The Indonesian YouTube village - 17th September 2021

Siswanto, a 38 year old motor mechanic, has helped turn his Indonesian village into a community of YouTubers.

After watching a TV programme about a YouTube celebrity, Siswanto saw an opportunity to make money. But his early attempts weren't successful.

Then Siswanto came up with a great idea. He had got stuck while attempting to fix a costly motorbike and tried to find help online. But the video he found was too complex. Siswanto realised he could do much better and decided to make clear, step by step video guides to motorbike repairs.

It wasn't an immediate success, as he lacked funding and basic devices. But, Siswanto didn't give up and has gradually built up two million YouTube followers. Now, he can employ people to help with making and editing his videos.

At first the villagers of Kasegeran didn't trust Siswanto's YouTube business, but he convinced them and chose a team of 33 villagers to train as YouTubers.

Siswanto: "Because not everyone has the passion to be a YouTuber, so I picked 33 people whom I've trained intensively. In six months, they can make money because they have successfully monetised their YouTube channels."

The Kasegeran YouTubers are now producing a wide variety of videos from cookery to farming.

Siswanto has brought success to himself and the villagers of Kasegeran.

Siswanto: "This has brought a better economy, which was never expected by the local government or the elders. I hope future generations will remain comfortable living in Kasegeran because it no longer holds the title as 'the poorest village'."