This is an ongoing project from January 2025 to January 2026, with the funding from Adaptation Fund-EU-UNDP Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA).
Total amount of funding: USD 110,000
#1 What we do for the most vulnerable groups – the women, elderly, and widows:
A cooperative called Koperasi Tumbuh Bersama Utan was established with the aim of providing 0% interest loans to the most vulnerable members of the community, including elderly people, widows, and persons with disabilities. The cooperative currently has over 100 members, consisting of 70% women and 30% men. To date, more than IDR 200 million has been distributed to support members in starting or expanding their small businesses, helping them avoid high-interest debts. Zero-interest micro-loans and mentoring for women will empower marginalized groups to establish small businesses, creating a resilient local economy.
Initially, the cooperative focused on developing silvofishery products (such as milkfish and shrimps) processing businesses, producing items such as soft-bone milkfish, ebifurai, fish floss, fish balls, and dim sum.
Over time, members have also diversified into other small-scale enterprises, including selling vegetables, fish, phone credit and tokens, folded goods, corn-based snacks, and traditional cakes (both dry and wet). In addition, the cooperative has developed a pickup truck rental business to support members’ logistics and income generation.
The cooperative has also received various forms of support, including training programs, one operational motorcycle, and several pieces of equipment such as freezers, vacuum sealers, refrigerators, cool boxes, and stoves.
Let’s get to know more about some of the Cooperative’s members
Have you ever wondered, how much loan would support rural and coastal women as their stepping stone to climb the resilience ladder? Having conversations over and over and listening to them, it is very surprising that actually they do not need much. Just around IDR 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 is what they need. But even this small amount is difficult for them to get because of high-interest lurking. They are afraid of being trapped in a never-ending loan. So when the cooperative offered a 0% interest loan with very small memberships savings, they felt more confident to take some loan to start or expand their small and micro enterprise. Keep on smiling Ibu and Bapak! Let’s support each other through our journey to become more resilient in every aspect.
#2. What we do for kelompok nelayan (fishers)
We continue supporting silvofishery in Utan Subdistrict. We revitalized abandoned fishponds into silvofisheries, integrating mangrove rehabilitation with aquaculture production (milkfish and shrimp). We focused our efforts on rehabilitating unproductive fishponds, eliminating the need to clear or damage existing mangrove ecosystems to develop the silvofishery. Instead, we deepened the existing trenches and planted mangroves in the middle of the ponds. The construction was funded by a private company called Yamamoto Asri. This project, supported by AFCIA, included the installation of pumping and piping systems, provision of shrimp and milkfish fingerlings and feed, and rehabilitation of the guard house to ensure proper maintenance and management of the site.
#3. What we do for younger people wishing to start a coffee shop
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