Empower Women with Sustainable Livelihood

In preparation for the upcoming Safe Migration and Financial Literacy Training for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) and their families, INFEST Foundation Yogyakarta organized a coordination and evaluation meeting with the Indonesian Migrant Worker Community (KOPI) in Blitar Regency. The activity was held on Sunday, 1 October 2025, at the KOPI Lorejo Secretariat in Bakung Sub-district, Blitar Regency.

The meeting was attended by 32 participants representing KOPI management from five program villages—Pandanarum, Lorejo, Sumberagung, Jatinom, and Gogodeso—as well as representatives from the district-level KOPI, a cooperative manager, and INFEST’s Field Officer in Blitar. Most participants were women, reflecting the strong involvement of women, both as former migrant workers and family members of PMI, in community empowerment activities.

The purpose of the meeting was to jointly reflect on the implementation of previous Safe Migration and financial literacy trainings conducted in recent years and to formulate strategies to improve future training programs. The discussion was facilitated by INFEST using a participatory approach that encouraged participants to openly share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned while supporting migrant workers and their families.

During the reflection session, participants acknowledged that previous Safe Migration trainings had contributed positively to improving the knowledge and preparedness of prospective migrant workers, particularly regarding their rights, responsibilities, and the risks associated with working abroad. However, participants also highlighted the need to strengthen the financial literacy component, particularly in household financial management, remittance planning, long-term financial goals, and debt prevention.

Participants emphasized that future trainings should apply methods that are simple, practical, and closely aligned with the daily realities of migrant families. The use of accessible language, real-life case studies, and interactive learning methods was considered essential to ensure participants’ understanding. In addition, there was a strong recommendation to introduce comprehension assessments, such as pre- and post-tests, along with feedback mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of training delivery.

As a concrete outcome of the meeting, participants agreed to establish a district-level Safe Migration and Financial Literacy Training Committee. This committee will be responsible for coordinating training preparation, managing logistics, supporting facilitators, and ensuring the smooth implementation of future training activities. The formation of this committee reflects a shared commitment among KOPI members and INFEST to strengthen local ownership and sustainability of the training program.

The meeting concluded with the formulation of a follow-up plan, including further coordination among committee members, refinement of the financial literacy module currently being developed by INFEST, and the strengthening of KOPI’s role as a community-based learning platform at the village level. Through this process, INFEST and KOPI Blitar aim to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of Safe Migration and financial literacy trainings for migrant workers and their families.
This activity represents an important step toward ensuring that financial literacy interventions move beyond one-off training sessions and contribute meaningfully to the development of healthier financial practices among migrant families. By strengthening community-based facilitation and participatory learning approaches, INFEST seeks to support migrant workers in breaking cycles of economic vulnerability and achieving more sustainable livelihoods.