GEF SGP Indonesia has supported more than 500 resource management initiatives over nearly three decades of program operations in Indonesia. In 2011, GEF SGP Indonesia initiated the establishment of Terasmitra to help partners develop environmentally friendly social entrepreneurship. In the implementation of the Phase 6 program (2017–2021), GEF SGP Indonesia and Terasmitra launched the Learning from the East (BdT) initiative.

The BdT initiative aims to involve urban youth in organizing, training, mentoring, and developing grassroots community products in rural areas. This initiative has been implemented in three batches, namely BdT Yogyakarta, BdT Kupang, and BdT Bali. BdT Yogyakarta successfully produced three young urban groups from Yogyakarta who assisted community groups in Semau Island, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and Kaledupa Island, Wakatobi Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. BdT Kupang conducted business plan training for more than 19 community groups. Meanwhile, BdT Bali created a young group to carry out community organizing and mentoring work in Nusa Penida to create business opportunities on Nusa Penida Island.

The groups born and supported by this initiative are currently in the fieldwork process. Some of them have yielded significant results worthy of publication by the public, as outlined in this small book. These include the Semau Muda group, which supports and markets the harvest of sorghum farmers on Semau Island; the Akar Embun group, which supports, trains, and markets mangrove-based products produced by mothers' groups on Kaledupa Island; and the Lokamuda group, which builds community-based ecological tourism destinations on Nusa Penida Island.

The publication of this book attempts to depict the processes, results, and challenges faced by these young groups. The hope is that what is expressed in this book can inspire the younger generation to be willing to participate in community empowerment processes in rural areas that have many limitations and are far from reach. And ultimately, create a social network of urban and rural communities for mutual benefit. Happy reading.