Rising back After Job Termination

Ruslan Guntoro, 64, and Sulastri, 59, have established an alang-alang (cogon grass) extract beverage business. Nowadays, they actively encourage others to take the path of becoming a businessperson.

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Ruslan Guntoro (64) dan Sulastri (59)

Despite their job termination, Ruslan Guntoro, 64, and Sulastri, 59, do not despair. The husband-and-wife have established an alang-alang (cogon grass) extract beverage business. Nowadays, they actively encourage others to take the path of becoming a businessperson.

“If you do not squeeze a coconut, you cannot get the coconut. It is the same in life. If you are not pressured, you will not get creative and persist through difficulties.” The advice given by a textile factory boss in Batu, East Java, stayed close to Ruslan and Sulastri’s hearts. At the time, they were both working at the factory.

In 2004, the textile factory – the largest one in Batu – went bankrupt and was forced to terminate workers without severance pay. Ruslan and Sulastri were among these people. They both tried to stayed calm amid the shocking turn of events. They tried to remember their boss’ advice to give your best under pressure.

If you are not pressured, you will not get creative and persist through difficulties.

They racked their brains under pressure in order to find new sources of income. “We struggled to feed six children, all of whom were in school or college,” Ruslan said in Batu, last July, regarding his conditions back then.

The couple finally decided to establish a beverage business just to get by. They were inspired by their childhood memories of their grandparents giving them a cogon grass extract beverage whenever they get panas dalam (overheated). “Cogon grass used to be seen as waste. We thought, can we turn waste into gold? This is why we set our sights on cogon grass,” Sulastri said.

After several trials, Sulastri found the perfect taste for her cogon grass beverage, which has health benefits. Her first customers were her own friends and neighbors.

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KOMPAS/DAHLIA IRAWATI

Ruslan Guntoro (64) dan Sulastri (59)

In 2007, Sulastri participated in MSME training hosted by the Batu Manpower Agency, in order to expand her business. The training was aimed toward terminated factory textile workers. Sulastri brought her cogon grass beverage to the training. There, she met a lecturer from Malang’s Brawijaya University.

Despite Sulastri’s lack of confidence in her product, it attracted the lecturer. The lecturer then asked Sulastri and Ruslan to take part in a product competition held by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Surprisingly, they won the competition and got funding to purchase a production machine.

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Their business blossomed. Now, they can use five tons of sugar and one ton of cogon grass a year to make their product. The cogon grass is supplied by their farmer friends. They sell their products in shops, tourism spots and online.

Nowadays, they have dozens of workers, including four permanent ones. The other workers are involved only when they are swamped with orders, such as during the fasting month or the Idul Fitri holiday. “This year, due to the pandemic, we stop production. We still have enough stock,” Sulastri said.

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KOMPAS/DAHLIA IRAWATI

Ruslan Guntoro (64) dan Sulastri

Association

Refusing to be successful alone, Ruslan and Sulastri encouraged others to set up businesses just like they did. They founded the Guyub Rukun Agawe Santoso (GRAS) MSME Association in 2007 to give training and share experiences and exhibition information, as well as support for those developing their businesses. GRAS also establishes and develops cooperatives. Now, GRAS has 46 MSMEs as members.

GRAS is also actively involved in developing village MSMEs in Songgoriti, Batu. The couple established the Sanggamitra village group targeting villagers, including the unemployed, wishing to create MSME from scratch. “We aim to teach people from zero to being able to create and sell their own products,” Sulastri said.

I just want to share my knowledge so that people will open businesses like we do.

As experienced MSME players, Sulastri and Ruslan said that they provided the paths for their juniors wanting to communicate with local agencies and banks. Sulastri and Ruslan also help new business players find market opportunities. Currently, Sanggamitra has around 50 members with businesses ranging from banana crackers, cassava crackers, yoghurt, milk candies, potato sticks, catering to tailor.

Sulastri is also active in various other communities, including onion farmers groups and the Batu businesswomen association. “I just want to share my knowledge so that people will open businesses like we do. We do not want others to get fired while needing lots of money for their children’s education. Even when it happens, they must know that they can rise again with the help of those around them,” Sulastri said.

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Sulastri and Ruslan deeply understand that, other than will and persistence, support from the government, banks and closest people is necessary to start a business. This is why the couple wants to create an ecosystem that supports MSME development in Batu.

After all these years, being fired from work did not mean the end of the world for the couple from Batu. “I sense that there is a lesson in our firing, namely that finally we were serious in developing our own business. If we were not fired, maybe we would have spent our whole life as workers,” Ruslan said.