Women-led Economic Groups (Kelompok Usaha Ekonomi Perempuan/KUEP) in Tegal Mulyo Village and Cipta Praja Village, which are part of the collaborative program of PT Cargill, CARE Indonesia, and the Musi Banyuasin District Government (MUBA), received recognition from Novrizal Tahar, Deputy for Accelerating Capacity Building and Access Provision at BP Taskin, during his visit to the villages on Saturday, September 20. The appreciation was given for KUEP’s savings and loan initiatives and the products they have developed, which have successfully increased household income for members while also helping rural communities move out of the extreme poverty category.

KUEP has produced a wide variety of products, one of which is handicrafts made from palm fronds, such as plates, baskets, bowls, mirror frames, and more some of which have been successfully marketed as far as Lampung. In addition, KUEP’s financial management of savings-and-loan activities was praised for its well documented and orderly record-keeping. Further appreciation was also expressed during discussions with national and local media in Palembang on Sunday, September 21. According to Novrizal, the women’s economic empowerment model implemented by KUEP could serve as one of the solutions to poverty alleviation.

“The economic empowerment model applied through KUEP offers a viable pathway out of the extreme poverty category by encouraging members to initiate and grow their own businesses. This makes it a very effective concept to replicate in other regions. BP Taskin will encourage other business actors in Indonesia to adopt the KUEP model in channeling their CSR programs, so that these efforts go beyond mere charity,” said Novrizal Tahar, Deputy for Accelerating Capacity Building and Access Provision, BP Taskin.