business

BRI Life's Sustainable Financial Action Strategy Through The Eceng Gondok MSME Marketing House

BRI Life is teaming up with its parent company (BBRI) and the BRI Research Institute to actively support local SMEs. One of their initiatives is the launch of the Eceng Gondok Marketing House at Rawa Pening Reservoir in Tuntang, Semarang. This project aims to boost sales for local artisans working with water hyacinth. Before the official opening, they organized several supportive activities for SME members, including training on business legality, financial digitalization, and marketing, along with guidance and the establishment of a digital sales hub. BRI Life also provided tools and digital devices to aid in sales, raised awareness about insurance, and offered free micro-insurance products called Pijar to participants. Rawa Pening was chosen for this empowerment effort because artisans in the area have been using the abundant water hyacinth, which has threatened the reservoir's ecosystem for the past 20 years. With the help of these SMEs, the water hyacinth can be transformed into valuable products, although they still face challenges in marketing them. The event was attended by key figures including BRI Life's CEO Aris Hartanto, Chairman M. Syafri Rozi, Independent Commissioner Eko Wahyudi, and BRIRINS CEO Anton Hendranata. In his speech, Aris Hartanto expressed hope that this initiative would enhance sales for the water hyacinth SMEs at Rawa Pening. He emphasized BRI Life's ongoing commitment to supporting OJK programs aimed at improving financial literacy in the community and increasing income for the local water hyacinth artisans.

Aris mentioned, "Through the guidance provided, artisans are educated on how to add value to their products by incorporating a background story about the creation process. This way, each product gains a unique and innovative edge, making it more competitive in the market." The Bengok Craft SMEs, supported by BRI Group, have at least 30 artisans producing various items made from water hyacinth, including mats, bags, baskets, frames, sandals, keychains, and planting media. With the creative hands of these SMEs, water hyacinth is transformed into useful products with high economic value, even though many people see it as a useless plant or a weed that disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Firman Setiyaji, the coordinator for the Rawa Pening Water Hyacinth SMEs, explained that the products from Bengok Craft stand out as unique, classic, and ethnic, focusing on fashion and crafts while ensuring that the water hyacinth items remain functional for everyday use. He added, "We aim to bring these local water hyacinth products into the global market. We're continuously working to create competitive products. We encourage all artisan members to become more entrepreneurial. By participating in the training provided by BRI Life, we hope the artisans here will gain a better understanding of financial management, marketing, and how to improve their businesses moving forward."

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Tag: BRI Life Eceng Gondok Eko Wahyudi MSME Marketing House Rawa Pening