The GeTI Incubator, a vocational training institution and part of the ExportHub.id ecosystem, has officially launched the One Village One YouTuber (OVOY) program. The initiative aims to train young individuals to become agents of village development by promoting local culture, products, and tourism.
YouTuber and Head of GeTI TV, Tulang Tio, explained that the OVOY program was born out of the growing interest among youth in one of today’s most sought-after creative industries: becoming a YouTuber.
This is in line with 2020 data from the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, which showed that Indonesia had 196.71 million active internet users—equivalent to 73.7% of the country’s 266.91 million population.
“This program is expected to boost the village economy and shape young people into regional development agents,” said Tio during the OVOY soft launch on Wednesday (10/11), under the theme “A Joint Initiative to Create 1,000 YouTubers for 1,000 Villages.” The event was livestreamed via GeTI TV’s YouTube channel and TV Desa.
As of 2020, social media users in Indonesia reached 160 million (59% of the population), with YouTube alone boasting 140.8 million users.
Optimism was echoed by Samsul Widodo, Expert Staff to the Minister for Inter-Institutional Affairs at the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration. He noted that OVOY holds significant potential to drive village-based development throughout Indonesia.
He also expressed hope that participants would not only gain skills in content creation but also emerge as local heroes who explore and elevate their village’s potential using digital approaches.
“We want to expose rural potential—such as plantations, agriculture, fisheries, village-owned enterprises (BUMDes), and MSMEs,” he emphasized.
The soft launch was also attended by TV Desa CEO Suryokoco Suryoputro, GeTI Incubator CEO Amalia Prabowo, and Luthfi Pati, a YouTuber from Central Java.
Empowering Rural Youth Through OVOY
OVOY is committed to enhancing digital literacy among rural youth, while equipping them with creative competencies as a foundation for becoming digital content creators. This will allow them to harness digital technology to unlock new opportunities—including entrepreneurial ventures.
In partnership with the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, the program will incubate 1,000 YouTubers across 1,000 villages over a three-week period. Participants will be mentored by professional instructors throughout the program.
Each participant will produce videos showcasing the unique culture, products, and tourism of their respective villages, to be published on their personal YouTube channels.
Youth can register for the OVOY program from November 10 to December 8, 2021. Full details and registration information are available at ovoy.geti.id. Participation in the program is entirely free. [*] AS/ExportHub.id