Empowering street vendors in Indonesia through a sustainability-integrated financial literacy program

Earlier this year, our Grantham Fellow, Eva Andriani, traveled to Indonesia to conduct participatory research with a community of street vendors. We spoke with Eva to hear about her experience and the impact of her research.

Indonesia has a rich street food culture, with vendors very common in its bustling cities. They serve a delicious range of traditional dishes, snacks and drinks to locals and tourists, often at affordable prices. Street vendors also contribute significantly by creating employment opportunities, providing household income and supporting the achievement of the SDGs.

However, many face challenges related to financial literacy and sustainability practices, which hinder their ability to become financially resilient and access government financial support. As a result, this sector risks being left behind as the country moves towards a green transition.

Supporting Indonesian street vendors

Since completing her confirmation exam, Andriani has been conducting crowdsourced research in her home country of Indonesia. Its project aims to support local street food vendors in Rejoagung village by developing a financial education program that integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

By promoting sustainable business practices, Andriani hopes that his research will empower vulnerable communities, strengthening their self-resilience through reduced costs and waste, improving access to finance, and promoting long-term development.

Participatory action research approach

As part of his research, Andriani worked closely with 34 street vendors and the wider community to co-create tailored solutions and prioritize local perspectives and needs.

“I started by creating a formal agreement with five street vendors, who served as co-researchers representing the community,” says Andriani. “I conducted interviews with 20 street vendors to identify key challenges that informed the development of a transformative educational framework.

“Following this, I conducted five collaborative dialogues with the co-researchers to design a practical model including financial literacy materials, ESG concepts, alternative learning methods and integration mechanisms.

“This was followed by validation sessions involving stakeholders from the local academic communities and the government’s Financial Services Authority (OJK). Once the model was finalized, I carried out pre- and post-testing with street vendors and proceeded to the implementation stage.”

By combining financial literacy and ESG principles, Andriani’s approach enables suppliers to improve their financial well-being while contributing to the global sustainability goals. This initiative also helps foster networks between street vendors, educators, sustainability experts and local government authorities.

Challenges in complex contexts

Conducting research in complex cultural and socio-economic contexts like Indonesia presents unique challenges. One of the main problems is that many traditional research processes require participants to have advanced literacy skills.

“Many participants may find dealing with information sheets and consent forms overwhelming or intimidating. This creates barriers to meaningful engagement. »

To address this problem, Andriani, with the guidance of her supervisors Dr. Olga Cam and Dr. Ozlem Arikan, designed an approach focused on collaborative dialogue to build mutual understanding and co-create solutions.

“I simplified the participant information sheet, translated it into the participants’ local language, and used AI-generated comic book illustrations to complement the written material,” said Andriani. “I also used verbal explanations to further ensure accessibility for participants with different literacy levels.”

By actively prioritizing local contexts, Andriani was able to address common concerns in research regarding the imposition of Western-centric solutions and his approach represented a step toward decolonizing research practices.

Opportunities for impact

Despite the challenges, Andriani’s creative approaches to research design have brought significant opportunities and rewards.

“By establishing trusting and collaborative relationships with the local community, I was able to present my results at a village council ceremony attended by 23 local authorities and 20 street vendors. The event included mini training sessions for vendors around one of my research findings, focused on food waste management and food bank distribution. Following this, I had the chance to visit the sellers’ commercial sites.

“I was also able to engage with local higher education providers and the local government. I used a forum of financial educators that included 36 universities from East Java, Bali and Semarang to validate my findings with the Indonesian research community. I then shared the findings with the policy maker, OJK (Financial Services Authority of Indonesia), which allowed me to refine my ideas. This step was vital for me to develop a robust financial education program tailored to street vendors, integrating ESG principles for a holistic approach to sustainable transformation.”

International collaboration

Building on the successful engagement with the local community, Andriani and his supervisor, Dr. Cam, were invited to speak at the Global Research and Engagement Forum hosted by KH. Mukhtar Sayafaat University in Indonesia.

Speaking to an audience of 70 students and 102 professors, Andriani shared his educational journey, from his master’s degree at Leeds to his doctoral research in Sheffield. Dr. Cam reflected on the importance of intercultural dialogue and interdisciplinary research in addressing global challenges. Together, they engaged participants in a stimulating discussion about the value of collaboration and cross-cultural experiences in an interconnected world. Dr. Cam and Andriani also visited the University of Semarang, where they delivered a public lecture to Indonesian academics.

Next steps

Andriani has completed his data collection and will soon enter the final stages of his doctorate. at Sheffield Management School and the Grantham Center. Her work highlights the potential of participatory action research to generate meaningful change at local and global levels, paving the way for interdisciplinary partnerships.