Former Migrant Worker Develops Seafood Processing Business in Indramayu with BRI Support

Indramayu, VIVA – Four years working as a migrant worker in Malaysia became an important part of Rosyidah’s life journey. When her time abroad came to an end, she chose to return to her home village of Eretan Kulon in Kandanghaur District, Indramayu Regency, bringing with her a new sense of hope.

Upon returning to Indonesia, Rosyidah saw the potential that had always been so close to the lives of the coastal community. Marine resources were available in abundance, yet most had not been processed into products with higher economic value. Behind these conditions, she saw an opportunity worth fighting for.

Armed with courage, Rosyidah began building a processed seafood business under the brand C’milzea. The venture also became her way of opening opportunities for the fishermen’s wives in her neighbourhood to take part and earn additional income.

“I saw that the natural resources around us were abundant, but had no sale value. From there I took the initiative to process them into products while also creating job opportunities for the fishermen’s wives nearby,” she said.

The journey of building a business was certainly not always smooth. The greatest challenge Rosyidah faced came from the process of building her own self-confidence as an entrepreneur. She had to learn to change her mindset, rise above various doubts, and understand how to market her products so they became better known to the public.

Her desire to keep growing led her to join the Post-Migrant Worker Training organised by BRI. The programme became a new learning space for Rosyidah to strengthen her entrepreneurial skills while broadening her knowledge of business development.

For Rosyidah, the training opened up opportunities to meet and exchange experiences with fellow entrepreneurs. Through this, she gained new perspectives that helped her see her business in a different way.

“This training really helped me improve my mindset as an entrepreneur. In addition, I also gained new networks that are very useful for developing my business,” she said.

The knowledge she gained during the training was then applied gradually to her business. One example was developing processed fish into new value-added products, thereby expanding the range of offerings available to consumers. “Alhamdulillah, after taking part in the training I gained a great deal of knowledge, especially in processing fish, such as making fish crackers. That knowledge has been very helpful in developing the business I run,” said Rosyidah.