Workshop of Life, Preparation for the Future

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Mechanics service a motorcycle on 2 Oct. 2020 at a Pertamax Otopreneur maintenance and repair shop in Kertajaya village of Padalarang district, West Bandung regency, West Java. The motorcycle repair shop was set up in collaboration with state-owned energy giant Pertamina to support people who had lost their jobs as part of the economic fallout from the Covid-19 health emergency.

The Covid-19 pandemic has become a nightmare for Asep Buhori, 43. Last March, the former security guard for a bird feed factory in West Bandung regency, West Java, was laid off. Through a small workshop in his village, with friends who share a similar fate as himself, Asep struggles to work out his future.

Asep\'s strong hands grabbed the pliers hanging on the wall of the Pertamax Otopreneur Workshop in Kertajaya village, Padalarang district, West Bandung, Friday (2/10/2020) afternoon. With a single pull, he removed the oil holder of a customer\'s motorcycle.

He poured out one liter of oil to lubricate the engine of the vehicle. "Yesterday this motorcycle broke down. After checking, it turned out that the oil was dry. Maybe it hasn\'t been replaced for a long time," he said.

That afternoon, only one motorcycle stopped by his workshop. However, that was enough to put a smile on his face.

The father of two hoped that the workshop will return to turn the wheel of the family economy that nearly stalls during the pandemic. After being laid off six months ago, he has no longer received regular income every month.

His income is uncertain. However, he realized, working hard in difficult times is far better than grieving his fate.

He has undertaken various jobs, from parking attendants to motorcycle taxi drivers, to make a living. His income is uncertain. However, he realized, working hard in difficult times is far better than grieving his fate.

When he was employed as a factory worker, Asep received Rp 2.8 million per month. The income is used to support his family.

However, since March, there has been no fixed income. His family\'s economy began to shake. Half a year later, there is no sign that he will be employed again.

The difficult situation forced him to think. Together with other laid-off workers, he often discussed about opening a business. They agreed to start a workshop because they had experience in operating machines.

Through the head of RW 008 community unit of Kertajaya village, Maman Hermana, 51, Asep together with a number of residents submitted a proposal to get community empowerment program assistance from state oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

"We really expect any empowerment support because of constraints on capital to start a business," said Asep, who is trusted to be the chief mechanic at the workshop.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Gas Ambalat, an LPG carrier belonging to state-owned energy giant Pertamina, docks at Cirebon Port in West Java on 18 Sept. 2020. Gas Ambalat was built by China’s Wuzhou Shipbuilding Industry in 2014 and weighs 5,079 gross tons.

In addition to funds amounting to tens of millions of rupiah to renovate a building into a workshop, Asep and his friends also received assistance in the form of motorcycle parts, lubricants, and training for two weeks.

In the first month of working at the workshop, Asep did not want to expect much. He did not directly

target an income equivalent to working in a factory. "The focus is on promotion to local residents, offices, and the motorcycle communities. If there are a lot of customers, the income will increase,” he said.

Asep did not fight alone. Five other Kertajaya residents also took part to start the workshop, one of whom was Dede Rohana, 50. Dede family\'s economy began to be unstable since October 2019. The biscuit company where he worked in Cimahi city, West Java, was hit by a crisis. The wages were cut by an average of 30 percent. He only earned Rp 1.89 million from the previous Rp 2.7 million per month.

Four months later, the company\'s condition got worse. He was laid off so that he no longer gets regular monthly income.

In that company, Dede worked as a machine operator. Therefore, he did not hesitate when he got the opportunity to start a workshop business. "I have three children. Two are married, one is in high school. So, I have to keep working because I still have to support a dependent," he said.

Dede is optimistic that the 5 x 3.5 meter workshop has a bright future. According to him, motorcycle repair services will still be in demand during the pandemic. "The need to repair motorbikes cannot be postponed because they are always used for daily activities. So, the repair shop services will continue to sell," he said.

The road is also on the route to the West Bandung Regency Government Office.

More than that, the location of the workshop on Jalan Panaris is considered strategic because it is only 350 meters from Padalarang Station and 650 meters from Jalan Raya Padalarang. The road is also on the route to the West Bandung Regency Government Office.

Call repair shop

Dede and his colleagues are designing a brochure to promote the workshop. The brochure is planned to be distributed to every RW management in the village.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Anton Hilman, 30, paints a motorcycle on Thursday (8/10/2020) at a Pertamax Otopreneur maintenance and repair shop in Cinambo, Bandung municipality, West Java. The motorcycle repair shop was set up in collaboration with state-owned energy giant Pertamina and helps support school dropouts.

They are also exploring cooperation with the motorcycle communities. The hope is that routine maintenance or servicing of vehicles of the community members can be carried out at the workshop.

The father of three children realizes that being busy often makes motorcycle owners not have time to go to the workshop. Especially during the pandemic, residents limit themselves to doing activities outside the home. "We plan to implement a call workshop system. So, consumers simply telephone us and mechanics will come to the house," he said.

However, 3-5 more mechanics are needed. Therefore, they opened the opportunity for other residents to participate in advancing the workshop. " Hurry up, study together in this workshop. Once they have the ability, they can also open branches (workshops) and employ other people,” he said.

The senior supervisor of the fuel receiving storage and distribution of Pertamina’s Bandung Terminal Group, Firman Nugroho, hopes that the workshop will become a means for residents to remain productive amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is a community empowerment program. Hopefully this workshop can develop and become the residents\' first choice for repairing and servicing motorbikes," he said.

They are the backbone of families affected by layoffs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The unit manager of the Communication Relations & CSR of Pertamina, Eko Kristiawan, explained that his company had invited six people in Kertajaya to be empowered in the workshop. They are the backbone of families affected by layoffs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We understand that currently the condition is difficult. Hopefully with this activity, the burden on the community can be helped slightly," he said.

Pertamax Otopreneur Workshop in Kertajaya is the third in Greater Bandung. The previous two workshops were initiated last year in Bandung by empowering school dropouts.

Anton Hilman, 30, a mechanic at the Pertamax Otopreneur Workshop in Cinambo, Bandung city, said that a number of school dropouts had studied about the skills of running workshops there. However, they quit in the first three months since the workshop was inaugurated last September.

Right now, only Anton and his colleague, Irwan, 29, are the ones who survive. ”A part of them continue to work in other workshops. There are also those who switch to other jobs," he said, Thursday (9/10/2020) afternoon.

According to Anton, starting a workshop business must be patient and consistent. Because, the sweet fruit does not come instantly. For him, the 3 x 5 meter workshop is the door to a new livelihood that must be utilized with hard work.

Because, he had felt the bitterness of not having a fixed income. After being laid off from the official repair shop of a motorcycle manufacture in 2016, he never got a job.

With his experience as a mechanic, Anton provided motorcycle repair services at his home. However, the customers were limited. Just a few close friends and neighbors.

In a day, not necessarily a customer came. He earned up to Rp 1 million per month. In fact, when he worked in the official workshop, he was paid Rp 2.3 million per month.

The father of three children planned to open his own workshop. However, he did not have the funds to rent a place and buy equipment and spare parts.

His anxiety was answered when he received Pertamina\'s help to open the Pertamax Otopreneur Workshop in Cinambo. Not only did he receive an assistance to rent the place, Anton was also given equipment, some spare parts and oil, as well as training.

Thanks to his persistence, the workshop has developed. About 40-50 motorbikes stop by his repair shop every month. There are various servicing services, starting from repairing the brake pads to overhauling the engine.

KOMPAS/AGNES SWETTA PANDIA

Two people walk along the main street in Doudo village, Panceng district, Gresik regency, East Java, as seen on 22 June 2020. The village has been greened and beautified as a result of improvements to its water supply made using assistance from Pertamina EP Asset 4 Filed Poleng to develop bored water wells.

His income from the workshop is around Rp 3 million per month. That is only payment for services, not including the profit from selling spare parts.

"The profit is spent on buying spare parts. So, this is like an investment if one day the finances run low," he said. Anton also followed Pertamina\'s suggestion to save Rp 50,000 per day.

This proved effective when the pandemic hit in March 2020. In three months, March-June, his income had dropped to Rp 1 million per month. He met the economic needs of the family by using these savings.

"Stocks of spare parts are still available. So, don\'t bother thinking about money for new purchases," said the graduate of SMKN 6 state vocational school in Bandung.

In difficult times like now, these tiny workshops hold great hope for the laid-off people who are persistent in their efforts, paving new ways to get up to eradicate the nightmare caused by the pandemic.