Empowering Creative Group Of Pkk Mothers Through The Formation Of Joint Business Groups (A Study of The Pkk Community At Sekip Polines Official House, Semarang City)

Pemberdayaan Kelompok Kreativitas Ibu-Ibu Pkk Melalui Pembentukan Kelompok Usaha Bersama (Studi Pada Komunitas Pkk Sekip Rumah Dinas Polines, Kota Semarang)

Abstract

This community engagement programme focuses on women’s economic empowerment through the establishment of a Joint Business Group (Kelompok Usaha Bersama, KUB) within the PKK women’s community of the POLINES housing complex in Semarang, Indonesia. The partner community faced intertwined challenges, including limited practical entrepreneurial skills, insufficient experience in drafting a simple business plan, constraints in basic production equipment for consistent home-based production, and the absence of a collective working mechanism that ensures role distribution, accountability, and continuity across production and marketing. The intervention was designed in five components: (1) initial coordination and needs mapping with PKK leaders; (2) training on KUB formation and community-based micro-enterprise governance; (3) entrepreneurial mindset development using case-based learning and decision-making exercises; (4) guided practice in developing a simple business plan and simulating basic bookkeeping; and (5) hands-on production practice and product testing for snack products, accompanied by facilitation of essential equipment procurement. The results indicate changes in two domains: a structural domain, marked by the emergence of a collective working platform with clearer roles and working procedures, and a capacity domain, reflected in increased understanding of business planning, cost–price calculation, basic quality standardisation, and initial marketing strategies. The discussion highlights KUB as a micro-institution that sustains post-training routines, while mentoring bridges “knowing” and “doing” in everyday business practices. Sustainability is recommended through simple production SOPs, shared cashbooks, a production calendar, and expanded local and digital marketing networks.