Disabilities No Impairment for Nimble Hands

“Can you really do it?” is a question that Ignatius Tuntas Wijaya, 35, does not like. According to him, anyone can do anything as long as they are willing to fight and given the chance.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Ignatius Tuntas Wijaya

“Can you really do it?” is a question that Wiwit, 35, does not like. According to him, anyone can do anything as long as they are willing to fight and given the chance. He develops homemade cosmetics, alongside others with disabilities, in an organization. Through his work, he has been forward-thinking from the very start.

Standing in front of 30 participants, Wiwit, whose full name is Ignatius Tuntas Wijaya, listened to a girl wearing a pink hijab express her problem. The girl recounted her difficulties in developing her business.

"We have had products for a long time, but marketing them is difficult. How can I market them so that they are well-received?" she asked. A guide helped the girl go back to her seat. Like Wiwit, the girl is blind.

Wiwit responded by explaining the importance of collaboration and cooperation with others in business. He said he strived to be inclusive in business, whether it comes to taking pictures of products or managing social media accounts.

"I\'m blind, [I] cannot see pictures. I cannot make posts as well," he said jokingly.

That night, at the end of last May, at Studio Sang Akar in Tebet, South Jakarta, Wiwit talked about an organization that he initiated called Rumah Peduli Usaha Disabilitas (RUMPUD), located in North Jakarta.

It focuses on helping businesspeople with disabilities and solving problems they face in developing a business. The organization is also expected to help provide its members with opportunities in the wider market through collaborative models.

Cooperation and collaboration are the backbone of the organization, which Wiwit formed late last year. His goal is to help those with disabilities compete in the business world.

Business players with disabilities are often ignored, so they face many difficulties in marketing and in the administrative process, as requirements are difficult for them to meet. They are also not provided with the proper facilities.

"To register our products officially, we must go back and forth to the government office. In fact, we face difficulties going back and forth to and from the office; all the while, there is no guarantee over when the registering process will be completed. What about business continuity, getting partners and good marketing?" Wiwit asked.

From nothing to something

Wiwit knows all too well how difficult it is to maintain business continuity. Starting a business in a difficult environment comes with great struggles. Unfortunately, many people do not care about the development of their businesses.

Wiwit started his business by making homemade cosmetics from organic materials, including soaps, shampoos and lotions. The business, Dewijaya Care, has been running since 2017. His lover, Dewi Winarti, 37, started the cosmetic project alongside him.

The business was born out of a desire to save money. After comparing imported organic cosmetics with expensive prices, they tried to find raw materials. Apparently, these materials are widely available and can be obtained easily.

They then tried to make their own products for months, beginning with organic soap. "It\'s really learning by doing because we do not have the experience. The experimentation ran for about three months with the assistance of relatives," said Dewi, who is also visually impaired.

Since then, they have experimented in making various kinds of soaps, shampoos and moisturizers. Wiwit explained the three concepts of cosmetics they produce: They have fruity-themed products, premium quality cosmetics and products that are suitable for the Asian climate – this category is projected to hit the export market.

Within a month, the business began to attract the attention of a modest amount of buyers, with their turnover reaching Rp 5 million. One obstacle they face is obtaining a business license, which is quite difficult to do.

However, Wiwit said he was confident that it could be done as long as he kept trying. "We started [doing business] in 2016 as a wedding organizer, but many people disregarded me. But once the [cosmetics] project ran well, all became interested. We take care of everything ourselves, from the concept, to looking for vendors, up to the knick-knacks," he said.

A technologically literate man, Wiwit is an optimistic person with a clear vision.

It has not been an easy journey for Wiwit, especially as he was born with normal eyesight until glaucoma began deteriorating his vision completely from 2004 to 2007. At that time, he was in his 20s and started working.

Initially, Wiwit thought that he only needed to replace his glasses with a thicker lens. Instead, his eyesight grew increasingly blurry over the years.

"Eventually, I became totally blind. The world is shattered alongside darkness. I just stayed at home for almost three years," he said. In those days, he was in total despair because support from the nearest persons was also lacking. He increasingly could not accept what happened to him. Wiwit was at an all-time low.

Later, a colleague of his suggested that he join the Mitra Netra Foundation. Wiwit started to realize that he could not give up, so he learned Braille and grew to understand the world without sight. He started going out again and his confidence began to grow like a flower that was back in bloom.

For two years he adapted to this new life, then started applying for jobs. In 2010, he was employed by PT Astra at the quality service division. He worked for 3.5 years before moving to several other companies. His work dealt mostly with communications and technology.

Wiwit began learning how to be independent again and returned to the world he was familiar with, namely information technology. He uses a computer and smart phone with screen-reader applications.

The spirit of his business is also expanding. His head is full of ideas that are demanding to be realized. "I think we cannot see not because of the eyes, but because one does not see again when their thoughts and heart are closed. That\'s the meaning of blindness in my opinion," he said.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Ignatius Tunta Wijaya

Born: Jakarta, April 9, 1983

Father: Victorius Sutardji

Mother: The late Ignatia Hartini

Education: Strada St Ignatius elementary school in Jakarta; St Fransiskus Xaverius junior high school in Jakarta; SMAN 110 state senior high school in Jakarta

Activities: Initiator of Dewijaya Care; Initiator of Rumah Peduli Usaha Disabilitas (RUMPUD)