Gaining Collective Success through Women’s Cooperative

The Establishment of Matuari Cooperative, Tatelu

Matuari Cooperative located in Tatelu Village was established on 16 July 2018. The cooperative consists of 48 women as its members. The women group has agreed to make changes to their economy through the cooperative’s saving and loan activities.

Such awareness rises through chains of training during the establishment of the cooperative facilitated by Program Emas Rakyat Sejahtera under the auspices of Artisanal Gold Council and Yayasan Emas Artisanal Indonesia also the local partner, AMAN. “There is a sense of calling and responsibility to change and improve women’s role in the Village of Tatelu after attending several meetings facilitated by AMAN,” said Ms. Deicy, the Head of the Cooperative.

Ms. Selvi acting as the Cooperative’s Treasury also stated that through the establishment of the saving and loan cooperative, the appointed management have the vision to create economic equality and justice for women in the context of family and community prosperous livelihood in the area of Tatelu Village. While the mission they want to achieve is improvement in women’s life quality and role in organization.

The Benefits of Saving and Loan Cooperative and Its Obstacles

At the beginning of the establishment, the women group collected basic savings of Rp 100.000 (one hundred thousand rupiah) and compulsory savings of Rp 25.000 (twenty five thousand rupiah) for each member. Over the time, the amount of the cooperative’s deposit increases; so fur, the amount collected is Rp 12.000.000 (twelve million rupiah).

“At the beginning of the meeting, we only managed to collect the amount of three million rupiah and directed our loan priority for members who already run business in traditional market. The limit of loaning amount was Rp 500.000 (five hundred thousand rupiah),” said Ms. Deicy. “The members who loans are obligated to make installments for six weeks with payment terms of Rp 100.000 per week and the sixth week; the members will be charge one thousand rupiah in interest. This way, many benefits have been felt by the women who become members of the cooperative; they get enough loan for their business capital within an allotted time and with unburdening interest rate. In addition, the cooperative supports their members when their family financial condition is unstable,” added Ms. Deicy.

However, it is undeniable that the cooperative’s management continue to experience obstacles in carrying out the saving and loan activities. The obstacles that often happen is the delay of compulsory and basic savings by the members – this is due to the member who loans falling ill and cannot fulfill the duty as a member. Such situation creates obstacles for Matuari Cooperative due to the fact that other members also need loan from the cooperative for their business development.

Responding to the situation, Ms. Deicy stated that over the time, legal status is needed for the Women’s Cooperative of Matuari. At present, the cooperative is currently waiting for the legal process ongoing in a Public Notary. With proper and complete legality, the women cooperative will be able to get donors that can further support their capitalization – this is an effort to increase the sustainability of the growth of Matuari Women’s Cooperative in Tatelu Village.

“It was done through the facilitation effort by Program Emas Rakyat Sejahtera under the auspices of Artisanal Gold Council and Yayasan Emas Artisanal Indonesia in cooperation with the local partner, AMAN. These organizations have managed to invite Cooperative Office of North Minahasa Regency to accelerate document processing for the cooperative’s legal status,” Ms. Deicy explained.

Socialization Still Runs

In the context of running the saving and loan cooperative, the management has proposed that there be checks on prospective members, this is necessary to find out the discipline of prospective members in fulfilling their responsibility to the cooperative. In addition, the support from local government officials is necessary to improve the community’s participation in the success of saving and loan cooperative program initiated by the women group in Tately Village.

“The cooperative’s management also plan to continue the socialization about cooperative because there are still assumptions that cooperative is a body or organization of which function is only to lend money; not as a forum that can be utilized to carry out activities or other socialization related with the issues of women and children,” explained Ms. Deicy.

In the upcoming future, regeneration will be done for the women who will join to maintain Matuari Cooperative’s sustainability and the establishment of educational savings also a one- stop shop business that will be located in Tatelu’s traditional market.