on the way to improving the women's health and therefore their life standards.

Want to help us contribute to Health? Check our Donate tab in this website or come by our office to donate.

And everyone is invited on March 8th to celebrate with us!

Happy Women!

Starting March 2012, this group of 18 women started putting their savings into the common box month after month. At the beginning they were a bit scared to take loans, but once they started they have already helped 13 women with a total of 9,000,000IRP (approx. 900US$) in loans, which have been used for different needs like: investing in their little businesses, paying back other loans, building toilets and other daily needs.

Last Wednesday February the 6th, the women from Bangkang group were very happily surprised when they shared the profits after 1 year of investing and saving in their group. The total profit of 924,000IRP (approx. 92US$) comes from the interests paid for loans by the group members. Each women received their share of profits, which depends on the amount of shares owned in the group: a 23% gain over their savings, much better than any bank!

Therefore, with this methodology, women are owners and beneficiaries from the Savings & Loans groups at the same time. You should have seen the smiles in their faces as they were being called one by one to get their money!

Opening of the Bersahara Store

         

On Sunday the 16th of December 2012, Bersahara celebrated the opening of its store. It was attended by women from Ujung and the ceremony started with an opening prayer which was led by Hj Saibi, the leader of the group

The Bersahara store has been open since December the 2^nd 2012 and is located across from the Matahari Inn in Kuta, Lombok. The store is open from 9am to 5pm on Monday to Fridays and from 2pm to 7pm on Sundays.

Bersahara store sells handmade products that are made by the local woman from Ujung Village Kuta Lombok.   The woman use fabric created using traditional weaving techniques and are inspired from modern designs.   Most of them using hand woven ikat which has been made by craftswoman from Sade Village.

Craftswoman from Sade Village

A bag made from hand woven ikat

Every Sunday afternoon you can meet a group of woman from Batu Riti Village  Kuta making bangles at our store. 

               

If you are looking for nice presents from Lombok stop by at our store. By choosing to buy our products you are supporting the empowerment of local women and contributing to the improvement of their family life standards.

Come by and shop at the Bersahara Store !

Third Handicraft Market

On 18 November 2012 Bersahara conducted the third handicraft market that has taken place at Solah Beach Bar & Restaurant in Kuta Lombok. The market was run from 12 to 8 pm and attracted many tourists. The purpose of this program is to give the woman the opportunity to interact with buyers who are mostly foreigners and explain their work.

Fifteen visitors shopped at the market coming from Mataram, Jakarta, in Indonesia and from as far as England, and Australia. Total sales made almost RP 2,000,000 ( US$222 ) making the day a great success for all involved. Thank you Solah and all the visitors. We look forward to seeing you at the next market.