Press Release

Muara Enim, December 23, 2024 - While chatting, a group of housewives skillfully peels the petals of rosella flowers. The petals are then washed and dried. Once dried, the rosella petals are blended and placed into tea bags, creating rosella tea, a herbal beverage rich in vitamin C.

These women are housewives who are members of the Bukit Asam Industrial Center (SIBA) Rosella, one of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) fostered by PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA).

Dian Afriani, Chairwoman of SIBA Rosella, shared that around 30 housewives from the villages of Lingga, Keban Agung, and Pasar Tanjung Enim have gained new employment opportunities through SIBA Rosella.

"SIBA Rosella was established in 2019. We received financial support from PT Bukit Asam with the mandate to develop it. Since then, the product has expanded. The members of SIBA Rosella are from the PKK (Family Welfare Program) group," said Dian.

PTBA provides various forms of support, ranging from funding to assistance and strengthening in marketing processes, enabling the product to reach a national scale.

Currently, the production capacity of rosella tea is approximately 100 boxes per day, with a total monthly revenue of around IDR 5-60 million, depending on customer demand.

"We (SIBA Rosella members) share the profits, sometimes once a month. If it’s only enough for production, the profit-sharing is done every two months," explained Dian.

In addition to SIBA Rosella, PTBA also fosters many other SMEs to empower women. One example is SIBA Songket, which has been operating since 2016. In this initiative, 15 housewives from the village of Lingga have gained additional income through their skills in weaving songket. The village of Lingga has developed into a center for songket weaving.

"We have received various forms of assistance from Bukit Asam, including tools for weaving, training, and capital support," said Yenni Puspitasari, Chairwoman of SIBA Songket.

Another initiative is SIBA Rajut, consisting of 15 housewives from villages around PTBA's operational area. SIBA Rajut provides a platform for housewives to gather, express their hobbies, and earn additional income.

"We, the housewives, who used to just gossip without any outcome, now have results. Our hobbies are channeled, and before we had no money, now we have our own earnings," said Villy Villya, Chairwoman of SIBA Rajut.

Dedy Saptaria Rosa, VP of Sustainability at PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), emphasized that empowering housewives through PTBA's partner initiatives aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 5, Gender Equality.

"We recognize the vital role women play in driving the economy. Therefore, we support the development of women entrepreneurship to improve community welfare. Through these efforts, we hope housewives can become independent and contribute to the family economy," he concluded.