The Az-Zahra Majlis Taklim (Islamic study group) in Soligi Village, South Obi District, was livelier than usual on Friday afternoon (Feb 20). The enthusiasm of welcoming the holy month of Ramadan blended with the hustle and bustle of dozens of residents crowding Harita Nickel's affordable basic food (sembako) bazaar area.
Among the crowd was Wa Ati. The housewife's face beamed after successfully buying three grocery packages at once. For her, the initiative organized by Harita Nickel is like an oasis amidst the annual routine of rising food prices ahead of the fasting month.
"This is extremely helpful for us residents. We pray that the company's operations run smoothly," Wa Ati said gratefully. Now, she can breathe a sigh of relief as her family's kitchen supplies for Ramadan are well secured.
The enthusiasm of residents like Wa Ati is well-founded. A grocery package worth Rp300,000 could be taken home for just half the price, at Rp150,000. Each package contains essential food items: 5 kg of rice, 2 kg of wheat flour, 2 kg of sugar, 2 liters of cooking oil, and 1 can of condensed milk. Unsurprisingly, within just one hour of opening, hundreds of packages were immediately sold out as residents rushed to buy them.
Business Capital from Sales Proceeds
Interestingly, the afternoon's joy did not solely belong to the buyers securing discounted prices. Behind the committee's bazaar table, Maya, an administrator of the Az-Zahra Majlis Taklim, was equally excited.
The Az-Zahra Majlis Taklim is one of four local partners collaborating with Harita Nickel to organize this bazaar. Besides Az-Zahra, two other majlis taklims and the Soligi Village Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) group were involved in the event. All proceeds from the grocery package sales are not returned to the company; instead, they are fully granted to these partner groups to serve as their collective business capital.
"Of course, we are also very happy and grateful to the company for providing us with this blessing," Maya expressed with a smile.
Her group successfully sold out their allocated 120 grocery packages, pocketing Rp18 million in fresh funds. "The money we receive will be used for our joint business capital," she added.
Synergy Between the Company, Village Government, and Residents
The affordable bazaar, scheduled to run for four days from February 20 to 23, 2026, provides a total of 480 grocery packages. If all packages are sold out, the sales turnover from the four partners will reach Rp72 million—a significant figure to drive the village's micro-economy.
Harita Nickel's Community Relations Manager, Riyadi Supriadi, explained that the involvement of community elements is designed to make the program's benefits more sustainable. According to him, the affordable bazaar during Ramadan has been an annual routine in the villages surrounding the company's operational area.
"The purpose of this affordable bazaar is to help ease the residents' burden in meeting their basic needs. We involve local partners so that the sales proceeds can be used for collective business capital, thereby fostering the growth of local economic groups in Soligi," Riyadi stated.
This tangible support for food security and women's economic empowerment received full appreciation from the local village government. Soligi Village Head, Madaisi La Siriali, views the program as a clear manifestation of the company's attention to empowerment and economic strengthening.
"We hope that the synergy between the community, the village government, and the company can be continuously strengthened through activities that have a direct impact on the residents," Madaisi concluded.
The bazaar organized by Harita Nickel in Soligi Village does more than just provide affordable groceries for the community. Beyond that, the initiative nurtures the solemnity of fasting worship while sowing the seeds of economic independence for the residents living around the company's operational area