O

ne positive of living an impoverished life in a capital city overflowing with unemployed people is
that one is pushed to think creatively about finding a way to make a living.

For Muhammad Imam, 22, working as a coffee vendor has proven to be a more reliable business than his previous job as a cleaner.

“When I worked as a cleaner I earned a fixed income of Rp 900,000 [US$100] a month, but as a coffee seller I earn at least Rp 1,500,000 a month,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Although times were tough when he first began selling coffee, now he enjoys the trade.

“During my first few days selling coffee, I did not sell even a single cup of coffee. It made me cry. Thankfully my wife supported me and encouraged me to carry on,” he says.

Imam shares his life story with his customers as he pours a packet of instant coffee into a plastic cup and stirs in hot water, on the sidewalk of Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta. The price for this hot beverage — Rp 3,000.

With a bicycle, two thermos bottles, Rp 165,000 in cash to buy instant coffee and milk, and Rp 5,000 to buy a set of plastic cups, he’s ready for business.

“When I run out of hot water, I usually refill my thermos bottles at nearby food stalls for Rp 2,000 for each.”

A typical day sees Imam leave his rented house in Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta, at 7 a.m., and return home at 12 a.m. for lunch with his wife, noon prayer and a rest.

After that he rides his bike back to Kebon Sirih, where he sells coffee again from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. On such a typical day, Imam usually sells about 80 cups of coffee.

“Alhamdulillah [praise to God] I can afford to pay my rent and feed my wife from the coffee selling,” Imam says.

Another coffee seller, Muhammad Adi, 26, said an ex-colleague had offered to sell his bicycle, a bunch of instant coffee packets and a thermos bottle two years ago.

“My colleague told me that even though it [selling coffee] would only generate a small income, the work was relatively reliable for making a living in the city,” he said.

The man who spent two years working as a construction worker in Malaysia said that what his colleague had told him turned out to be true.

“I’ve run this business for around three years now and I quite enjoy it,” he said, adding that his customers ranged from bus drivers and security guards to salarymen in the Sudirman-Thamrin area.

The plenitude of branded coffee franchise outlets in the area does not eat into his market, he says.

“They cannot possibly buy such expensive coffee every day, right? Besides I deliver to their doors,” he says smiling cheerily.

One strategy he has for luring and retaining customers is to allow people to borrow a cup of coffee or two on credit.

“So far it’s been quite a success, as 13 have become permanent customers [that way]. Most of them pay their debt every Friday”.