Seeking Better Schools and Housing: The Story of Ragaia’s Resilience in Coastal Sorong, West Papua

In various remote regions of Indonesia, access to formal financial services remains a significant challenge, particularly for those living in coastal and island areas in Eastern Indonesia. Distance, transportation costs, and the necessity of crossing islands often make modern financial services difficult to reach. Amidst these conditions, PNM (Permodalan Nasional Madani) is working to bring financing access and business mentoring closer to underprivileged women, even as far as Arar Island, Southwest Papua.

One such story comes from Mrs Ragaia Soslar, a PNM Mekaar client since 2021. From the coast of Papua, she has built simple hopes for her family: to educate her children and renovate her house to make it a more decent place to live. Her journey has not always been easy, but the spirit to improve her family’s life keeps her moving forward. Gradually, through the financing and mentoring received, Mrs Ragaia has begun reorganising her household needs, starting with the bathroom, bedroom, and windows, renovating parts of her home bit by bit.

In her journey, Mrs Ragaia has not only been a client but has also been entrusted as the Chairperson of the Mekaar Group. She subsequently identified further opportunities arising from the limited access to financial services in her area. Because local residents must cross islands to access more modern financial services, she chose to become a BRILink agent. This decision was born from a simple observation of the needs of her neighbours, while simultaneously creating a business opportunity that provides wider benefits to her community.

“Previously, I only thought about my children being able to stay in school and our house gradually becoming more decent. After joining PNM Mekaar, I felt there was a way to start a business. We started small, repairing the bathroom, the bedroom, and the windows, little by little. The important thing is to keep going, so that the family can live better,” said Mrs Ragaia Sosir.

Mrs Ragaia’s story illustrates that empowerment can grow from small spaces in the most remote regions when access to financing, mentoring, and the courage to begin intersect. Through PNM Mekaar, Mrs Ragaia also encourages women around her to follow a similar path—improving businesses, renovating homes, and building their families’ futures incrementally. She is one of 22.9 million Indonesians who have accessed PNM services, proving that empowerment is not only present in city centres but also reaches coasts, small islands, and the furthest corners of the country.