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Mundir: Motivating disabled people with three-wheelers
Nedi Putra AWLife must go on in spite of physical limitations
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Nedi Putra AW" border="0" height="339" width="510">Nedi Putra AWLife must go on in spite of physical limitations. Thatâs the guiding principle followed by Mundir, a disabled resident of Cokro hamlet, Sukoanyar village in Pakis district, Malang regency, East Java.
Mundir, who is a paraplegic, has had to depend on his hands to develop his skill at modification to build three-wheeled motorcycles for disabled people, which also has become a source of income.
He was born perfectly healthy to a poor family, but was rendered disabled in his teens. âMy parents were manual workers,â Mundir said. He also had to drop out of school when he was in fourth grade.
Mundir was 15 when he climbed a coconut tree to collect fronds and fell, breaking his tail bone and legs. The accident left him a paraplegic, stressed and feeling inferior.
However, with the use of his hands, Mundir strived to craft bird and chicken cages as well as bamboo tables and chairs to sell to cafes. âBut bamboo and rattan became increasingly scarce so it was hard to meet orders,â he said.
Undaunted, he thought he should make himself mobile like other people in order to seize other business opportunities. âI began to tinker with bicycles, modifying their pedals so as to be operable by hand,â recalled the man born in 1977.
With the passage of time, he started shifting to motorcycle modification in 2005. Mundir modified a motorbike to make it a three-wheeled vehicle to be used without fear of falling.
He bought a three-wheeled motorbike from Yogyakarta and modified it. But after a trial ride he felt less comfortable with the vehicle, which prompted him to dismantle and reassemble it to suit his disability.
He claims to be a self-taught mechanic who received no motor engine instruction. âI can now go out with greater freedom,â said Mundir, who initially used his modified bike to work as a motorcycle broker.
He eventually realized he could help the many people who shared the same fate as him. So he visited a number of disabled peers to lift the spirits of those still distressed and feeling inferior due to limited activity or mobility, while offering his modification services.
His efforts were fruitful. Orders for modified motorcycles flowed in, although originally only enough to give him part-time work. Over the last 10 years, he has handled scores of orders. âThey may total over 100 units, with one or two bikes a month on average,â he said.
Helping hand: Mundir builds a three-wheeled motorcycle for disabled people at his workshop in Pakis district, Malang regency, in East Java.(Nedi Putra AW)
To buy the materials he travels as far as Comboran Market in Malang city, some 25 kilometers from his home, so as to be able to buy quality products, prioritizing safety for his customers.
Mundir prefers to modify motorcycles that have automatic transmission. âIâm challenged by their complexity compared with ordinary motor bebek [scooters],â he noted. He handles the entire modification work himself, leaving only welding and lathing to a peer.
Orders for his three-wheelers come not only from Malang but also other cities, even those outside Java, such as in Kalimantan. Generally he charges Rp 3 million (US$216.85) to Rp 4 million per unit. âIt depends on the degree of complexity and delivery costs,â he said.
Nonetheless, Mundir may offer lower prices if a customer is really strapped for cash. âIf they truly cannot afford to pay the price I just let them pay whatever they can,â he said.
He feels grateful for having motivated, fellow handicapped people to help him earn a living. One example is a disabled man in his 50s who has two children. Mundir suggested that his idle motorcycle be modified to make him mobile.
âAt last, he has regained his enthusiasm and rides around to peddle snacks in several residential areas near his house in Malang,â said Mundir, who has obtained a SIM D, a disabled driverâs license issued by the Malang Police.
The characteristic of Mundirâs modified vehicles is that they are tailored to meet individual needs. Their seats and wheel positions are suited to their users. If the left hand is more functional, the gas lever is fitted on the left. For shifting gears, gear levers are fixed like those in cars.
Before being delivered, the three-wheelers are tried out for two weeks or a month on all kinds of roads, which means his customers rarely complain about his products. âI frequently receive orders for alterations to modified bikes to make them more comfortable,â he revealed.
Helping hand: <)
Nedi Putra AW
Life must go on in spite of physical limitations. That's the guiding principle followed by Mundir, a disabled resident of Cokro hamlet, Sukoanyar village in Pakis district, Malang regency, East Java.
Mundir, who is a paraplegic, has had to depend on his hands to develop his skill at modification to build three-wheeled motorcycles for disabled people, which also has become a source of income.
He was born perfectly healthy to a poor family, but was rendered disabled in his teens. 'My parents were manual workers,' Mundir said. He also had to drop out of school when he was in fourth grade.
Mundir was 15 when he climbed a coconut tree to collect fronds and fell, breaking his tail bone and legs. The accident left him a paraplegic, stressed and feeling inferior.
However, with the use of his hands, Mundir strived to craft bird and chicken cages as well as bamboo tables and chairs to sell to cafes. 'But bamboo and rattan became increasingly scarce so it was hard to meet orders,' he said.
Undaunted, he thought he should make himself mobile like other people in order to seize other business opportunities. 'I began to tinker with bicycles, modifying their pedals so as to be operable by hand,' recalled the man born in 1977.
With the passage of time, he started shifting to motorcycle modification in 2005. Mundir modified a motorbike to make it a three-wheeled vehicle to be used without fear of falling.
He bought a three-wheeled motorbike from Yogyakarta and modified it. But after a trial ride he felt less comfortable with the vehicle, which prompted him to dismantle and reassemble it to suit his disability.
He claims to be a self-taught mechanic who received no motor engine instruction. 'I can now go out with greater freedom,' said Mundir, who initially used his modified bike to work as a motorcycle broker.
He eventually realized he could help the many people who shared the same fate as him. So he visited a number of disabled peers to lift the spirits of those still distressed and feeling inferior due to limited activity or mobility, while offering his modification services.
His efforts were fruitful. Orders for modified motorcycles flowed in, although originally only enough to give him part-time work. Over the last 10 years, he has handled scores of orders. 'They may total over 100 units, with one or two bikes a month on average,' he said.
To buy the materials he travels as far as Comboran Market in Malang city, some 25 kilometers from his home, so as to be able to buy quality products, prioritizing safety for his customers.
Mundir prefers to modify motorcycles that have automatic transmission. 'I'm challenged by their complexity compared with ordinary motor bebek [scooters],' he noted. He handles the entire modification work himself, leaving only welding and lathing to a peer.
Orders for his three-wheelers come not only from Malang but also other cities, even those outside Java, such as in Kalimantan. Generally he charges Rp 3 million (US$216.85) to Rp 4 million per unit. 'It depends on the degree of complexity and delivery costs,' he said.
Nonetheless, Mundir may offer lower prices if a customer is really strapped for cash. 'If they truly cannot afford to pay the price I just let them pay whatever they can,' he said.
He feels grateful for having motivated, fellow handicapped people to help him earn a living. One example is a disabled man in his 50s who has two children. Mundir suggested that his idle motorcycle be modified to make him mobile.
'At last, he has regained his enthusiasm and rides around to peddle snacks in several residential areas near his house in Malang,' said Mundir, who has obtained a SIM D, a disabled driver's license issued by the Malang Police.
The characteristic of Mundir's modified vehicles is that they are tailored to meet individual needs. Their seats and wheel positions are suited to their users. If the left hand is more functional, the gas lever is fitted on the left. For shifting gears, gear levers are fixed like those in cars.
Before being delivered, the three-wheelers are tried out for two weeks or a month on all kinds of roads, which means his customers rarely complain about his products. 'I frequently receive orders for alterations to modified bikes to make them more comfortable,' he revealed.
Mundir has joined the Disabled Motor Indonesia (DMI) association of Malang regency, with nearly all members using his modified motorcycles. 'We often gather to exchange motivational ideas and experiences with community members as well as other disabled groups such as Pertuni [Indonesian Association of Visually Impaired People],' he added.
Along with members of Malang regency and city chapters of the DMI, he also always attends the celebration of the International Day of People with Disabilities, usually held in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Dec. 3.
Mundir hopes everything he does can make disabled people, whether disabled from birth, an accident or disease, recover their zeal for creative their activity spite of physical limitations.
