Many people with disabilities on Lombok are unemployed and stay at home. Few people are willing to work with them due to the significant stigma surrounding disabilities. Some believe that these individuals are being punished by God, while others think they cannot work hard or that having a disability is contagious.

Harapan Baru Lombok helps this group find work by guiding people with disabilities into stable employment or assisting them in setting up a micro-enterprise. This support includes arranging internships with successful local entrepreneurs, securing loans, and marketing their homemade products. The participants are visited weekly to monitor progress and provide practical support.

Additionally, many people with disabilities have low self-esteem and limited self-sufficiency. This is because they have been excluded from society for a long time and have become dependent on their families. Therefore, we also offer them life skills training during home visits.

Besides improving their micro-enterprise, we help them reorganize their lives. This could involve obtaining an identity card, repairing their home, or emphasizing the importance of saving for the future. In addition to practical support, we discuss the ‘topic of the week,’ where we brainstorm with participants about subjects like ‘teen marriages,’ ‘keeping the environment clean,’ and ‘healthy nutrition.’

The map below shows the micro-enterprises that Harapan Baru Lombok has helped establish. If you click on the photos, you will get more information about these businesses.