Friday, April 11, 2008

Meeting the Ambassador and the Consul General discussing the Microfinancing and Mentoring Project

Photo session with the Indonesian Ambassador to the USA, His Excellency Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat (far right in the front row) and Indonesian Consul General, Honorable Hidayat Karta Hadimadja (far left in the front row).

The photo session is right before the presentation by the Chairman of the Board of the St. Louis-Bogor Sister Cities Committee, Mr.Alex Soetjipto (third from the left in the front row).
The presentation is about the St. Louis-Bogor Sister Cities’ proposed project to assist female small business entrepreneurs in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Both the Ambassador and the Consul General are in full support of the proposed project.

Also in the photo is the Attaché for Trade & Industry of the Indonesian Embassy, Ms. Arlinda (first from left in the back row), the Consul for Economic Affairs of the Indonesian Consulate, Mr. Agus Buana (far right in the back row), Indonesian small business entrepreneur, Ms. Marti Wilson (second from left in the front row), and Indonesian Community representative currently residing in the USA, Mr. Martus Maleachi (second from left in the back row).

(Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, KY. April 9, 2008)



Microfinancing and Mentoring For Small Business Owners

As a follow-up of the official visit of the Principal of St. Louis Bogor Sister Cities Committee, Alex Soetjipto, to the City of Bogor, Indonesia, last year, the comittee is currently working really hard to realize the following project as stated in the following note concept.

Microfinancing and Mentoring For Female Small Business Owners
In Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Note Concept


The Purpose of the Project:

1. To strengthen the relationship between the US and Indonesia by enhancing the relationship between Bogor and St. Louis communities (particularly the small businesses communities).
2. To help poor communities in the City of Bogor get out of their poverty with specific focus on assisting female entrepreneurs.
3. To enhance the image of the US among the rural communities in Indonesia
4. To follow up the official visit of the Principal of the St. Louis-Bogor Sister Cities Committee to the City of Bogor

The Method of Achieving the Purpose of the Project:

1. To provide the targeted segment - the female small business entrepreneurs - with seed capital through a federal grant to better their means of production
2. To provide the female small business entrepreneurs with business management knowledge through a federal grant to better manage their enterprise. This will include knowledge to better manage the seed capital.
3. To partner with an educational entity in the US such as University of Missouri-St. Louis to provide the long-distance training for the female entrepreneurs.
4. To match targeted segment (either individually or in group) with mentors (counterparts from the US), so the relationships with the female entrepreneurs can be nurtured. These mentors would be assigned by the educational entity and could include representatives from SCORE – the US Small Business Administration from St. Louis communities.

Prepared By:
St. Louis-Bogor Sister Cities Committee
The committee has been in communication with several entities to make this project a reality. The following are some of the entities we have been in communication with about the project:
* The City of Bogor (while Principal Soetjipto was in the City of Bogor)
* The Indonesian Embassy in the US
(Please click here to see the picture of the meeting)
* The Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago
* The University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri
* The World Trade Center Saint Louis
* The SBA in St. Louis