(Picture: Rita as facilitator in Campaign of 3R and Plastic Bank in SDN Inpres 2 Talise Palu City)

Being a housewife is not easy, especially when you have to take care of four children. That is what Yeliana, who is usually called Rita, is experiencing. She is a member of the Women Plastic Entrepreneur Group (WPEG) Mandiri Berkarya as well as a management board member of the Talise Village Plastic Bank. Both organizations are supported by YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU).

Rita and her family are survivors of the earthquake, tsunami, and liquefaction that occurred in Palu in 2018. Now they are still living in temporary shelters provided by the government after the tsunami destroyed their home on Talise Beach. Not only that, her husband, who works as a fisherman, has to switch livelihood and sell cold drinks to support their family. Rita does not sit still. She helps her husband sell the cold drinks.

(Picture: Rita with YEU Staff and the teachers of SDN Inpres 2 Talise Palu City)

Rita knew about YEU in May 2022 from the head of the neighbourhood where she lives. At that time, YEU was still in the Kick-off phase of the Womenpreneur4plastic (W4P) program. Rita officially joined the group in July 2022 when the group had their monthly meeting for the first time. At first, Rita was hesitant to join the program because she thought, “Why bother taking care of dirty waste?.” However, because she often attended monthly meetings facilitated by YEU staff who shared about the dangers of waste, how to manage it, and the types of plastic that can be used as additional income in the household, she became active in the W4P program with other group members. 

Rita also expressed that previously she often received trainings on financial management, cooperatives, and joint businesses of fishermen's groups but all of them were only to fulfil needs of group compliance. However, after that there was no realisation, which is different when she joined the women plastic entrepreneur group, Rita felt the benefits that she was really involved in the group and was even entrusted to manage the Talise Village Plastic Bank and became a facilitator of the 3R Campaign and Plastic Bank in 3 schools in July and August.

It never crossed her mind that she would become a facilitator in schools in terms of educating children on the dangers of waste and how to properly manage it. She is very happy to become the person who is useful to others, and can spread good things to the community. Now, her second child is starting to follow in her footsteps, informing his school about the types of waste that have economic value.

(Picture: Rita is explaining waste management to the students of di SMP Al Azhar)

"I really feel the benefits of this program, I can have savings and that's from waste, I learn many things from waste and get training and practise in our neighbourhood. Moreover, my son is so proud of me for being involved in Plastic Bank management", she said that proudly.