Young participants in a men’s hairdressing class learn skills to enable them to set up a small business. Photo: GKPI
Skills training provides women, men and youth with opportunities to start small businesses and boost income
(LWI) - From sewing, hairdressing and beauty salon services to woodwork and sustainable agricultural training: the Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia (GKPI) has successfully equipped dozens of women and men, including young people, with skills to start their own small businesses and significantly improve their family incomes.
The skills and jobs training has been part of a project called ‘Creative House’ pioneered by the church in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province. Supported by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the project was designed to combat unemployment through vocational training for church members and others. It has been so successful that it will continue to be rolled out for a further three-year period and expanded into the regions of Dairi, Asahan, Tapanuli and Samosir on Lake Toba.
Some 60 people have benefited from training over the past three years, with many of them going on to open small businesses in their homes or find jobs to help support themselves and their families. Students at the Abdi Sabda Theological Seminary in North Sumatra have also been encouraged to participate in training sessions to learn how to lead their own congregations in similar diaconal projects when they are ordained as pastors.
I can sew my own children’s clothes and the knowledge I gained can also become a business opportunity in the future.
Ertika, a sewing class participant in the ‘Creative House’ project
Sewing classes for both beginners and more advanced students have enabled participants to create many ready-to-wear garments for adults and children. One of them, Ertika, described the training as “truly beneficial for me.” She said: “Now I can sew my own children’s clothes and the knowledge I gained can also become a business opportunity in the future. I hope training like this continues and that more people participate because it’s very useful.”
Training in men’s hairdressing, cosmetics and beauty treatments has also enabled many participants to save money and start small businesses in their neighborhoods. Students described the “great sense of camaraderie” and new friendships created during the courses at the church's Institute of Professional Development (LPPM). One participant, Erni Aritonang, said she was “grateful for the opportunity to learn for free,” adding, “I can earn money from my services working in someone else’s salon. Thank you LPPM GKPI for taking care of us who can’t afford to study elsewhere.”
Carpentry and organic agriculture
Carpentry classes have trained students to use both hand-held tools and machines to produce quality wooden furniture such as tables and chairs, as well as accessories including pencil cases and mobile phone stands that can be sold locally and at tourist attractions. As well as restoring and setting up a craft workshop and wood storage facility, the project also included the building of two dormitories for students taking part in the training courses.
An integrated agricultural training program has taught students how to cultivate the soil before planting seeds and how to grow flowers, vegetables and trees. Vegetable seeds were distributed to participants and other congregation and community members, encouraging them to develop a healthy, organic diet and confidence in growing their own crops.
One participant, Stephan, said the courses were “very beneficial for those of us who have land for farming.” He said: “We gained a lot of knowledge from the instructors, and we learnt about the impact of chemical use on plants, how to make organic fertilizer from kitchen waste, such as onion peel, vegetables and other organic material, as well as good planting techniques. After completing the training, we felt happy and enthusiastic to apply it in our home gardens.”
