Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Banyumas, Central Java | Thu, 08/07/2008 10:09 AM
Experience seems to have taught a group of former female migrant workers of Datar village, Sumbang district, that thorough planning is required if they wish to sustain or improve their income after their retirement.
Together the group established a migrant worker association in 2004, over concerns many of their fellow migrant workers were having difficulty making a living upon coming home.
"They become very wasteful, consumptive and like buying things they don't really need," former migrant worker Lily Purwani, 28, told The Jakarta Post recently.
On completing working contracts abroad, many migrant workers spend their money building houses that exceed their real needs, and purchasing unnecessary items like motorcycles and electronic appliances, Lily said.
Consequently they run out of money quickly, she said. When this happens, often the first thing they think of is to go abroad again for another working contract.
"Rarely do they think about spending their money to start up their own business here," Lily said.
The impact of such "culture", especially on their respective families, Lily said, is even more of a concern.
Boys or girls whose mothers work abroad and shower them with money, for example, are not encouraged to study hard, but instead they are trapped in promiscuity. They go out every day, riding their new motorcycles, and end up as drug users.
"One of the objectives of establishing the association is to help migrant workers and their families to avoid such bad experiences," Lily said.
Through the association, she said, they are encouraged to spend their earnings on productive activities, not to look overseas for work, but to set up their own businesses locally which they can run upon retiring from the migrant worker industry.
The idea of establishing the association, Lily said, was first expressed by her fellow migrant worker Narsida, also of Datar village, who is currently working for the United Nations Development Fund for Women in Jakarta.
Speaking to the Post recently, 30-year old Narsida said the association was in fact first established in Cilacap (also in Central Java), then Banyumas.
Similar groups also exist in other regions including Cirebon, Kuningan and Cianjur in West Java, and Blitar and Malang in East Java.
"We call it Mekar Wangi Migrant Workers' Care Association," said Narsida, who is also chairwoman of the Mekar Wangi network division.
To help female migrant workers expand and improve their skills, the association is currently focused on providing training in various areas.
To facilitate communication among group members, each regional association also broadcasts through its own community radio station.
"We are now working to develop a secretariat in each region where people can get access to free information," she said.
In terms of productive activities, Narsida said, the association has helped establish cooperatives for breeding cattle for meat in several regions.
In that example, members were invited to invest in a cooperative in their home village. By doing so, they could share profits from the business.
Other programs include joint silk-screening businesses and joint cellular phone shops.
"We are now planning to set up a joint franchise retail store. Hopefully it will grow bigger and bigger, like a supermarket," Narsida said.
