Pekerti Foundation
Pekerti stands for Pengembangan Kerajinan Rakyat Indonesia (Indonesian People’s Folk-Art and Handicraft Foundation), a social development agency formed in Jakarta, 1975. It’s mandate is to supplement the incomes of subsistence farmers and rural people through the development and sale of traditional crafts and folks art.
Pekerti trains and gives assistance to the producers to market domestically. They also give services in marketing, especially in export marketing, which can not be done by the producers themselves. Pekerti also gives the producers an advanced payment for the producers and also a credit scheme for investment.
Background of Establishment
Pekerti was established as a self-reliant, non-political and non-sectarian organisation. It was founded because there was a concern of the impact of development that disregards the community’s participation. The agricultural sector, with the system of mechanisation and the introduction of new seed varieties, has limited the working opportunity of the farmers, which results in urbanisation.
While in the cities, development of modern industry, through large investments, have motivated unskilled farmers join in accumulating the city’s population. On the other side, through advertisements, modern industries reject the products and services of small scale businesses that can not compete due to inefficiency. As a result, these businesses are forced into bankruptcy and to join the force of job seekers in the factories.
The Aims
Stimulate and develop crafts and folk art businesses as a means for a social to prosper.
To increase the wealth of the community by providing better profit for the businesses.
Intensify the efforts to work together (based on the co-op principles) with microenterprise groups for the purpose of creating solidarity and improving quality and efficiency in producing and marketing their products.