Gender Equality Indonesia Project #73710

Empower Women with Sustainable Livelihood

by Yayasan Lembaga Kajian Pengembangan Pendidikan Sosial Agama dan Kebudayaan (INFEST)

Project Report | Jan 22, 2026
Village and Regency Community Coordination Meeting in Ponorogo

By Anny Hidayati | Project Staff

Regular Community Meeting

The Regular Community Meeting was held on July 24, 2025, in Ponorogo Regency as part of INFEST Yogyakarta’s ongoing support to strengthen the Indonesian Migrant Workers Community (Komunitas Pekerja Migran Indonesia – KOPI) at both village and regency levels. The meeting brought together representatives of village-level KOPI and their community-based business units, known as KOPI-Owned Enterprises (Badan Usaha Milik KOPI – BUM KOPI), as well as administrators from the Ponorogo Regency KOPI.

The forum was attended by 40 participants, consisting of 15 men and 25 women, reflecting strong participation and inclusive representation across villages. The meeting served as a coordination and reflection space to evaluate progress, identify challenges, and align work plans for the coming three months.

Objectives and Content

The main objectives of the meeting were to:

Conduct evaluations and progress reporting on the implementation of KOPI programs at the village level, including challenges and opportunities;
Obtain a comprehensive overview of the organizational condition and dynamics of KOPI in Ponorogo Regency; and
Identify and agree on the work plans of each village-level KOPI and the regency-level KOPI for the next three months.

Each village KOPI presented updates on organizational activities, community engagement, and ongoing economic and advocacy initiatives, followed by facilitated discussion and joint reflection.

Key Learnings and Achievements

The discussions highlighted several important findings:

Overall, membership regeneration remains a common challenge across village-level KOPI. Many administrators are actively involved in livelihood activities and household responsibilities, which limits their availability for organizational work. Participants agreed on the importance of regenerating membership and leadership to ensure organizational sustainability and continuity.

One concrete initiative shared during the meeting came from KOPI Pondok, which plans to organize a socialization event on the Village Regulation concerning the Protection of Migrant Workers, in collaboration with the Village Government. In addition, KOPI Pondok intends to conduct training on organic fertilizer production for the broader community as part of its efforts to empower the economy and the environment.

The forum also discussed preliminary plans for a Training of Trainers (ToT) on financial literacy, aimed at strengthening KOPI members' capacity to facilitate financial education for migrant workers and their families at the village level.

Reflection and Next Steps

The meeting reaffirmed the role of regular community forums as an important mechanism for coordination, peer learning, and collective planning among KOPI structures. Participants agreed to continue strengthening internal communication, prioritize leadership regeneration, and finalize three-month work plans at both village and regency levels.

INFEST Yogyakarta will continue to provide facilitation and technical support to assist KOPI in addressing organizational challenges, strengthening program implementation, and expanding community-based initiatives related to migrant worker protection and economic empowerment.

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Jan 21, 2026
November 2025 Community Meeting in Blitar

By Purwanto | Project Staff

Participants of the Meeting

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, INFEST Yogyakarta facilitated a Learning Reflection Discussion on the Economic Empowerment of Migrant Worker Communities in Jatinom Village, Kanigoro District, Blitar Regency. The activity formed part of the Regular Business Meeting (Activity 1.2.8 – OP-2.4.2) and aimed to review community-based economic initiatives implemented throughout 2025 while preparing business development plans for 2026.

The meeting was attended by 32 participants (11 men and 22 women), consisting of administrators of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Community (Komunitas Pekerja Migran Indonesia/KOPI) and community business units (BUMKOPI) from five assisted villages—Gogodeso, Pandanarum, Jatinom, Lorejo, and Sumberagung—as well as representatives from KOPI Blitar Regency and the Migrant Worker Cooperative. The discussion was facilitated by Purwanto, INFEST’s Project Officer for Blitar, with support from AWO International.

Objectives and Focus of the Discussion

The reflection forum was designed to:

Present the current conditions of community businesses in each village.
Identify challenges and obstacles encountered during 2025;
Document key lessons learned from successes and failures; and
Develop initial business development plans for each KOPI in 2026.

Key Reflections and Learning Outcomes

Throughout the session, each village KOPI presented an overview of its economic initiatives, ranging from community shops and savings groups to home-based production enterprises. Discussions highlighted that while some initiatives showed promising progress, others stagnated or incurred financial losses due to weak planning, limited marketing capacity, and low member participation.

Participants emphasized that community businesses are not solely measured by profit, but also by the learning process, trust-building among members, and collective ownership. Several common issues emerged, including inadequate financial record-keeping, limited business planning skills, and the absence of clear long-term strategies.

Representatives from KOPI Blitar Regency underlined the importance of cross-learning among villages, noting that peer-to-peer sharing helped communities identify practical solutions and avoid repeating similar mistakes. Support from village governments was also highlighted as a crucial factor in strengthening institutional sustainability.

Looking Ahead: Business Development Plans for 2026

During the planning session, each KOPI outlined preliminary strategies for 2026. Key priorities included improving financial management, strengthening digital and offline marketing, increasing member engagement, and enhancing collaboration between KOPI across villages. Participants agreed that future business development must be more structured and realistic, grounded in local capacities and market conditions.

Challenges Identified

The discussion concluded that:

None of the five communities yet had a detailed and measurable business development plan for 2026; and
Several community businesses remained stagnant or financially unviable without strategic intervention.

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Jan 21, 2026
TOT On Financial Literacy Module For Indonesian Women Migrant Workers In Blitar

By Noviana | Project Staff

Facilitation process

Following the Training of Trainers (ToT) activity in Ponorogo, INFEST Foundation Yogyakarta continued implementing the Financial Literacy Module for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) and Their Families in Blitar Regency. The training was held on Monday, 4 August 2025, as part of INFEST's commitment to strengthening community-based facilitation for safe migration and financial literacy education.

The Blitar training was attended by 17 participants, including representatives of KOPI at the village and district levels. Participants were selected as prospective facilitators who are expected to play a key role in delivering financial literacy and safe migration training to migrant workers and their families in Blitar Regency.

The training was facilitated by INFEST Foundation’s team. The facilitators guided participants through a structured learning process using participatory approaches, group discussions, and practical exercises based on the Financial Literacy Module developed by INFEST.

The training began with an introductory session that provided participants with an overview of the activity's objectives and the role of facilitators in promoting financial literacy among migrant communities. Participants were encouraged to reflect on their experiences in supporting migrant workers and to identify common financial challenges faced by PMI and their families.

In the first substantive session, Wahyuni introduced the concept of gender and its relevance to Indonesian migrant worker families. The discussion explored how migration affects family roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes, particularly in relation to caregiving, income management, and household leadership. Participants shared insights from their respective communities, highlighting the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into financial literacy and migration planning.

The second session, facilitated by Novia, focused on financial literacy concepts, including an introduction to financial institutions and financial products commonly accessed by migrant workers and their families. Participants discussed their experiences with savings, loans, and other financial services, as well as challenges related to access and trust in formal financial institutions. Through group exercises, participants practiced developing simple household financial plans that reflect the realities of migrant worker families, emphasizing budgeting, prioritizing needs, and setting long-term financial goals.

In the final session, facilitators guided participants to reflect on the importance of communication and shared decision-making within migrant worker families. The discussion emphasized the need for clear agreements between migrant workers and their families regarding migration objectives, financial planning, and the use of remittances. Participants identified common communication gaps and explored strategies to strengthen family coordination throughout the migration cycle.

Overall, the Training of Trainers activity in Blitar strengthened participants' understanding of gender-sensitive approaches, financial literacy, and the role of effective communication in safe migration. The training also enhanced participants' readiness to serve as facilitators at the community level, using the Financial Literacy Module as a standardized and practical learning tool. This activity represents an important step in expanding the communities' capacity in Blitar Regency to support migrant workers and their families in achieving safer migration pathways and more sustainable financial management.

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