In the spirit of commemorating Heroes' Day, PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI emphasized its commitment to continuing the struggle of heroes through empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) throughout Indonesia. For BNI, MSME players are heroes of the modern economy who are struggling to build independence and encourage national economic growth.
Through the BNI Berbagi program in Ngawi Regency, East Java, BNI has helped develop more than 380 MSMEs. This program is a forum for coaching, mentoring and facilitating market access so that local business actors can move up in class and have higher competitiveness.
BNI Corporate Secretary Okki Rushartomo explained that empowering MSMEs is one of BNI's main focuses in supporting an inclusive and sustainable people's economy.
"BNI is committed to providing real solutions for local business actors so they can upgrade through coaching and mentoring towards wider market access," said Okki in a written statement.
One of the success stories of this program comes from Awicho, an MSME from Ngawi who succeeded in combining two local products, namely chocolate and tempeh, into a distinctive culinary innovation that is now known in various big cities in Indonesia.
Awicho was founded by Masrifah Hidayati Nur, or Ida as she is affectionately known, who initially only produced seasonal character chocolates in 2014. However, after many attempts, she came up with a unique idea to create tempeh chocolate, combining two iconic flavors of Ngawi.
“Ngawi is famous for tempeh. So I'm thinking of making tempeh chocolate. It's not easy, because these two materials have different characteristics. But after many attempts, we finally found the right taste," said Ida.
Through BNI's mentoring support, Ida received training in branding, packaging, digital marketing, and the opportunity to showcase her products at various local and national exhibitions.
"From BNI's training and support, we learned a lot about sales strategies and product development. Now our sales have increased significantly," she said.
Currently, Awicho employs five permanent staff and produces various chocolate and tempeh processed products such as tempeh chocolate, tempeh dry brownies, and tempeh chocolate chips, priced from IDR5,000 to IDR25,000 per package.
Ida also empowers housewives around her home to participate in the production process so they can earn extra income. "Most of them are the breadwinners of their families. I want them to be independent and have their own income too," she added.
Although initially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic with a monthly turnover of only IDR2–3 million, Ida was able to bounce back thanks to her unwavering spirit and the continuous support from BNI. Now, Awicho's turnover is stable at IDR25–30 million per month, even soaring to IDR210 million during the Eid holiday season.
Awicho's story is a real testament that the spirit of heroism is also present in the business world. Through ongoing collaboration and assistance, BNI continues to encourage the birth of new economic heroes who are able to build community independence and prosperity from the grassroots. With this spirit, BNI is committed to continuing the struggle of MSME players throughout the country, igniting a new flame of struggle for the nation's economic progress.