Empower Women with Sustainable Livelihood

On June 12, 2026, Yayasan INFEST facilitated the Annual Members Meeting of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Cooperative, attended by 60 members representing migrant worker communities from various regions, including Ponorogo, Blitar, Tulungagung, and surrounding migrant-sending areas.

The annual meeting served as an important forum for strengthening cooperative governance, accountability, and member participation in shaping the cooperative’s future direction. As a member-owned institution, the cooperative plays a strategic role not only in providing financial services, but also in creating a collective support system for migrant workers and their families—particularly women who often face economic vulnerability before, during, and after migration.

During the meeting, members reviewed the cooperative’s annual accountability report, including financial performance, savings and loan circulation, membership growth, and service utilization. Discussions highlighted encouraging progress in loan repayment rates and member participation in savings programs, reflecting growing trust in the cooperative as a community-based financial institution.

A major focus of the meeting was the strengthening of the cooperative’s savings and loan services to better respond to members’ economic needs. Participants discussed strategies to expand accessible financing for productive economic activities, emergency household needs, and women-led microenterprises. Many members emphasized that affordable access to capital remains one of the most important factors in reducing dependence on informal lenders and preventing debt vulnerability among migrant worker households.

The meeting also became a space for collective reflection on future empowerment strategies. Members explored how the cooperative could play a stronger role in supporting sustainable livelihood development, especially for returned migrant women seeking economic alternatives within their local communities. Proposed initiatives included expanding business support services, strengthening financial literacy programs, and increasing linkages between cooperative financing and women-led enterprises.

Beyond financial services, the cooperative was recognized as an important platform for fostering economic solidarity and mutual support among migrant worker communities. Through collective ownership and participatory governance, members are able to build stronger resilience against economic shocks and migration-related vulnerabilities.

Strengthening the cooperative remains a critical step in expanding sustainable livelihood opportunities for women and migrant worker households. By improving access to fair financial services and strengthening collective economic institutions, the cooperative helps create pathways toward greater economic independence, reduced vulnerability, and stronger community resilience.