Training PEKKA Technology Agents in Lombok
I may have been a Kopernik fellow for only 2 months, but I quickly learned that being receptive and adaptive to the challenges and nuances that arise from each Kopernik project is essential to producing the desired impact from the technologies. One of the most important lessons that I learned along the way is that the total number of products distributed alone does not indicate the success of a project. Although it is important to know how many households Kopernik technologies have helped improve, it is far more significant that each household is properly using the technology to maximize its effectiveness.
AFTER COMING ACROSS ISSUES SUCH AS LACK OF PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IN SOME PROJECTS, THE KOPERNIK TEAM UNDERSTOOD THAT THE NECESSARY STEP AFTER DISTRIBUTING TECHNOLOGIES IS TO CONDUCT TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE AND EASE THE BENEFICIARIES’ ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGIES.
In that spirit Kopernik organized a 3-day training for 40 PEKKA members at their regional center in Lombok, Indonesia as a follow up to the initial distribution for the "Start up technology sales in Lombok" project. PEKKA is an Indonesian NGO that for the last decade has been empowering single women heads of households across 18 provinces throughout the country through advocacy and educational programs.
The first two days of the training focused on sales and product knowledge for three of the most well-liked products in the area: the UB.03-1 biomass stove, Nazava’s Bening One water filter, and d.light solar lights. A representative from each technology provider came to Lombok from different parts of Indonesia to train the PEKKA women technology agents on how to be experts at promoting and maintaining the product. The instructors were animated and kept the women engaged all throughout their presentation, making sure to mix information with fun and laughter as it was easy to fall prey to mid-day drowsiness from the outside heat. In those 3 days, we also consumed plenty of Lombok’s delicacies and extremely sweet coffee as a group.
The highlight of the training and what produced the most laughter was by far the contest held at the end of each product knowledge session. We provided the women a chance to put in practice what they’ve learned to win prizes--by showing off their skills in a sales pitch competition! For each product, 5 women volunteered to compete to give the best sales pitch in front of the group, and the woman who did the best won the product she convincingly “sold” to a panel of juries. We were surprised at how many terrific salespeople we had in one room!
And to further inspire and motivate the PEKKA women, Kopernik invited the amazing and humble Ibu Betty, the top-seller of Nazava’s Bening One water filter from Bojonegoro to share her success story and experience as a technology agent. She was an instant hit. And after she spoke to the group (not only is she a natural born salesman, but a natural born public speaker also!), the energy of the group was distinctly different. It really did make a difference for the attendees to see and converse with someone who has already succeeded from a similar opportunity they are about to seize.
On the third and last day of the training, the women tirelessly worked with numbers—in lessons for inventory management and basic accounting. We anticipated that this would be least exciting part of the training, but thanks to high-energy staff of QM Financial who conducted this particular session, it turned out to be a fun, hands-on workshop in which the women, in small groups at a time, received consultation about how to calculate their earnings and spending on customized notebooks we provided for them (one for personal finances, the other for small business finances). The women were also asked to think of their personal dreams and how much they cost if the women were to make them happen--encouraging them to think about personal savings and investments in realistic terms.
I hope to see more of this kind of trainings in other project locations. I think it’s clear the benefits and entrepreneurial skills gained from such trainings greatly aid the life-improving aspect of Kopernik’s technologies. Kopernik is essentially equipping communities in the last mile not only with valuable technologies, but also with tools and lessons that help them create opportunities for themselves.
