The Perempuan Maju Jaya Group provides a space for these hopes to grow. Here, women gather, learn, and support each other. Although they come from modest backgrounds and have limited business experience, their determination to improve their lives drives them forward.

Nengah Wantri, the group leader, plays a key role in this journey. Known simply as Nengah, she serves as a bridge of hope for members. Having faced limited access to capital, knowledge, and business opportunities, she draws motivation from these challenges to move forward.

For Nengah, joining the group is more than an extra activity. It is a way to demonstrate that rural women can become independent. She consistently encourages members to try new things, even if they must begin with small steps.

Their journey gained direction through collaboration with multiple stakeholders. PT Mamuang, part of Astra Agro, has provided tangible support to strengthen economic empowerment in the village, especially for the Perempuan Maju Jaya Group. The company engages consistently with local communities, fosters collaboration, delivers meaningful benefits, and maintains open dialogue to ensure its programs meet community needs.

After careful consideration and community engagement, PT Mamuang provided piglets to the Perempuan Maju Jaya Group. This support marked the beginning of a collectively managed business led by village women. The initiative was further strengthened through collaboration with the NGO Relawan untuk Orang dan Alam (ROA) and the Central Sulawesi Plantation and Livestock Agency.

In addition to maIn addition to material support, the women received ongoing mentoring and training. Nengah Wantri and group members learned new skills, including livestock fattening, feed management, and disease control. Mentoring was provided through regular field visits and workshops that expanded their understanding of resource access.ocess, women farmers were encouraged to better understand their rights and opportunities, including how to access empowerment programs that were previously beyond their reach.

For Nengah Wantri, this transformation is deeplFor Nengah Wantri, this transformation is deeply personal. She has seen not only economic improvements but also changes in mindset. Women who were once hesitant are now more confident, actively participating in discussions, making decisions, and planning their shared business future.oductive businesses. We hope this program will become a turning point for improving our community’s economy,” she said.

She also recognizes that independence develops over time. It grows through learning, effort, and mutual support. Today, that process is underway in her village.

The Head of Rio Mukti Village, Idris Lambang, also expressed appreciation. He thanked those involved and hopes the group will manage the assistance well to deliver tangible benefits to the community.

“I encourage all members of the Maju Jaya Group to uphold this trust with full responsibility. Manage the livestock properly, participate in the training provided, and use this program as a foundation for collective efforts to improve our village’s welfare,” he said.

From the simple livestock pens they manage, hope continues to grow. Each step taken by the Perempuan Maju Jaya Group shows that with access and trust, rural women can drive change.

In Rio Mukti Village, empowerment thrives through individuals like Nengah Wantri, who turn limitations into starting points for progress.

In the era of social media, sales patterns are gradually shifting from offline to online. This transition presents a significant opportunity for local businesses, as promoting their products has become more manageable and their reach has expanded. One group of local businesses taking advantage of this change is PT Perkebunan Lembah Bhakti (PT PLB), a subsidiary of Astra Agro. They utilize the benefits of the digital world by marketing their products through WhatsApp (WA) applications.

“We promote our products through WhatsApp status, and some members also use Facebook and Instagram. As a result, more and more people are placing orders. If you want to order, simply message us on WhatsApp. We will deliver it right away,” said Rita Sembiring, a PT PLB community member involved in making chips for PT PLB local businesses.

The concept of digital marketing emerged as a response to the sales challenges faced by businesses trying to market their products beyond their local communities. Rita Sembiring, a member of the PT PLB association, shared her experience of visiting neighboring towns to distribute free product testers to the community.

Creative and unique ideas have emerged among the women of the association. They use digital technology and social media for promotion and orders.

Rita appreciates that, despite the numerous requests they receive, she does not have to invest heavily in business capital. “All the raw materials for the chips come directly from the garden in the village, which we plant and cultivate ourselves,” she said.

Catur Wibowo, the Assistant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Officer at PT PLB, explained that this business initiative is part of his efforts to encourage members of the association and the village community to become entepreneur, starting from a small business.

The economic empowerment of residents through Agricultural business which primarily focused on PT Perkebunan Lembah Bhakti (PLB) and is evident across all Astra Agro subsidiaries. In addition to supporting local businesses, the company’s CSR team also provides agricultural assistance to enhance food security for communities surrounding plantation concessions.

The chosen crops for development have been selected for their quick harvesting times, enabling residents to benefit from a short processing period. These crops include beans, long beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies, and others. Besides personal consumption, many of the harvested goods are sold in the market, generating additional income for the residents.

One notable initiative is the Agricultural Learning Center (ALC) program, which supports the Orang Rimba tribe at PT Sari Aditya Loka (SAL) through the Suluh Rimbo Sikar and Suluh Rimbo Air Panas groups. The Suluh Rimbo activities empower the Orang Rimba tribe to independently produce food, thereby strengthening food availability for the local community.

In addition to agricultural cultivation, the local community receives guidance on chicken farming and fisheries from the PT Pasangkayu CSR Team. Their efforts include cleaning chicken coops, providing quality feed, ensuring access to clean drinking water to meet nutritional needs, improving ventilation to maintain air quality, and administering vaccines and vitamins with the help of veterinarians from the Plantation and Livestock Service Office of Pasangkayu Regency.

Additionally, the community has received support for aquaculture, particularly catfish farming for the Bunggu tribe, which resides near the PT Pasangkayu area. The harvested fish can help local groups meet their daily nutritional needs, especially for those living far from the sea.

The presence of oil palm plantations, such as Astra Agro, not only boosts the palm oil industry in the region but also promotes the economic independence of local communities by supporting local businesses. Through training, access to capital, and the development of marketing networks, local business can become essential pillars in diversifying income sources around the plantations.