Feature stories

2012

1. 

   Campaign for domestic workers’ rights gathers pace

   29 February 2012

   The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, 8 March, is “Empower Rural Women, End Poverty and Hunger”. One path that many rural women take to escape poverty is to become a domestic worker in a big city household or overseas. Yet when they do, many find themselves exploited, with little or no legal protection to guarantee basic rights to pay, rest and freedom from abuse. However following the adoption of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), the campaign to ensure domestic workers’ rights are respected is gaining momentum. By Lotte Kejser, Chief Technical Advisor, ILO Country Office for Indonesia and Timor Leste

2011

1. 

   Public-private partnerships in Asia Pacific – the best of two systems

   26 August 2011

   Public-private partnerships are gaining increasing traction in international development cooperation and are being used more and more by the International Labour Organization (ILO). By Wolfgang Schiefer, Chief, Regional Partnerships, Resource Mobilization and UN Reform, ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

2. Young Timorese beautician is a cut above the rest

   29 July 2011

   Eugenia de Jesus Cardoso now runs a successful beauty salon in her hometown, in Maliana, her hometown in Timore-Leste. She gained the business and specialist skills she needed during a training programme run by the Timore-Leste Government and the ILO’s Youth Employment Promotion (YEP) programme. By Matt Crook for the ILO Liaison Office for Timor-Leste

2010

1. Indigenous women break traditional barriers by becoming entrepreneurs

   22 December 2010

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer, ILO-Jakarta. An ILO/UNDP project to help women in Jayawijay, Lani Jaya and Yahukomo regencies of Papua, Indonesia become entrepreneurs to help lift them out of the poverty line.

2. Bali Tourism Institute continue to grow after 30 years

   19 November 2010

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Bali, Indonesia): More than 30 years ago the ILO, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assisted the Government of Indonesia in the establishment of the Bali Tourism Institute (Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata/STP) in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. Established in 1978, SPT Nusa Dua Bali has extended its reputation as the premier source of quality human resources for the tourism sector in the country. It is also the largest tourism institute under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, equipped with modern learning facilities. Participating in the ILO’s Entrepreneurship Skills Development (ILO-ESD) project last year, Yulia was able to gain new knowledge through the GET Ahead module.

3. “Now, I can afford my children’s education”

   29 October 2010

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Wamena, Indonesia): “This training changed my mindset,’’ said Yulia Walilo, a honey bee entrepreneur in Lani Jaya. Participating in the ILO’s Entrepreneurship Skills Development (ILO-ESD) project last year, Yulia was able to gain new knowledge through the GET Ahead module.

4. “Nyeki Awa Loh Halok, Nyape Awalok Hat”

   29 October 2010

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Wamena, Indonesia): “The programme not only gave me knowledge, but it also gave me a chance to expand my business by helping me with a loan,’’ said Serlina Wenda, a coffee milling entrepreneur in Jayawijaya. When joining the ILO’s Entrepreneurship Skills Development (ILO-ESD) programme in 2009, Serlina had been an established entrepreneur, with a coffee milling business that had run for more than a decade. But she believed that her business knowledge needed to be updated and developed.

5. Human story – A simple woman who is able to transform Nias

   01 October 2010

   Aries Zebua is a young woman, 24 years old, and is from Nias. Several years ago she managed to complete her high school education and then began working in a local contractor company. Two years passed by, after which Aries decided to move to Medan. Here she worked at the Polonia Airport as part of the cargo handling crew for 3 years, before she finally was asked to return home by her family.

6. Human story – A better road for the future

   01 October 2010

   Mrs. Murniati Bate’e is one of Nias Island’s indigenous people originating from Dahana Village in Gunungsitoli Idanoi sub-district. She works alongside her husband as a farm worker. As a farm worker, the income of Mrs. Bate’e often varies greatly, as does her working hours. She wished for a job so that she could provide her family – especially her children - with a better start in life.

7. The story of Cassina: Trapped in war-torn Iraq

   15 April 2010

   Like most of her peers in Subang, West Java, Cassina had a strong desire to lift her family out of poverty as it had a debilitating effect on them since her marriage in 1996. Her husband’s daily income as an ojek driver was inadequate to cover their daily needs and pay for their ten year-old son’s monthly school tuition fees. Having heard the success stories about her fellow villagers working in Malaysia and Middle East, she decided she wanted to work in Abu Dhabi.

8. From a migrant worker to a cooperative leader

   15 March 2010

   By Muhamad Nour, Labour Migration Project Coordinator in East Java, and Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (East Java, Indonesia): in The global challenges of the crisis, however, can still turn into opportunities. And, here is a story of Waniti, a 38-year old mother of three. This former migrant worker established a cooperative specifically designed and targeted to former migrant workers and their families in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia. Malang City is well-known as one of the main sending areas of migrant workers in the country.

9. Securing a business idea, stopping working overseas

   15 March 2010

   Siti Mutia’s family was very poor with no permanent job or regular income. It forced her husband, Joko Susanto (39) to seek work overseas as a plantation worker in Malaysia. The family had to sell their cattle to fund the cost of Joko’s departure through an overseas employment agency in the town.

10. Reaching for a better future through vocational training

    15 March 2010

    Nikodemus Nisa or Niko, the youngest of six siblings, was born in Soe, TTS District, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. When his father died, he was raised by his uncle in Tanini Village, Kupang District—a remote area with a limited access. He was just 8 years old at that time. Unfortunately, his family was unable to support his education. He was out of school after graduating from the elementary school.

11. A great transformation of a young entrepreneur in Maluku, Ambon

    15 February 2010

    Sarmin is one of the victims during the conflict in Ambon, Maluku. When coming back to his village in 2008, after being imprisoned for four years, he did not know what he was going to do. His future was uncertain. Yet, his life was changed dramatically when he followed the steps of his friends to join a community learning centre.

2009

1. Launch of a young enterprise in East Java

   15 December 2009

   Without start-up capital to purchase machinery, Luluk and her small team improvised by borrowing sewing machines and equipment from family and friends. As a result of their exposure to local buyers and businesses at the Bromo Agrofestival, their souvenir business, Embeon Productions, is now steadily growing.

2. Condido: Boosting the cut flower industry in Pasuruan

   10 December 2009

   With agriculture and agribusiness identified as key to the LED interventions in Pasuruan, Masuda, the Secretary of the LED Forum in Tutur and manager of a local flower association, Condido, was keen for the Forum to be involved in activities to facilitate the growth of the local floriculture sector. For many years, Tutur has produced a range of flowers and plants for local buyers, however, Masuda felt that this market could be expanded.

3. Paskalina Baru: Building local communities in Papua

   15 January 2009

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications-Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Manokwari, West Papua): This is a story of Paskalina Baru, Programme Facilitator, in West Papua. She has broken the traditional barrier, becoming the first female facilitator for the ILO's PIPE Project.

4. Absallom Retto: Investing for the future

   15 January 2009

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications-Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Jayapura, Papua): Most indigenous peoples are dependent on their access to lands, territories and natural resources, particularly where they still engage in traditional livelihood strategies, such as pastoralism, hunting and gathering and rotational agriculture. Absallom Retto from Muara Tami District, Papua, was no difference. As a dedicated farmer for almost 25 years, his lands are his whole life.

2008

1. Migrant domestic workers: Dreams washed away by tears

   09 December 2008

   Most workers experience some form of verbal, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse on a regular basis and are forced to confinement within the workplace. Contracts are violated, and payments and passports are sometimes withheld by employers or recruiting agents until the last contracted day of work (which make it impossible to flee). The majority of these workers are vulnerable young women with little schooling or knowledge about their rights and the potential dangers of their work situation. Worst of all, most countries exclude domestic workers from labour legislation protection, including Indonesia.

2. Skills training providing blacksmiths with tools for success

   05 April 2008

   By Gita F. Lingga, Communications Officer of ILO-Jakarta. (Baucau, Timor-Leste): Two years ago, Manuel Gaspar, a third generation blacksmith, in Baucau Kota, Baucau, Timor-Leste, together with one to three employees, was only able to produce seven pieces of agricultural and construction equipment per week. He is now able to produce 140 tools per day, and is employing 45 workers, 23 of whom are permanent workers. He has successfully expanded his business and established a group called “Blacksmith.” To date, Blacksmith has produced a total of 6,000 tools, earning a total of $50,000 – 60,000 dollars.