Elisabet's story

Elisabet’s parents were rice farmers, working for a farm owner when she was a child. “We lived in a traditional housemade from leaves, and the floor was just dirt,” Elisabet said. Her parents were paid in rice for their labour. When there was a rice harvest the family was able to eat. But in between harvests when they didn’t have enough food, they drank palm sugar to survive. “We mixed it with water and drank it like a syrup.”

^{Elisabet is one of many women supported through small loans on Rote Island}

It is a boom-and-bust cycle that the rice farmers of Rote Island in Southern Indonesia know all too well. When Elisabet married her husband at age 19, fortunately he owned land. Since then, they’ve farmed the rice fields together, with money coming in when they have rice to sell. However, there are many months in between harvests with no income at all.

^{Rice fields near Elisabet's home on Rote Island, Indonesia}

To supplement their income, the 53-year-old mother-of-three set up a cake business in 2021, buying oil, flour and baking supplies with a small loan of Rp. 3 million (A$285) from Opportunity International Australia’s local partner. Making pancakes, tarts, donuts and traditional cakes, Elisabet sells the pastries door-to-door in her neighbourhood. If she sells
all her cakes for the day, she can make as much as Rp.60,000 (A$5.65) a day.

The money from the cake business provides the family with a more stable income. She’s been able to send her oldest daughter (aged 20) to university, where she studies business. Her youngest daughter (aged 14) is in school. 

I’m happy that my children can enjoy much more variety of food than what I had in my childhood." – Elisabet

^{Elisabet hopes to build on her cake business with a catering business in future.}

Helping more families start and grow small businesses in Indonesia

The number of families Opportunity supports with small loans in Indonesia grew in 2022. Growth was slower than expected, as our partners and their clients continued to address challenges that arose during the pandemic. Many in the sector still see this as a period of consolidation and recovery. There remains substantial unmet need in Indonesia.

Opportunity is committed to working with our partners to continue expanding the scale and reach of inclusive financial services so that more families in more regions can benefit from the economic opportunities that a small loan can unlock. 

As well as supporting more families across Indonesia, we are also focused on improving the gender and disability inclusion practices of our local partners, ensuring vulnerable women and their families are supported and are our partners are promoting financial inclusion.

Learn more about the impact our microfinance and other programs have had on families in need.