Fish Meatballs against Unemployment
We continue to support social impact projects on the island of Lombok, neighboring island to Bali. Run by the female entrepreneur Dita, we have learned about local ways to tackle unemployment.
Have you ever tried abon ikan (fish floss) or bakso ikan (fish meatballs)? Two delicacies on Lombok.
Last year, we visited several of the fishing villages who produce the key ingredients for this dish: all sorts of fish. More on our past experience here.
For the participants of our social impact endeavors, abon ikan and bakso ikan are not just meals but a way out of long-lasting unemployment.
But how are fish floss, fish meatballs, and unemployment rates related?
When we left Lombok in March 2023, it was Dita who took over our activities on the island and designed this project. I have known Dita for over 6 years now and she is an incredible female powerhouse with an endless drive to improve the lives of her communities. When she said she has an idea to curb unemployment rates among the youths on the island, I was in.
Dita took several months to first research the underlying issues of unemployment on the beautiful island of Lombok. Why was it that unemployment rates and particularly youth unemployment rates appeared to be so high?
Her interviews with community members in Meninting, a small village in Western Lombok, suggest various reasons, ranging from early marriages to having to care for young children at home. But the most prominent factor that was cited by the majority of community members seems to be a more surprising one: the lack of transportation to get to work.
Note that we are not taking into consideration the lack of education and the limited economic opportunities on the island as more systematic problems. These are context-given factors that need much more of a longer-term, institutional solution.
I have, in fact, never thought about transportation being a problem during any of my 5+ trips to Lombok. Whenever I arrived on the island, I rented a scooter - the most flexible and cheapest way to get around on the island. If you cannot afford the €4 per day for a scooter however, let alone buy one, you need to rely on public transportation.
Since there are hardly any buses (or trains), you will not make it far outside a village.
That is particularly problematic if the majority of economic activity takes place in Mataram, the capital of Lombok. By scooter, Meninting is only 20 minutes away from Mataram; but if you have to rely on your feet, it is 1h40min walking distance.
The result is that young adults in Meninting tend to go to work irregularly - whenever they can borrow a scooter or get a ride from a friend or family.
Dita wanted to co-design solutions to this problem and thus invited 30 people from Meninting to attend a workshop where they would discuss potential solutions to the problems of unemployment and limited mobility / infrastructure. 16 people received signed permission from their parents or husbands to participate in them.
What the participants came up with: abon ikan and bakso ikan for the rescue! Why not use the expertise in the village - fishery - and also capitalize on the fact that other types of basic foods, including rice, are becoming more expensive on the island. Thus, highly nutritious alternatives are in high demand.
Fish floss and fish meatballs for the win
Abon ikan and bakso ikan can be made out of any type of fish and the participants of Meninting village decided to go with mackerel tuna which typically sell for 2000 rupiah (€0.12) per fish in the season. Bakso ikan, once processed into balls, can be frozen and stored for a long time before being sold. Same with abon ikan, which is shredded, dried and can be stored for about a month before being sold.
This is a tremendous advantage over selling fresh fish which varies in price and has to be sold fresh on the market every day.
The participants of Dita’s workshops do everything themselves
Some fish, others cook and make the balls, and the rest of the participants sell or promote their product on social media.
Dita also lobbied the local government fishing agency who are supportive of the endeavors of the community and endorse this new social enterprise in the making.
The plan is for profits to be shared across the participants and the plan is to hire more community members as the enterprise grows.
If you want to continue to support our activities on Lombok and specifically, powerwoman Dita who is making all of it happen with a local eye, brain, and hands, please let us know and we would be happy to include you in our endeavors!
And whoever is really hungry now, here are two recipes to make the famous bakso ikan and abon ikan. A taste of sunshine and fresh ocean in your mouth!
Recipes: https://monicaisinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/bakso-ikan/
https://monicaisinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2021/09/21/fish-floss-abon-ikan/
Enjoy and until next time!
Love,
Laura and Dita