The Mars group has joined forces with Save the Children for a key initiative in Indonesia, the women’s R.I.S.E programme supporting female cocoa farmers within the region, writes Neill Barston.

Notably, the venture has been supported by $3 million funding from the US confectionery giant, which has targeted greater crop growing resilience from additional locations around the world.

It has been focused on the North Kolaka regency of  Southeast Sulawesi, and also pays particular emphasis to improving child protection systems, amid a backdrop of ongoing key issues of children remaining prone to being used within labour forces due to the extreme poverty experienced by many working in cocoa supply chains.

The Mars Impact Fund and Save the Children Indonesia have launched the Women R.I.S.E. (Resilient & Inclusive Systems for Empowerment) Program, a three-year initiative designed to strengthen the resilience of cocoa-growing communities while advancing child protection and women’s economic empowerment across Indonesia.

Significantly, as the company explained, the program will expand Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and strengthen community resilience programs in cocoa-growing regions. The initiative reflects the Mars Impact Fund’s mission to accelerate meaningful, lasting impact in the communities where Mars operates.

Women R.I.S.E. addresses key challenges facing rural cocoa-growing communities, including fluctuating agricultural productivity, limited access to financial services, and the need to strengthen community capacity to plan for and manage local development.

Over the next three years, the program will directly engage more than 17,000 cocoa farmers across 115 villages in five provinces—Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi and Aceh. With a goal of 60% female participation, the initiative is also expected to directly benefit more than 8,000 children. In Southeast Sulawesi, activities will focus on seven villages in North Kolaka Regency.

Highlighting the vision behind the partnership, Isabel Dimitrov, Program Director of the Mars Impact Fund, said: “True community resilience is built from the ground up. The Mars Impact Fund is proud to invest in tools that help cocoa-growing families diversify their income, protect their children, and build a more secure, equitable future.”

At the heart of the program is a commitment to locally led development. Community members will develop and implement Community Action Plans that reflect their own priorities and create lasting change.

“We are fully committed to supporting the creation of cocoa farming communities that possess independent economic resilience, strong social cohesion and climate readiness,” said Mutmainnah, Community Development Specialist at Mars. “This collaboration is designed to strengthen local governance and build integrated partnerships that help establish sustainable, self-reliant village models for future generations.”

“By strengthening the VSLA platform, we aim to foster positive parenting, family well-being, and a more robust child protection ecosystem within communities,” said Ihwana Mustafa, Senior Manager, Agriculture Portfolio Lead at Save the Children Indonesia. “This approach is essential to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty while preventing risky coping mechanisms that harm children, including child labor practices. We are deeply committed to ensuring that women and youth have broader opportunities to voice their aspirations and lead transformational change in their communities.”