Promoting Entrepreneurship in Indonesia through the JAPRI Program

Young women participate in a JAPRI Entrepreneurship workshop.

In April 2022, IIE concluded one of its most impactful projects to date — JAdi Pengusaha MandiRI (Become an Independent Entrepreneur), also known as JAPRI. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), JAPRI improved work opportunities for poor and vulnerable individuals in Indonesia (youth ages 18 to 30, women, and persons with disabilities) by creating self-employment through entrepreneurship.

Between April 13, 2017 – April 12, 2022, JAPRI achieved the following:

  • 19,744 youth, women, and persons with disabilities completed JAPRI trainings, and         16,611 improved their entrepreneurial skills
  • 4,341 youth, women, and persons with disabilities created a new business, while             10,943 improved their businesses
  • 3,669 women and persons with disabilities increased their earnings
  • 3,170 women legalized their businesses
  • 2,029 male beneficiaries trained to become effective allies of women entrepreneurs
  • 645 community members and university lecturers became JAPRI business coaches         and trainers

A Holistic Approach to Workforce Development Programming

In designing JAPRI, IIE understood that successful workforce development programs address both supply-side and demand-side needs. The logic underpinning IIE’s approach to JAPRI was that if poor and vulnerable individuals were empowered to start and/or grow businesses, and the capacity of local stakeholders to provide entrepreneurs with ongoing support was strengthened, then work opportunities would be improved. Key to demonstrating the success of this model was IIE creating partnerships with local stakeholders and making adaptability the crux of its implementation approach. In 2017, JAPRI started as an 18-month proof-of-concept project, part of a broader workforce development initiative by USAID/Indonesia. With a project team in Jakarta, IIE established a partnership with Mien R. Uno Foundation and Prestasi Junior Indonesia to work with poor and vulnerable youth in both rural and urban areas across Java. By empowering and listening to these partner organizations, IIE developed and employed holistic programming that addressed both the foundational skills and community support networks needed for youth entrepreneurs to thrive, including elements like coaching and mentoring to supplement its technical skills trainings. Thanks to its adaptability and local relationships, IIE was also able to expand the project to include Indonesian higher education partnerships which reached over 11,000 university students.

Building on A Successful Model: Expanding and Increasing Access to the Program

With the success of the JAPRI model, which leveraged and tailored existing entrepreneurship resources to create customized approaches for promoting entrepreneurship, USAID expanded the program twice over its five-year period. The first expansion in 2019 increased women entrepreneurs support in East Java. In 2020, JAPRI expanded to support persons with disabilities in East Java. To best meet the needs of these populations, IIE expanded its partner consortium and drew on the experience and network of two additional local partners, Kelompok Perempuan dan Sumber Sumber Kehidupan (KPS2K) and Himpunan Wanita Disabilitas Indonesia (HWDI). Through KPS2K’s gender expertise, JAPRI added gender trainings for the immediate family members of the women participants, seeking to create a better support system. Through HWDI, a local disabled persons organization, the program incorporated a Disabilities’ Perspective and Interaction Training for all program stakeholders and refined JAPRI’s training modules and materials to be inclusive of a broad range of disabilities. Although JAPRI’s consortium members provided different expertise that enriched JAPRI’s intervention for its beneficiaries, IIE provided long-term capacity building for its consortium members and stakeholders.. Due to the capacity building provided by IIE, JAPRI partners became ready, administratively and strategically, to expand on their work and receive and manage funding. In terms of programmatic implementation, the consortium members gained the experience to apply a monitoring and evaluation system that will enable them to effectively measure impact for future activities. By having worked closely with community organizations, local governments, and higher education institutions, IIE’s multi-layered and scalable JAPRI model is now being adapted and sustained by its partners.

To read more about the JAPRI program and its impact, check out USAID’s feature story on the program, as well as the USAID JAPRI Final Report.

JAPRI Program Participant Quotes

“I want my dreams to come true to be able to help my family and be financially independent.”

—Abrilla Hani A. (19), Owner of Abrilla Dessert, Kediri City, East Java. USAID JAPRI                  Women’s Economic Empowerment Participant, 2021

“USAID JAPRI’s activities are different from other entrepreneurship training activities. Here, the method is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.”

—Bryan Prestian W (30), Owner of ‘Zalin’ Dishwashing Soap, Kediri City, East Java.                    JAPRI Persons with Disabilities Participant, 2021.

“The most valuable lesson I received from JAPRI was about building an entrepreneurial mindset, which I applied in my business ‘Karya Kayu,’ where I learned to be more creative and always try to create new things.”

—M. Khoir Firdaus (24), Carpentry Business, Bangkalan Regency, East Java, USAID                 JAPRI Full Implementation Participant at Trunojoyo University, Madura, 2019

“JAPRI provides an opportunity for young people like me to be brave to open and own a business. With more confidence and enthusiasm, young people can certainly create job opportunities for people in need.”

—Ayu Maghfiroh (21), Owner of Kavina Shop Cosmetics, Bangkalan Regency, East                   Java USAID JAPRI Women’s Economic Empowerment Participant, 2021