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BRILink Mekaar agents propel Mekaar customers' income to new heights
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his morning, cheerful faces lit up Mekaar customers' expressions. They eagerly awaited the arrival of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who was scheduled to inspire and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of 5,000 Mekaar customers in Keyongan Kidul Field, Sabdodadi, Bantul regency.
Esti Riyani, an impressive woman from Pringgolayan village, Banguntapan subdistrict, Bantul, described Mekaar as a hero that had helped boost her business and well-being.
"In 2012, I opened a grocery store at home. At that time, the business was struggling. But, alhamdulillah (thank God), in 2015, joining Mekaar felt like the arrival of an angel. The capital came, and my store became more complete," said Esti.
A 43-year-old graduate of YKPN Academy with a D3 degree, she became a Mekaar customer in 2015, initially receiving a financing of Rp 2 million. As her business flourished, she obtained financing of Rp 8 million.
She often motivates her group of 30 members to regularly conduct weekly group meetings (PKM). Through PKM, she gains inspiration to enhance her entrepreneurial knowledge.
"I regularly conduct PKM, and I invite friends to join regular PKM, especially now, as with PKM, we can get many rewards such as umrah, training, international benchmarking trips and much more," said Esti.
She felt that PKM had helped maintain her motivation to keep striving. Through PKM in 2018, she was able to start a new business, a laundry service called Agrian.
"In 2018, I added one more business, inspired by PKM. My laundry business is doing well because my house is near the campus. Many students and people are busy and have to use laundry services for their clothes," Esti said.
She is enthusiastic about being a Mekaar customer because she also received assistance in obtaining a Business Identification Number (NIB) through the Mekaar program.
"PKM's benefits are extraordinary. On the advice of friends, I also sell various types of ices and other beverages. Without PKM, my ideas might have stopped," said Esti.
This spirited woman interprets life as dynamic, and in the last few months, there has been a leap in her income as she became a BRILink Mekaar agent.
"Since the end of last year, I've been a BRILink Mekaar agent, and it turns out there's been a significant increase in my income as a BRILink Mekaar agent. Fortunately, because it's near the campus, my BRILink agent is bustling," said Esti.
She believed that all the enthusiasm and business ideas she was pursuing now had originated from ideas stemming from PKM.
"My advice to Mekaar customers is to definitely participate in PKM, and once again, becoming a BRILink agent has increased my income," Esti added.
Susanto, head of Regional Micro Banking at BRI Yogyakarta (RO), met with customers and Wisnandi, executive vice president of PT PNM, after the event with Jokowi, emphasizing two crucial aspects of the BRILink Mekaar synergy.
"Firstly, by becoming a BRILink Mekaar agent, PNM customers can increase their income. Secondly, and equally important, by becoming a BRILink Mekaar agent, the surrounding community will find it easier to access banking transactions," said Susanto.
