By ST Sularto

Eighty pages of 284 (two hundred eighty four) pages of the first book discusses history of life of Bambang Ismawan, whose full name is Fransiskus Xaverius Bambang Ismawan, started from his home town in Babat, Lamongan, East Java, until in Jakarta, exactly in Cimanggis, West Java; the remainings approximately 200 pages discuss comments from his friends, colleague, and persons who have onced experiencing getting in touch with Bambang Ismawan or Bina Swadaya, the foundation where Bambang Ismawan and his partners run their business.

Meanwhile, the second book contains Bambang Ismawan’s footprints tracking, a seven days retreat journey together with his wife, Sylvia Ismawan, and a number of close friends, visited some places in Java, from Babat until Cimanggis. These two books are interrelated each other talking about Bambang Ismawan’s success as a social enterpreneur.

Bambang Ismawan’s name cannot be separated from Yayasan Bina Swadaya, a foundation which was in the beginning named Yayasan Sosial Tani Membangun, jointly incorporated with Ir. Sayogo and Ir Suradiman in 1967. Giving its commitment and concerned to empowerment of grass root society (wong cilik) already appeared since he was still student of the Economics Faculty of Gajah Mada University where he did not show his interest became an enterpreneur like other graduates of economics faculty at that time led Bambang Ismawan involved in the government’s alternative activites known as nongovernment organization (NGO), and then he introduced name Community Self Reliance (LSM), a public empowerment activity which then used a general term refers to any activity which not come from the government, to focus advocacy activity or a direct action.

Bambang Ismawan together with Bina Swadaya known as NGO movement pioneer which attempted to become independent, not rely upon the assistance through a number of efforts in the second book said as the biggest ever NGO in Southeast Asia as it was once satirized to deal in poverty in era of 1980-ies. However, within a decade later, Bambang proved his measures so far not out of empowerment line.

Cooperative as Bina Swadaya’s early activities proved that the society can become independent, that is person to obtain certainty over his/her right, which is in line with a sociologist’s idea Hernando de Soto, that is ownership right certainty can be satisfied with the land certification. In later context, he acknowledged often met with Bangladesh’s Nobel prizewinner, Muhamad Yunus, he encouraged the community’s self reliance by giving advocacy and spirit to work with the society.

The Bina Swadaya which was pioneered and developed currently from business side with turnover in the amount of Rp 20 billion, 900 permanent employees, serving directly 100,000 poor family. The Education and Training Center in Cimanggis has delivered training approximately 7,000 LSM leaders to manage community empowerment, publishing luxurious agricultural magazine Trubus which was published in the first year in 1969 and now with 70,000 copies, publishing agricultural books since the last 25 years followed with health related books, skills, and language, 12 agricultural stores in Jakarta, Semarang, dan Surabaya.

Bina Swadaya no longer as LSM whose activities not only use any third Party’s funds. In reaching of 70 years of his age, after more than 40 years managed  Bina Swadaya as chairman of the Board, he officially handed authority to Nico Krisnanto, former banker who in recent years apprenticed at Bina Swadaya.

Three Lines

In the upcoming 10 years work plan, Bina Swadaya wishes become a big LSM with 5,000 employees in 2015 (the fist book, page 46), with continue standing on early spirit , that is empowerment of grass root people. Having various names, finally, proper term formulated for figure of Bambang Ismawan is made by Harry Tjan Silalahi, ”helping low income bracket person not because of feeling as high income bracket person” (the first book, page 25), according to Frans Magnis Suseno SJ, ”having conducted business at grass root level not for society,  instead together with society improving their life” (the first book, page 111).

According to Bambang, to conduct community empowerment business required three lines as his guidance for working over 40 years (first book, page 22-23). The first line through institutional development. Through a community based cooperative Bina Swadaya accompanied more than 20 million families in partnership with a number of agencies. Through this line a cooperative which first founded by “Bung Hatta” as an effort of community empowerment but it was confronted against a profit oriented economic development;  Bina Swadaya has proved it as an appropriate agency for community development.

The second line is through microfinance development line. Saving, a quiet strange policy in current consumption age as today’s economy wheel movement, has been enliven by Bambang Ismawan as empowerment second line.

He gives examples, in Cisalak small traders must pay a 20 percent interest per month, in Muara Karang fisherman must pay interest of fifty percent. Why? Because they are not accustomed to deposit, not putting aside part of their income in Bank.  The important thing is to change paradigm of attitude toward monies, and further with regards to way of life.

Bina Swadaya since 1970-ies has encouraged society to save their money with bank. For this purpose, it launched a micro credit for more than one million persons in a number of cities, and it is now adopting the Association for Social Advancement (ASA) system developed by Muhamad Yunus from Bangladesh through Grameen Bank.

The third line is through promotion of superior products. Through Trubus magazine it was introduced at least 19 superior products which have been improving the society’s welfare. There are agricultural products exhibition, wallet bird breeding, virgin coconut oil, anthurium, tasteless water lobster, red fruit, ants nest, and others which caused rising of more than 4,000 agribusiness industries.

According to Bambang, the hardest line of the three lines is the second line. There is a conflict of interest. Some persons are unable to change role from accompanier become collector who must guarantee loan repayment, until a director filed legal suit against the Foundation’s board; a difficult work as it must change false thinking paradigm, from borrowing money which means ready for embezzlement until ready for repayment.

Bambang’s activity started from his involvement in organization oriented to low income bracket society empowerment, especially since he stayed in Realino Dormitory in Yogyakarta with teaching concerning politic by Pastor Beek SJ. Meanwhile teaching and commitment to grass root people, he learned from Pastor John Dijkstra SJ, the financial related matters he studied from Pastor Christian Melchers SJ. The three persons formed Bambang Ismawan as a social entrepeneur  which did not rely upon to any third party, instead he performed continuously as he can grow up from income earned from such service (the first book, page  32-33).

There is similarity between enterpreneur and social enterpreneur that is to get monies. Whereas, enterpreneur aim at increasing shareholder welfare, meanwile social enterpreneur aims at increasing wellfare value of the poor people as its service target. Figure of Bambang Ismawan briefly described in both books. He is a social enterpreneur under of Bina Swadaya as NGO. Bina Swadaya runs business activities to get profit and such profits used for society empowerment (the first book, page  33).

Fenceless House

As a social enterpreneur, Bambang has future the Indonesian society like a house without fence, bolt with the same yard. In history of struggle of upholding fairness and represent rights of society there would not encounter violance such as rally into the sidewalk or yell to protest ”accompanying low income bracket people” or  ”gross root society empowerment”. Through Bina Swadaya he gets off to the field, not physically being peasants, bankers, or becak driver. He stimulates and encourages facilities and society to change, those are future and working method should be taken by the society motivator: change paradigm of way of thinking and give advice for that purpose.

As reward for his birthday, these two books are similar to position figure of Bambang Ismawan.

Most pages of the first book filled by comments and responses of another person. The Second book contains foot prints journey, as well as to describe journey reflection delivered by Bambang which then recorded neatly by Eka Budianta. The second book is to complement, to give appreciation toward Bambang Ismawan’s experinces for  70 years, 44 years of which with Bina Swadaya. Therefore, the first book and the second book must be read continuously, both are completing each other. Having read together, it will appear many stories and statements are repeated, overlapped, either only in the first book or in the first book and the second book jointly.

Some futures of Bambang Ismawan are not realized such as to establish a cooperative for gross root society including loan service. Cooperative is facility for society to become independent; regional groups in the field also play very important roles, further effect will emerge if those regional groups changed become cooperative. Future cooperative not only to give loan service but also to give services in saving, borrowing and consulting (project development service), and society development.

Long journey to continue realizing futures still widely opened, such as criticized by F Rahardi in dealing with how to make it the regional groups really become hope for society with example of actual case concerning food disturbance.