Despite losing a leg at a young age and facing discouragement from those around her, Rohanah has built a successful small business. More than 10 years ago, she took a small loan from Opportunity International Australia’s local women cooperative partner Koperasi Mitra Dhuafa (KOMIDA) in Indonesia to set up her food stall.

Rohanah lives in a village near Bogor in West Java and has two children. Every morning, Rohanah rises at 2:00am to prepare nasi uduk, a traditional coconut rice dish, along with a variety of condiments, including fried chicken from her own farm, tempe (soybean cake), and bala-bala (vegetable fritters).

She has declined the government's free housing renovation assistance, preferring not to be classified as living in poverty. Instead, she financed her home improvements through saving and further loans, using group lending that does not require collateral.

Through her entrepreneurial efforts, she has achieved financial stability and funded her children’s education. Today, they are employed and contribute to the family, demonstrating the powerful ripple effect one individual can have on their community.

The loans help me grow my business... I have managed to create savings and occasionally draw on them to further develop my business when needed.”

“I use loans and business profits to secure my future, not for leisure,” said Rohanah. “The loans help me grow my business — I’ve renovated my premises, bought two motorbikes, and used the profits to support my children’s education, now that they’ve finished vocational school. I have managed to create savings and occasionally draw on them to further develop my business when needed.”

While Indonesia has made strong progress in overall financial inclusion, with a reported 84% adult inclusion rate in mid-2024, the inclusion rate for People with Disability (PWDs) remains substantially lower. According to recent research, only about 24.3% of PWDs aged 15 and above have a bank account, compared to approximately 47% among the non-disabled population.

KOMIDA currently has 913,605 clients and 885,360 active borrowers, including 17,259 women with disability.

This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).