Community Business

There are people in the far corners of Indonesia who are making efforts to eradicate poverty and protect the environment by setting up creative enterprises. Working in groups they form businesses based on local knowledge, making use of home-grown products. Their goal is not just to gain profit but to empower the more marginalized communities. The result has been quite remarkable. Local economies have grown and environmental problems have been reasonably managed. Most importantly, it has reduced people's reliance on money lenders. This success story came from 20 communities recently gathered in Jakarta for the workshop 'Entrepreneurial Communities Working towards a Green Indonesia'. Follows a report by Tempo English on three communities.