PNM Lampung customer Dian empowers women to dare to be self-reliant

Through her culinary business Dapur Female, Dian, a customer of PNM’s Lampung branch, has proven that a business can also be a space to open opportunities for other women to become empowered. Dapur Female has become a place for many women to learn, work, and grow together. Dian says that most of the women involved in her business are PNM Mekaar customers. This makes Dapur Female not just a culinary enterprise, but also an empowerment space closely tied to the spirit of togetherness among ultra-micro women entrepreneurs. “Around 70 per cent of the women working at Dapur Female are PNM Mekaar customers,” said Dian.

Dian’s empowerment story does not stop within her own business. She was once invited by the local agency to visit an area with a high rate of prostitution. There, Dian shared her skills, from how to make cakes and traditional market snacks to opening up simple business opportunities. However, she admitted to facing challenges due to initial rejection from some residents in the area. Despite this, she persisted with a patient approach and built trust until changes slowly began to emerge. “I was once invited by the agency to a place with a fairly high rate of prostitution. There I taught what I could, like how to make cakes and market snacks. The challenge was quite tough because there was rejection at first, but alhamdulillah, from that group, two people now have their own cake shops,” Dian revealed.

Those two individuals have now successfully run cake businesses, selling risoles, dadar gulung, and various other traditional snacks. Their journey grew gradually, from initially selling door-to-door by motorbike to now owning their own cake shops. Through PNM’s mentoring, Dian feels that business capital is not just about financing. PNM provides three important forms of capital for its customers: financial capital, intellectual capital, and social capital. Financial capital helps customers develop their businesses, intellectual capital comes through learning and capacity building, while social capital grows through group networks that enable customers to get to know, support, and strengthen one another.

The group-based approach within PNM Mekaar also serves as an important space for underprivileged women to build self-confidence. Group meetings are not merely places to receive financing, but also forums for sharing stories, business experiences, and moral support in facing life’s various challenges. From Dapur Female in Lampung, Dian demonstrates that an ultra-micro business can be a gateway to change—not only for the business owner, but also for the women who come to work, learn, and rediscover the courage to build a more empowered future. PNM remains committed to supporting underprivileged women ultra-micro entrepreneurs through financing, mentoring, and strengthening group-based social networks. Because when one woman is empowered, there is always an opportunity for other women to grow together.