Behind her gentleness, a woman holds great power to grow and empower those around her. This expression perfectly describes the figure of Sri Malasarin, a micro-marketing officer, commonly called a Mantri BRI, who serves in Mujur, East Praya District, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
For this woman, affectionately called Mala, her role is not just a job. More than that, she is part of the driving wheel of the village community’s economy. Her perseverance and tenacity over the years have helped many micro-entrepreneurs, especially farmers, gain access to financing and mentoring in developing their businesses.
Mala shares the story of the beginning of her career journey to becoming a Mantri BRI as she is now. After completing her undergraduate education in Agricultural Agribusiness, she once worked in the financial sector before finally joining as a frontliner at BRI in 2012.
Two years later, precisely in 2014, Mala participated in an internal recruitment in the marketing field and was successfully selected to become a Mantri BRI. This new role opened many new experiences as well as challenges in serving the community directly.
As a Mantri BRI, Mala realizes that the main key in carrying out her duties is building good relationships with customers. Every day she deals with various people with different characters.
“The approach to customers is the main thing, because we meet people with different characters. Some may be gentle, or have a tough character, we must be able to handle them with a good approach. Then there might also be people who are unfamiliar, so we have to educate them slowly,” said Mala.
Currently, Mala mentors customers in around three villages in the Mujur, East Praya area. The majority of these customers are farmers who need capital support to run their agricultural businesses.
Through her role, Mala helps them obtain financing access that suits their business needs. Not only providing loans, she also provides guidance so their financial management remains healthy.
“We must guide according to the customer’s needs. Here it is generally for fertilizer, pesticides, and land, whether rented or additional. We analyze the loan amount and ensure it remains within the corridor. After harvest, we guide them towards investment. So, although the main thing is loans, we also offer other products that suit the customer’s needs,” she continued.
Interestingly, Mala’s role does not stop at financial access alone. She also often acts as a link between farmers and other business actors who can assist in the production process to marketing the harvest.
“Besides that, if there are farmer customers who harvest, I am also the one who connects them to other customers who might have milling facilities, or to middlemen, thus helping production and marketing. There are also BRILink Agents here who sell fertilizer and pesticides, I help distribute them to farmers in need. So, it can also help the wheels of the community’s economy,” Mala stated.
For over 11 years in her role as a Mantri BRI, Mala admits she feels proud of the profession she carries out. For her, the greatest happiness comes not only from her welfare as an employee, but also from seeing the progress of the customers she mentors.
One of the most memorable experiences for her is the emotional closeness with customers, which makes her feel loved. This is evident when customers expressed feeling a loss when she was about to be transferred, simultaneously affirming her view that the role of a Mantri BRI as the spearhead of the micro-economy is very important in educating and guiding the community so that financial goals are achieved and the economic wheel keeps turning.
“It feels joyful and very proud to see their change. From customers who may have small turnover, gradually it becomes large. From those with few assets, to owning a car, owning a house. We as Mantri are very happy to see such success,” added Mala.
The role of a Mantri BRI as demonstrated by Mala is tangible proof that at BRI, women have great capacity and contribution in driving the people’s economy.
“We highly appreciate the dedication shown by the Mantri BRI in the field. This story affirms that women are not only capable of adapting, but also become the driving engine of the community’s economy. BRI believes that equality of opportunity is the key to creating inclusive and sustainable growth.”
