Yayasan Konservasi Pesisir Indonesia (Yakopi) Economic Development Program seeks to enhance coastal residents’ welfare. Utilizing fisheries and marine resources as effectively and sustainably as possible is a top focus for Yakopi’s efforts, which also include enhancing human resource quality, bolstering socioeconomic institutions, and developing economic activities.
So far, the life of fishermen, especially traditional fishermen, has been living in apprehensive conditions. From the literature review it was stated that poverty in fishing communities is complex, mainly caused by structural and cultural poverty so that to overcome and reduce it must also be complex as well. Culturally, it takes unlimited time because changing culture, mindset and human attitudes is not an easy thing. Structural poor need the intervention of various parties, especially the government with related parties, academia, and NGOs seriously and continuously.
Normatively, coastal communities should be prosperous communities considering the large potential of coastal and marine natural resources. However, the reality shows that most of the coastal communities, especially fishermen, are still part of the underdeveloped community. Issues of socio-economic vulnerability, such as poverty, social inequality, limited access to education and health, weak social institutions, and difficulties in accessing business capital, technology and markets, are multidimensional (complex) problems and are interrelated to one another.
Yakopi is now doing food processing training in a number of villages in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and Riau. Some of the products that have been produced by our assisted communities are processed dodol and mangrove syrup, jeruju chips, mackerel crackers, nypah sugar and coconut oil products (VCO).
In developing this program, Yakopi conducted more training on the manufacture of processed food and drink, product packaging and product marketing. Some of the obstacles and challenges in continuing the community’s economic development are in terms of product marketing which is still very limited. It is here that the actual role of the government is what we hope to continue the activities we have been doing.
It is hoped that the program that has been running can provide new knowledge and in the future it can also make new business alternatives that can be carried out by the coastal communities themselves.
And Yakopi always conducts outreach and consults with the community in economic development for the coastal communities themselves and always provides information about the importance of building better social capital, so that community empowerment efforts in improving people’s welfare become more optimal
