Visually impaired people have lost their livelihood due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Every day they had been looking for income independently. This time, only due to Covid-19, they have asked for help.
By
I GUSTI AGUNG BAGUS ANGGA PUTRA
·4 minutes read
DOKUMENTASI YAYASAN HIMATRA
Members of the Blind Community Society Foundation in South Tangerang rehearse during the Covid-19 outbreak in Indonesia, when they have been unable to earn an income.
Visually impaired people are trying to survive amid the pressure to meet daily needs and the Covid-19 pandemic. They have so far managed to earn a living thanks to their skills. However, Covid-19 deprives them of their daily income. Only this time do they seek assistance.
They are not lazy persons who maintain their daily life by extending their hands to be pitied by those around them. Dozens of sightless people affiliated with Yayasan Himpunan Masyarakat Tunanetra (Himatra), a humanitarian foundation for the blind in South Tangerang, are trained to make them capable of meeting their living needs independently.
They come from various regions, such as Banten, Jakarta and West Nusa Tenggara. In their daily activity, these visually disabled citizens make a living by working as masseurs/masseuses, selling crackers and singing as street musicians. Himatra Foundation helps the blind brush up on their respective skills. Different kinds of training are provided for its members.
They are not lazy persons who maintain their daily life by extending their hands to be pitied by those around them.
“Thirty families of the blind have been associated here. The foundation promotes their skills. The majority of them become masseurs/masseuses,” said Himatra Foundation secretary Darmudi when contacted on Sunday (6/4/2020).
With their honed skills, the visionless people are dispersing to try their luck. Most of them operate in the South Tangerang region. Some are wandering as musicians while offering their massage services in Tanah Abang.
Members of Himatra Foundation are also trained to work by means of computers.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed their life. They no longer earn what they used to, as outdoor activities have been restricted. Markets, terminals and other entertainment places are deserted, impacting the earnings of the blind.
Members of the Blind Community Society Foundation in South Tangerang take part in a computer course.
One of the sightless, Firman, 30, said that, before the Covid-19 outbreak in Indonesia, he could fulfill his and his wife’s living needs by giving massage services. In one day, Firman could usually earn up to Rp120,000. He charges Rp50,.000-Rp60,000 per massage. He would spend the income on family needs and save the remainder.
“I could get two massage orders a day,” Firman explained.
He has felt a decline in demand for massages over the last month. Besides offering massage services, he and his wife are also going around to sell crackers. The Covid-19 pandemic has cuts off their revenue streams.
The bustling places he used to visit to sell snacks or offer massages are now abandoned. Consequently, he and his wife are now without any income at all.
Forced to borrow
Eventually, for the fulfillment of daily needs, Firman, who lives near Sudimara Station, South Tangerang, has had to borrow some money. He feels grateful that the neighbors next to his leased house are kind enough to him money. Eventually, though, the borrowed funds will be used up to cover daily expenses.
“It’s just like robbing Peter to pay Paul. I’m struggling as I earn no income these days,” he said.
Firman has no idea how to settle his rent. Therefore, Firman has tried to convey the difficulty he faces to the owner of the leased house. Fortunately for Firman, the house owner has so far shown understanding for Firman’s situation.
He has done everything and made every attempt to earn some income. To relatives and people around him, Firman offers his massage services more aggressively. But Covid-19 makes people unwilling to have direct physical interaction with strangers.
DOKUMENTASI PRIBADI
Children learn how to read Braille on Sunday (2/2/2020) at a home for the blind in Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten.
Firman said his peers at Himatra Foundation were experiencing the same trouble and had communicated this to the foundation. The foundation, said Darmudi, had strived for support by requesting assistance through social media. Other efforts, including contacting the South Tangerang Social Affairs Office, have also been made.
Firman and his peers can only hope that the situation will return to normal.
The head of the South Tangerang Social Affairs Office, Wahyunoto Lukman, said he was aware of the difficulty faced by sightless people in his region. The office has recorded 36,162 vulnerable and disabled families for government aid.
Wahyunoto indicated that the South Tangerang city administration had had prepared a social security net for the disabled, and a separate aid program is being arranged by the Social Affairs Ministry.
Now we’re trying to expedite the process for people with disabilities
However, said Wahyunoto, the actual disbursement of funds was still pending. Besides, the aid is prioritized for blind people with South Tangerang identity cards.
“There had been earlier plans to implement this in June. Now we’re trying to expedite the process for people with disabilities,” said Wahyunoto.
Until the disbursement of government aid, Firman still has to rack his brain to cover his daily living needs. As a visually impaired citizen, he has never thought of living out of other people’s pity. It is the first time for him to request assistance.
