<![CDATA[This community service initiative aimed to empower the Sedulur Ketupat business group, a micro-enterprise of seasonal rice cake (ketupat) producers in Dusun Manggus, Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra. The group, whose members primarily work as farmers and day laborers, faced significant challenges due to poor financial record-keeping and an inability to anticipate fluctuating seasonal demand, particularly leading up to major religious holidays. The program was implemented using a community-based participatory approach grounded in andragogical principles. The intervention comprised three main components: (1) socialization and awareness sessions, (2) basic financial management training incorporating a three-color "separate wallet" system and production cost (HPP) calculation, and (3) demand forecasting training using a simple moving average method. Participant knowledge improvement was measured using a pretest-posttest design, with data analyzed using a paired difference test (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The results revealed a notable increase in the average participant scores from pre- to post-training, with all participants exhibiting score improvements that exceeded the predetermined performance indicator targets. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test confirmed that this increase was statistically significant. Furthermore, the initiative produced tangible outputs, including financial record-keeping pocketbooks, separate physical wallets, and seasonal forecasting calendars, all of which have been fully distributed and are actively utilized by the partner group. This community service program is concluded to have been successful in significantly enhancing the financial literacy and forecasting capabilities of the partner group, thereby supporting the sustainability and resilience of their seasonal micro-enterprise.]]>
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