Being part of Indonesian society, persons with disabilities, also known as disability friends, have the same rights and obligations in all aspects of life, including the right to education and the right to work (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).

In 2021, the Inspirasi Indonesia Membangun Foundation (YIIM) together with PT Pertamina Training and Consulting (PTC) through the Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program conducted economic empowerment training for disability friends, one of the training programs being coffee barista.

In this program, one of the participants from the disability friends community was Aries Andryanto (45 years old), or commonly known as Mas Aries. Mas Aries is a friend with physical disabilities. The story of Mas Aries and his coffee business venture after attending the training organized by YIIM and PTC has been featured in a previous article, accessible at Profile of Mas Aries. Additionally, the profile of the coffee barista training that Mas Aries attended can be viewed at YIIM trains disabilities to become Barista.

However, this article is different from the previous ones. Mas Aries has grown significantly. Besides starting a coffee shop business from the barista training organized by YIIM and PTC, he has also become a barista trainer among disability friends.

When met by the YIIM and PTC team on July 1, 2022, Mas Aries was providing assistance and barista coffee training for disability friends at the CAFE DKI (Disabilitas Kreatif Indonesia) coffee shop, located on Jalan Raya Kalisuren, Kalisuren, Bogor Regency, West Java. Operating hours are from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Mas Aries is trusted to be the trainer and companion for the baristas at Cafe DKI. Cafe DKI has three baristas from the disability friends community, and all three are still deepening the skills and techniques taught by Mas Aries to become independent and professional baristas, with the hope that more baristas will emerge from among disability friends. Some of the menus that Mas Aries teaches to the baristas at Cafe DKI include brewing coffee, americano, V60, tubruk coffee, iced milk coffee, Vietnamese drip, palm sugar milk coffee, and many other menus.

Mas Aries believes that the spirit of social entrepreneurship instilled in the training at YIIM, sharing benefits and profits with others, is something he still holds firmly today. He tries to practice this spirit of social entrepreneurship with fellow disability friends so they can open their own businesses as professional baristas. He believes that disability friends are capable and should not give up on their circumstances, and it is even possible for them to become baristas who exceed those without disabilities.

Mas Aries expressed, “I hope that what I am doing will inspire many more people to spread the spirit of sharing benefits with others, especially disability friends, to progress, be independent, and be creative, and not give up or surrender to circumstances.”

“I hope YIIM and PTC can continue to help train disability friends so that more recipients of the program’s benefits are assisted,” added Mas Aries.

YIIM and PTC present the program and its benefits, a training program that has successfully produced people like Mas Aries to support government programs related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG Number 1 on ending poverty, SDG Number 2 on ending hunger, and SDG Number 17 on partnerships for the goals.

Furthermore, YIIM and PTC also want to strengthen the spirit contained in the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), where Indonesia is one of the state parties to that international agreement.

May there be more people like Mas Aries across this nation, so that Disabilitas Kreatif Indonesia can truly be realized, spreading benefits and real inspiration.

Salam Inspirasi!