‘Sinceritas et Simplicitas’

 HER STORY           

PESADA is a local NGO in North Sumatra Province. It was founded in October 1990 by 15 persons who have a similar concern on the socio-political of Indonesia and as a reaction to the existence of Pakpak, an original ethnic minority group of Dairi District that was in danger.        

Due to the political condition and regulation to control NGOs, Sada Ahmo registered as foundation and called as YSA (Yayasan Sada Ahmo). For that reason in 1991, YSA has  started Community Development program through Day Care Centers for pre-school children, Chicken Breeding Project and Parents Groups for Pakpak people. In the process of these efforts, YSA got some findings about one main root of problems in Pakpak related to gender justice and economic problem. Since then YSA program extended to women and children development. In these last ten years, YSA has given more attention to women empowerment in politics and economics, due to the transition in political system and monetary crisis in Indonesia.        After its existence for 13 years, YSA decided to be more independent, transparent, democratized and participative.

Therefore in August 2003 YSA changed its legal status to be an association so called Perkumpulan Sada Ahmo (PESADA) and produced a new vision, mission’s statement, and new organizational structure.  

VISION and MISSION      

The vision of PESADA is: to create communities with a spirit of sincerity, discipline, simplicity, solidarity, fidelity, equality and gender justice. The vision put up into more practice slogan i.e.: ‘Sinceritas et Simplicitas’, while several values of PESADA such as: human rights, gender equality, non-partisan, professional, transparent, accountable, anti discrimination and self-sufficiency put up into Code of Conduct.In order to achieve the vision and the analysis of PESADA on the context, PESADA has four missions, i.e.:           

 To raise awareness of women, children and other marginal groups on their rights.         

To strengthening the economic, social, cultural and political position of women, children and other marginal groups.           

To provide advocacy and legal aid for women, children and other marginal groups.     

   To conduct research and capacity building.  

STRATEGY & FRAMEWORK.       

 PESADA develop the mission and its program through understanding of socio-economic and political of North Sumatra, its surrounding and macro level. As gender inequality and poverty among others take as the main problems, PESADA has to develop community empowerment program for women, children, poor families and other marginalized groups.      

The program uses framework and analysis on ‘power’ with right-based and group approach that sees critical awareness raising/building as the heart of empowerment, considering fulfillment of basic needs and access to resources for the poor[1]. 

When the powerless groups (by gender, economic, ideology, class, etc.) aware on their position as equal to others and understand their rights to participate, those groups will be confident to participate in decision making and to control the implementation. PESADA understand that power should not hold only by one group (powerful group), but must believe in equality principle that builds from practical understanding on power sharing and collective power in the program which in line with empowerment framework       

Therefore, all PESADA projects must consider the five levels of empowerment i.e.:

1.       Fulfillment of basic needs (food, drinking water, etc.).

2.       Access to resources (education, skill, information, credit, etc.)

3.       Critical awareness

4.       Participation on decision making both in the household, neighborhood, and public/political space.

5.       Control over resources, implementation of decision making, include representation in all decision making arenas.       

The framework use in all phases of the project  with participatory methods from annual evaluation and planning, six-monthly review of work plan, and three-yearly strategic planning. While doing empowerment works, PESADA also believes that all personnel are empowered through learning from the community and from the process.   

The Community Empowerment Program Performance.           

Until 2009, PESADA consistently works in seven districts with mostly in rural areas, include in the disaster area such as Nias Island. Apart from in North Sumatra area, PESADA also take as expert in gender mainstreaming and hence in women empowerment (especially in economic and politics) as well as in organizational development in Sumatra Island and national level.           

 In North Sumatra, PESADA has started its empowerment program through Women Credit Unions, Micro & Small Business Development, Women’s political participation, Advocacy, Women Crisis Center, Training, and Networking & Capacity Building. To date (2009), the achievement of PESADA program as follows:

1.       Women Credit Unions.     

 Since 1992, Credit Union takes as model and vehicle for women empowerment. Therefore 9 extension workers (6 females and 3 males) recruited and live in strategic area, as well as around 165 cadres/community organizers (all women) to facilitate Women Credit Unions in villages. By learning together through monthly meeting and discussion including saving and credit activities, women have skill and knowledge in management as well as access to credit. The credit can be use for reproductive needs, tuition of children, giving birth, women asset; and mainly for micro businesses in agriculture and petty trading.     

 All members got training at least on Home Economic, Credit Union Management, Leadership & Book Keeping, and Gender Awareness Raising. By end of 2009, there were one hundred eleven (111)  groups with 7262 members. Eighty-four (84) groups have been merger into 3 Big CU in 4 districts ( Dairi, Pakpak Bharat, South Nias and Main Nias).Total capital of the whole groups are IDR 7.037.308.229 saving, with capital flow IDR 10.724.213.459 .  

2.       Micro Credit & Micro Business Development.       

Apart from Credit Union’s capital, PESADA also started Revolving Fund from TdH the Netherlands in 1994 with amount IDR 19.000.000. The Fund developed into micro credit/MC in 1997 which by end of October 2009 has achieved the amount IDR 651.183.311. In 2009, total number of women who took MC are 19 women with total amount IDR  171.500.000 which mostly used for petty trading and short-term farm. Special MC also given to victims of gender-based violence to assist the victims to start her economic activities, as the victims mostly use to depend economically to their husbands. In 2009, credit also gave to 14 woman candidates with total IDR 360.000.000 that ran for district Parliament and Provincial level.      

 Along with micro credit, PESADA also carry out training on micro/small business, particularly on Business Motivation, Business Plan and Business management. In order to have bigger impact on specific barrier to women in micro/small business, PESADA involve actively in National networking i.e. ASPPUK (Association of NGOs for Women in Micro/Small Businesses). Women groups in five  districts (Dairi, Pakpak Bharat, Humbang Hasundutan,  Nias – Main & South) have also form network for women in micro/small business, so called JARPUK.  

 3.       Women’s Political Participation.      

 Since 1999, PESADA actively conducted political education for grassroots women. It started with questioning political rights of women in patriarchal and authoritarian government, followed by understanding equality of citizen and all marginalized groups before the state.

Monthly Bulletin for political education called “Suara Perempuan” (Women’s Voice) published and circulates since 1999, which in the end of 2009 has reach its 112^th number; as an alternative media for democratic education for women and rural areas. As a result, the women groups understood their right to participate not only as voters, but also as representatives or to be voted and to hold leadership in the household, community and the state.      

As an example of result, in 1999 all representatives of Women Credit Unions declare their independent organization so called SPD (Suara Perempuan Dairi/Dairi Women’s Voice)[2] and seriously started their concrete political participation through field-independent monitoring of the ’99 General Election. In 2009, 21 women members of Credit Unions and participants of political education became candidates although only 4 women elected as parliament at district level (DPD & DPRD Tk.II), 3 at village level (BPD-Village Parliament) , and 1 head of villages; but one first women elected as Senator of North Sumatra as a acontribution of PESADA and Provincial network of women activists.The reflection on struggle for women in political participation has produced 3 books by PESADA i.e.: Peol-otik, Women’s Participation in the form of Pakpak Bharat, and Political Labyrinth.  

 4.       Advocacy:      

 Several activities conducted to advocate marginalized groups and to promote gender justice such as:

a.       Children: several activities are under way (since 1991 to date) in order to advocate and promote children rights to  government and the community through:      

 §         Six Day Care centers in 6 villages of Pakpak people, and 1 baby/toddler care in Salak, capital of Pakpak Bharat District; with 154, (96 girls) with percentage of self-finance around 70 %.  .§         1 child-library, 5 reading-corner and mobile library in Dairi and Humbang Hasundutan Districts with around 9  readers in average per/day.       

§         Annual celebration of children day (23 July)      

§         Advocacy for free birth certificate for children (around 150 certificates successfully released) especially for children of single parents .      In order to document Pakpak fairy tales as well as to promote Pakpak culture, PESADA has published 1 book in 2 languages (Pakpak & Indonesian)  and circulate it into schools in Dairi and Pakpak Bharat districts in 2002.

b.       Education & gender:

PESADA conducted several gender awareness building & training for teachers of basic level education (primary & secondary schools) since 2003 to 2005. As a result there was a need to produce a handy hand out for integration of gender & sexuality in teaching. Two books have been published in 2005 I.e. “Integration of gender & Health reproduction in Teaching” for Kinder Garden and for Primary/Secondary schools. These books have never been taken as formal hand-out due to the rigid regulation on curriculum, but at least around 100 teachers use the book in their teaching activities.

c.       Research. In order to raise the community awareness on GBV, in 2002 & 2005 PESADA conducted 2 participatory researches about GBV in Pakpak Women, and GBV in Humbang Hasundutan. The result presented and discussed with local leaders particularly customary leaders. As a follow up, the result would be published in March 2010 as a tool for  campaign and promotion of women’s rights and anti violence.

d.      Gender Budget. The point of this advocacy is to guarantee the participation of women groups in the planning, and to demand for the specific needs of women, particularly in health and education sectors. PESADA also educate local parliaments of the 3 districts on Gender Budget and produced one “Handbook for Parliament on Gender Budget”. Since 2004 to date, only several women groups can be participated in village planning level with at certain points gain more understanding on their rights on local budget transparency.  

5.       Women Crisis Center SINCERITAS      

To advocate victims of gender-based violence/GBV, Sinceritas - PESADA carry out several activities since 2004  i.e.:

• Counseling
• Education on relevant laws, and women’s right awareness raising through discussion and publication.
• Legal aid
• Shelter for women/girls victims of violence and trafficking
• Supporting group
• Entrepreneurship & Business management with micro credit

In 2005 to October 2007 Sinceritas-PESADA has done reintegration of 131 women and children Victims of Trafficking (VOT) in cooperation with IOM Jakarta. Apart from reintegration, Sinceritas deal with number of victims of GBV in SINCERITAS from September 2004 to December 2009 was 219 cases. Mostly victims of domestic violence (61%) and sexual violence (20%) .  

6.       Training & CoursesVarious training and courses conducted almost every month for the community particularly for women and grassroots levels, from awareness building to management and skills; and political education. Some of the big training, workshops and seminars conducted in the ‘Training Center for Women & People: “Sinceritas et Simplicitas” building in Sidikalang. 

7.       Networking  and capacity building:This is deal with several activities in order to develop PESADA capacity as well as to influence other NGOs on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment both in the communities and among activists, such as:

a.   Serial training for 35 Women activists of North Sumatra and Aceh in 2002-2003. The training meant to develop women activists’ capacity as trainer particularly in gender awareness and analysis trainings. The trainings covered: Gender Awareness Raising & Women’s Rights, Gender Analysis, Assertiveness & Adult Learning.

b.       Training for NGO activists in North Sumatra from 2002 (Gender Awareness, Organizational Development, Political Education)

c.       Develop and coordination of Learning Forum for Capacity Building (FBCB) of 27 NGOs across 8 provinces in Sumatera Island, from 2001 to date. 

d.       On going press releases on gender, women, poverty and children’s issues in local newsletters.

e.       On going center of activity for women activists and feminists in North Sumatra for advocacy, women’s movement and political participation. Pesada initiate several women’s networks in North Sumatra, such as: JAKER Perempuan SUMUT, Forum Perempuan SUMUT, Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia Wilayah, and lately Network of Women Activist & Alleys of Women Empowerment.

f.        Publication of book: “The History of PESADA: 15 years in Sincerity & Simplicity” in 2005, 4 pocket books as handbook for community field staff and WCC Sinceritas staffs, Her Story of Women’s Movement of North Sumatra.  

8.       Socio-Economic Reconstruction Project for Women and Families in Nias Island  There are 2 Big Women Credit Unions Groups in Nias which consist of 21 units of CU (1650 members) in South Nias and 17 unit of CU (1379 members) in Main Nias. Micro credit which manage by PESADA in Nias until  2009 IDR 606.830.510, in which  494.970.000,- manage directly by the 2 Big Women Credit Unions. All of members got regular training (awareness raising on rights & vocational/skills on micro economic and organic farming), while the health project has finished in July 2009. Nias also circulate 500 exemplar bi-monthly bulletins for rural women in local language (Fehede Ndraalawe) which by end 2009 have published 5 editions.           

       All of those empowerment works directed from the central office in Sidikalang (Dairi District) with 3 representative offices in Medan, Gunung Sitoli (Main Nias) and South Nias (Teluk Dalam), and implement by 50  personnel (42 females and 8 males). Only 13  of them are full-timer staffs (9females and 4 males); others are contract-based (from one to two years contract) and volunteers.

The personnel have various background concerning religious and ethnic groups, as well as formal education levels. Each staff has expertise on their work such as in community organizing, gender awareness building, management of Credit Unions, gender analysis, advocacy, etc.; with regular capacity building.        

  To date, PESADA takes as one consistent institution that so called Women NGO that works closely to the community particularly grassroots women, children and the poor; that work mostly in the rural areas; but has a link to national level and international level. PESADA also known as institution that regularly checked its performance through regular organizational assessment framework. PESADA uses gender perspective at all project cycle with specific framework to assess the empowerment level; and regular capacity building to increase it’s personnel performance.     PESADA, March 2010.