Author: Alfin Heriagus
Last Wednesday (12/01/2022) an exhibition was held to support the promotion/marketing of ultra-micro businesses of Beneficiary Families of the Family Hope Program (KPM PKH). This activity is one of a series of Social Entrepreneurship Programs (ProKus) in DKI Jakarta.
The exhibition held at the Atrium of Trilogi University is a collaboration between the Universitas Indonesia (UI) through the Directorate of Community Service and Empowerment (DPPM), Trilogi University through the Trilogi Business Incubator (INBISTRO), and the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemensos RI).
In his speech, Director of DPPM UI, Agung Waluyo, Ph.D., said that the exhibition was a continuation of ProKus’ assistance. “The participants were selected from a fairly rigorous selection process from 301 KPM, 100 families who have home-based businesses were selected. A total of 30 KPMs after being assisted by their respective mentors were given the opportunity to participate in this expo event,” he said.
The Rector of Universitas Trilogi Kerja, Prof. Mudrajad Kuncoro, Ph.D., in his speech said that in the midst of a pandemic there are two phenomena that should be known. The first is that the poverty rate is rising. National data shows an increase in poverty from 9.1% in September 2019 to 10.1% in March 2021. Second, the unemployment rate is increasing. Therefore, he welcomed this kind of exhibition to introduce the KPM’s business, especially because he was happy to collaborate with the Universitas Indonesia in organizing the expo.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Ir. Arissetyanto Nugroho, M.M., IPU, CMA, MSS, as the Chairperson of the Jakarta Indonesian Education Development Foundation, expressed his happiness to be able to directly attend today’s expo activities. In his delivery, he said that in DKI Jakarta, ProKus has been running since 2020. And this year, Alhamdulillah, the Ministry of Social Affairs still supports ProKus assistance. In total, 3 selected business incubators were asked to support this assistance, namely the Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Trilogi Kerja and Bina Swadaya Foundation.
Prof. Arissetyanto highly appreciates the ProKus series since the beginning until now, they still look enthusiastic and passionate in developing their business. Furthermore, he showed data that showed the number of KPM as many as 309 from 3 business incubators, both UI, Trilogi and Swadaya. This is very important and good to do to help the government in eradicating poverty and unemployment. With ProKus, it is hoped that mentors can help foster KPM so that the businesses they are running can develop and advance.
The success of this collaboration is inseparable from the hard work of the team led by Dr. Rambat Lupiyoadi, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Economic and Business lecturer representing DPPM UI and Siti Khusnul Rifani, S.E., M.S.M. (Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Bureau, Inbistro) representing Trilogy University. According to him, this event is a place to introduce the results of the business developed by each Beneficiary Family (KPM), learn directly how to sell through the bazaar, a means of networking and learning from each other with other KPM and mentors who have succeeded.
As one of the mentors from Universitas Indonesia (UI), Supriani, shared her experiences and stories while fostering KPM. He said that many of the beneficiaries he assisted struggled and were not discouraged in building their businesses. “There are those who sell cakes, their houses are in the alleys, so traveling out to sell is challenging,” he explained. However, he added that this did not stop Mrs. Herni, one of his beneficiaries, from trying. She explained that this made her even more motivated to develop her business.
Today’s expo agenda was closed with a seminar/sharing of business experiences by Mrs. Muslimah, S.Pd., a housewife who has a successful cassava chips business. Similar to the KPM who are currently participating in the mentoring, in 2010 she also participated in the mentoring. Her previous mentor was Dr. Rambat, who is currently the head of the ProKus UI team. Thanks to her enthusiasm and support for mentoring, Muslimah said that her business has grown and has even exported abroad.
He advised the current KPM to keep trying to develop their business by not being discouraged. “The point is not to be discouraged, failure is the first step towards success,” said Rambat.
The running of ProKus has received full support from Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, who hopes that the KPM can improve their standard of living sustainably. This entrepreneurship assistance has also supported the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely empowering people through businesses that are run to be free / eradicated from poverty and have a more prosperous life and help increase economic growth rates in the region.
