YOGYAKARTA – These five students of Universitas Gadjah Mada not only spend their time studying in the library, attending courses, or joining an intra-curicular projects, but also give mentoring to disabled people who live at the Bina Remaja shelter in Ngaglik, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta.
The UGM students ask the young people with disabilities to make handicrafts from beads. They also help them market the crafts. “Since the beginning, they had the potential in bead-making, but they have not managed to develop it well. We help motivate them and market the handicraft in order that they can be more creative and driven,” said Andy Aulia Prahardika on Tuesday (9/6). His fellow students are Abisatya Yogi Pradika, Sekar Sakti, Hermawan Maulana, and Arum Renaningtyas.
Aulia said to start inviting these people to produce something creative with economic value was not easy. They first had to motivate them to develop their potential. “We help them do finance, purchasing, distribution, and marketing,” he said.
Mentoring is also given to those in charge of the shelter so that they can enhance their creativity. The hardest part is to train them doing marketing. Thus, they give them lessons in branding, packaging, exhibition, promotion whether online or offline, as well as establishing a showroom.
As time went on, the special people are now motivated to make their handicraft independently.