Revving the local economy

Last month, the Mercy Corps team here in West Sumatra — of which I am a member —delivered sewing machines to 85 local women who were affected by last year's earthquake. We gave them a complete package, instead of just giving away the machine, so that they could get their small businesses up and running right away. So each women got the sewing machine, 14 cones of seven coloured yarns, 12 packs of needles, two liters of lubricating oil and one roll of fabric. Quite a haul, really — and kind of hard to be transported if you are using a motorcycle.

A local seamstress, who'd been affected by last year's devastating earthquake, receives a sewing machine and materials from Mercy Corps for her small business. Photo: Juan Christie/Mercy Corps

So the women who'd received the sewing machine and other materials hired motorcycles with sidecars attached to them. Some of the women shared the cost of having a sidecar to haul two packages to their respective houses. As word spread, more motorcycles sidecars came to the rescue. One particularly enterprising group of women from a nearby village even managed to hire a small pick-up truck, hauling four packages in one go!

I think we could safely say that we were helping to rev up the local economy by providing an opportunity for these motorcycle drivers to earn an extra income with their sidecars. One driver said that he earned twice as much as a typical day from his two trips to four houses. Another said that, besides earning extra income, he could help his neighbors with the sewing machine and other materials they'd received.

We're expecting an even bigger economic impact from the day's distribution of sewing machines: as these women resume their seamstress businesses, they'll not only sell their creations but also use that income to buy more materials as well food and other supplies for their household needs. It's a multiplier effect that began with getting the machines and materials home.

With the holy month of Ramadhan underway, we are hoping that this year they can have a merry Eid al-Fitr and finally move on from the devastating 2009 earthquake.