Written by: Lhaksmana Jaluw...

Hamira. A housewife from Bajo Indah Village, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, expresses her gratitude to MicroAid for the opportunity to learn how to make fish chips when she was visited by a facilitator from Indonesian Nature Potential Institute (LPAI), Asriady Arman, on December 18, 2008.

The skill in making salty chips was obtained after she joined a comparative study (micro project for comparative study, ASSI 614) that was carried out in June 2003 with 27 other participants. The comparative study which was publicized and financed by MicroAid Projects donor was aimed at providing the opportunities to poor families in three villages, i.e. Bajo Indah, Lalonggaluku and Olo-Oloho to visit one another and learned about the potentials of each other's village and learned family business from those who had been successful in initiating small scale home enterprises such as:

• Production of coconut oil with extract of papaya leaves
• Land cultivation for cocoa farming
• Production of organic fertilizers
• Production of fish chips

During implementation of the comparative study project, Hamira and her friends learned to make fish chips under the guidance of a trainer from Industry Office of Konawe District, Southeast Sulawesi. The newly acquired skill was developed and continued to be studied further by Hamira and her friends and they were eventually able to produce tasty fish chips and fulfilled the orders from other housewives and small shops in Bajo Indah market. After five years from the initial implementation, Hamira continues to produce fish chips that are ready for frying.

Within one month, Hamira and her colleagues who were members of PKK (Family Welfare Empowerment) in Bajo Indah Village were able to produce four times at 15 kg each. The 15 kg of raw materials consisted of fresh mackerel wheat flour, water and spices, they ere able to produce averagely 100 packages of chips ready to be fried. Each package was sold for USD $1.30 so that the value of each production was $130.44. Hamira and her friends got a profit of $0.17 from each package; therefore Hamira was able to earn $17.40. On the average, they produced four times every month so that Hamira and friends earned $69.60 each. But if the sea waves are high and difficult to obtain the fish, so their production is only twice a month.

Hamira lived with her three children who were still in school and a husband who worked as a fisherman.Presently, Hamira is a member of PKK and also as head of Posyandu (Integrated Health Service Post) in Bajo Indah Village together with seven other housewives. Each PKK group consisted of four housewives, therefore there are 2 groups in Bajo Indah Village and all of them have the skills in fish chip production.

Production cost of fish chips (1 time production):

• 15 kg of raw materials = $17.40
• Labor cost (4) @ $17.40 = $69.60
• Total production cost = $87

Revenue from sales of 100 packages @ $1.30 = $130

Net profit: $130 - $87 = $43

The profit of $43 was the revenue for PKK group members.

See Hamira's video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BEwD6doOaU