Asmat's Change: One Savings at a Time
Melkior (32), a member of Savings for Transformation (S4T) in a village in Asmat, Papua. He works daily as a woodcutter operator in the village. As an operator, he doesn't receive a monthly wage, but only when he obtains wood can he sell it and earn an income. With an irregular income, Melkior finds ASKA very beneficial for his family as it helps save money for his children's school expenses and for his family.
People in this village generally don't have a fixed income. Their jobs vary, such as woodcutter operators, farmers, hunters, and fishermen. One of the popular jobs is the one Melkior does.
"My wages are uncertain. Sometimes I work two to three days in the forest looking for wood before I can shop for my family for a week," he says. Only when he runs out of money does he return to the forest to find wood to sell. Melkior's family isn't used to saving. Their daily income is spent on daily needs.
Melkior's financial habits began to change when he was introduced to S4T. This activity is facilitated by Wahana Visi Indonesia so that the Asmat community can start to learn family financial management patterns. Melkior understands that S4T is designed to help families learn to save. The S4T savings period is also not too long and can be tailored to the community's needs, which is what makes S4T appealing.
"I feel helped because I can save money, so the money from selling wood isn't all spent on household needs, but I can save some too," says Melkior. This is what motivated Melkior to save money so that whenever his children and family need money, he can provide it. "Since I joined S4T, I set aside a little from the proceeds of selling wood to save," he adds.
At the end of the saving period, he is happy with what he earned. Although the amount is not large, it is very meaningful and a good lesson for Melkior. In the next S4T period, he is motivated to save more diligently. "I've taken my savings. I will use this money for Christmas preparations and also to give gifts to my children," he says.
The growth in household economic management that occurred in Asmat is the reason WVI will continue to assist the implementation of Savings for Transformation in Asmat. "Thank you, WVI, for introducing S4T. We are motivated to save for our children," he concludes.
Author: Alfred Robert Dadi (Field Facilitator in Asmat Area Programme)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
