Asia | 50 years
Retno, our ears and eyes on the ground in Indonesia
It was 2010 when Retno Jayanti, living in Java, received a scholarship to study international business administration for emerging markets in Utrecht. During her year in the Netherlands, she tells her teacher that she would like to be involved in a company that is active in the development sector in Indonesia. She is matched with Rabo Foundation. It turns out to be a meaningful match.
“ I realized that we had to do something to support the farmers in Indonesia.”
"During the program in Utrecht we visited a farm in the Netherlands and I saw the big difference between farmers in Indonesia and farmers in the Netherlands. I realized that we had to do something to support the farmers in Indonesia. Not only to support the company, but also to have an impact on the livelihood of the smallholder farmers. They play an important role in food production and deserve to live a good life."
Knowing our partners personally
Retno joins Rabo Foundation as assistant to the Project Manager in Jakarta. At its start, Indonesia's portfolio consisted of 15 projects. Over the years, Retno has seen the projects develop. Some even to the point that they could continue their journey without the support of Rabo Foundation. And new projects where founded. There are currently more than forty active projects and Retno knows them all.
In her role, Retno selects new organizations to collaborate with and carries out the initial screening. She is in close contact with existing partners to discuss progress and monitor their relationship with farmers.
"From my position, it is essential that you are a local and know the language and culture," says Retno. "Especially in the countryside. There it is important to build trust and people are attached to personal contact." Because she comes from a farming family herself, she understands their challenges. "Farmers have limited working capital to run their farms. They have to make choices about how to spend their money. Do they spend money on daily necessities, or on the purchase of fertilizers or pesticides?"
“It is important to build trust and people are attached to personal contact”
Creating lasting impact
Together with local organizations like cooperatives, Rabo Foundation supports them financially and - perhaps even more importantly - offers technical support. From agricultural knowledge and advice at management level to supporting farmers to make them work more environmentally friendly. For example, by using less fertilizer and less water. But also support on how to produce better products. From coffee, cocoa, coconut and rice to spices and fish.
When Retno started her journey at Rabo Foundation, her goal was to create lasting impact. Thirteen years later, she has already achieved a lot.