BOGOR –— The income from her sewing work is barely enough to cover her children’s food and school expenses. There have been times when Cecep has had to fight tooth and nail for his children. Those moments came when his children were about to move up to the next grade. Naturally, their needs multiplied. At those times, Cecep and his wife, Ade, were willing to do whatever work was available, no matter how humble. Even so, he remains grateful because both of his children are healthy and have never had polio, unlike their parents.
“If you ask whether this income from sewing is enough, the truth is, it’s not, because we also have two children to support who must continue their education. But no matter what, we try to always be grateful. At least we have enough to eat every day. But when there are sudden expenses, or if someone gets sick and needs medical treatment, or if there are school supplies that need to be bought—those are the things that sometimes give me a headache,” said Cecep.
His eldest child is now in the first year of high school. It was at the start of the 2021 school year that Cecep faced one of his greatest challenges. Compounded by the ongoing pandemic, his struggle became even more difficult than before. This year is no different. His other child, who is only 6 years old, will start elementary school in a few months. Naturally, there will be various expenses. His resilience is once again being put to the test.
That is why it was such a timely and well-targeted initiative when Dompet Dhuafa visited his home on Monday (February 7, 2022) to deliver a grant from Imperial Kitchen & Dimsum—business capital for “Ade Tailor” (the name of Cecep’s business, inspired by his wife’s name)—in recognition of his role as a disabled family provider.
Cecep explained that as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold, his income dropped by as much as 50% from what it usually was. Before the pandemic, with schoolchildren and office workers both coming to work, many customers would visit Ade Tailor. Their needs for food and school supplies were well taken care of. However, when the pandemic struck, Cecep and Ade found themselves struggling to make ends meet because their income had dropped drastically. With so few customers, Cecep mustered the courage to leave the house to sell masks and hand sanitizer on the streets and at traffic lights. Throughout these two years of the pandemic, Cecep admitted that his family has deeply felt the economic impact.
“God created every human being with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. So we must be grateful for all the blessings bestowed by God. Because there is surely a way out of every hardship. I’m convinced that everyone has their own provision, as long as they’re willing to keep trying,” Cecep remarked during our conversation.
According to Cecep, the reason he has been able to persevere until now is actually because he is motivated by his wife. Meeting Ade was a blessing for Cecep. He even named his business Ade Tailor. When it comes to sewing, Ade is actually the expert. She knows all the theory. But because of the limitations in his hands, Cecep asked her to teach him so that he could be Ade’s hands and Ade could be Cecep’s feet. They became a couple who truly complement each other.
What Cecep’s family needs most is financial support and assistance for their children, such as KIP and PKH cards. It turns out he hasn’t been able to access these kinds of benefits. It’s not just him—many of his friends in similar situations haven’t received them either. He hopes that people with disabilities will have easier access to these benefits for the sake of their children’s future.
“If I were to receive some windfall—no matter where it came from—I’d like to renovate and expand my tailoring business together with my wife. That’s my only hope right now. My wife and I can’t go anywhere else—we can only work from home. This kiosk has been here since I first opened my tailoring business, so it’s worn out and damaged in many places. Perhaps people are reluctant to come because the kiosk doesn’t look very inviting. The rest of the funds would go toward buying sewing supplies to improve the quality of our work, so that more customers will trust and have confidence in our services,” he said.
Cecep repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Dompet Dhuafa and Imperial Kitchen & Dimsum for the business capital he received. Furthermore, as Cecep stated, once he receives the business capital, he will use it to meet his business needs so that he can increase his income. (Dompet Dhuafa / Muthohar)