Empowering disadvantaged young people in Indonesia

Didi Suandi and Dewi Ernawati are youth leaders in handcrafting program of youth empowerment project in Yayasan Cipta Mandiri (YCM).

I’m Didi Suandi (my friends call me as Mas Boy). I came from a very remote area of Banten province in Indonesia. My village is secluded area among the mountainous range. My father passed away since I was very young and my mother is a farmer. My family financial situation forced me to quit of dreaming about higher education. High school is so far away from my village. As a young boy at that time with younger siblings, I also had to help my mother to earn money for the family.  Few years ago, with the help from my neighbor, I moved to Jakarta the capital city of Indonesia. In Jakarta, I worked as a helper of a store. I didn’t have any goal to achieve. In my mind at that time, I had to survive and earn money to help my family. Day after day my life didn’t change at all. There was no significant improvement in my life. After few years worked for that store in Jakarta, I decided to return to my remote village. I helped my mother to work in the farm, but I felt the emptiness. I knew there was something missing in my life. I wanted to do something different; I wanted to change my life to be a better life. I finally decided to move to Bogor a city in West Java. I lived in my friend’s relative and I had to work there as a housekeeper without any payment. I knew about Yayasan Cipta Mandiri (YCM) from my friend and then I decided to join. In YCM, I learn how to sew, to design, had a chance to continue my education to high school and joined an internship program with a famous Indonesian designer and many other things. As a youth leader in handcrafting program I can explore my talents, I have goals of life, my life is more passionate now. I know what to achieve and what I want to do for my future and my life…

My name is Dewi Ernawati (Dewi), I had to give up on higher education when I was still a young girl (about 15 years old at that time). My father was a labor for constructions’ sites, but now he is no longer working as he is getting older and has to look after my mother who got stroke couple years ago. When I finished my junior high school, my parents told me that they can’t support my education anymore. Our life was quite tough. My younger siblings had to study also. Our financial situation forced me to stop dreaming about school. I told my parents that I will look for ways to help them. I started to work casually but nothing satisfied me at all. I didn’t know what to do and felt frustrated as life seemed blurred. From a friend, who introduced me to YCM, I decided to join and I get many opportunities. I have chances to continue my education, to hone my skills in sewing, management, meeting people, link, marketing, entrepreneurship and many more. While learning, Mas Boy and I could also earn pocket money for our life, so we can help our families. We sell our products as part of the internship and entrepreneurship program. I want to pursue many things in life; I want to help my parents to have a better life, to have a small house for us…

Thank you so much to Yayasan Cipta Mandiri, Global Giving and the donators. We know what we want to pursue in our lives now…

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