BWCC

Bali Women Crisis Centre (BWCC) organized the Gerobak untuk Perempuan Pejuang Kuliner Tabanan or Selling Cart for Women Culinary Entrepreneurs in Tabanan program, supported by Grab Indonesia under the Percaya 2024 Program in collaboration with BenihBaik.com. The program implementation period is from April to November 2024. This program is committed to empowering 10 female Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the culinary sector especially those residing in Tabanan District, Bali Province.

“This program is implemented through several activities, including a survey and selection of program beneficiaries, training or capacity-building activities for MSMEs in the culinary sector, and the distribution of selling carts to develop their culinary businesses. We positively appreciate the assistance provided by Grab Indonesia in improving women's welfare,” said Ni Nengah Budawati, Director of BWCC.

Program beneficiaries during MSME training activities organized by BWCC at Kubu Bali WCC, Tabanan, Bali.

This program was initiated due to the strategic role that MSMEs play in Indonesia's economy, serving as the backbone of the national economy. MSMEs contribute significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment, and poverty alleviation. According to the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, MSMEs account for more than 60% of Indonesia's GDP and absorb over 97% of the total workforce in the country.

The number of MSMEs in Indonesia continues to grow rapidly, with around 64 million MSMEs spread across the country, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2023. In Bali Province, MSMEs are also a crucial pillar of the regional economy, with approximately 800,000 MSMEs operating in various sectors, including crafts, tourism, trade, and culinary. The culinary sector is one of the rapidly growing MSME sectors with significant potential in Bali, particularly in Tabanan District.

Women as local MSME entrepreneurs rely on their businesses to meet daily needs and improve their family's economic well-being. However, they still face challenges including access to capital, business management, and marketing. Therefore, the “Gerobak untuk Perempuan Pejuang Kuliner Tabanan” program was implemented to provide support to MSME entrepreneurs.

During the training activities for program beneficiaries held in June 2024, BWCC presented several topics as training materials, including how to calculate the cost of goods sold and selling prices, product stock management and packaging selection, business financial record-keeping, and the use of digital cash registers through the Kasir Warung application. With these training materials, the program beneficiaries are expected to apply the knowledge gained and optimally develop their culinary businesses while enhancing service to customers.

MSME training activities for program beneficiaries, focusing on product stock calculation.

The distribution of selling carts was then carried out in July 2024 to the program beneficiaries. These beneficiaries now use the carts to sell various culinary products, such as Balinese culinary, snacks, and beverages. Their sales areas are spread across several villages in the banjars of Tabanan District, including Banjar Kekeran, Banjar Penatahan, Banjar Tegayang, Banjar Bedugul, Banjar Batukambing, and Banjar Bedugul.

One of the program beneficiaries and the selling cart provided through the Gerobak untuk Perempuan Pejuang Kuliner Tabanan program under the Percaya 2024 Program

One of the program beneficiaries, Ni Ketut Rusmiati, expressed her hope that the cart assistance would help her sales activities run more smoothly and attract more customers. She can now sell various types of culinary products, such as tipat cantok, snacks, and iced drinks, using the cart. Another beneficiary, Ni Wayan Suciati, also expressed her gratitude for the assistance received, saying, “Previously, I sold my products using a regular table, offering ayam betutu, which has been my signature dish since I started. I hope this cart will make sales and income smoother and I am grateful for this program.”

BWCC views this program as a concrete step toward improving welfare and empowering women as local MSME entrepreneurs. Through this initiative, the women entrepreneurs have the opportunity to grow and develop, opening the door to a more prosperous life, including at the household level. It is also hoped that similar programs can continue to be implemented with the support of various parties in different regions, enabling more women to achieve independence and empowerment through MSMEs and make a greater contribution to the local and even national economy.