Recipe for Success

INDONESIA – After the deadly Southeast Asia tsunami struck in 2004, Bustami and his family were just grateful to survive. But while their lives were spared, everything they owned was lost.

Their home in Alue’On Meulaboh, West Aceh, was decimated. Their belongings were destroyed by the floodwaters. There weren’t even shoes left for the two children to wear.

Faced with such total devastation, Bustami was desolate. But even in the midst of his grief, he knew he had to find a way to provide for his wife and children.

So he took what little money he had and started a business with the only skill he knew: Making chips.

Every day, Bustami traveled on foot to deliver bags of his chips to small shops near his home. Slowly, demand for his crunchy commerce increased.

But just when his business started to take off, Bustami found himself close to bankruptcy because of the rising cost of his ingredients. “The flour price was 10,000 rupiah a kilo. Now, the price is raised to 20,000 a kilo,” he said. “So if I buy flour, I won’t have enough money to buy oil.”

Then he found out that through Operation Blessing’s microenterprise program, he could get the financial help he needed to avoid bankruptcy—and even invest in his business.

That financial support turned out to be the key ingredient in Bustami’s recipe for success.

Now, his business is booming. “I used to send chips to 10 small shops. But now, after getting financial support from Operation Blessing, more than 100 shops have become my customer,” he said. He is even able to share his success by employing his neighbors.

And he never has to wonder how he will take care of his family. For that more than anything, Bustami says, “I am really thankful for Operation Blessing’s support.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.