Yayasan Inspirasi Indonesia Membangun (YIIM), in collaboration with PT Insight Investments Management (INSIGHT), remains committed to spotlighting transformative grassroots economic empowerment. On this occasion, an inspiring journey comes from one of its Barber Class graduates, Syaifulloh (34), affectionately known as Bang Ipul.

Syaifulloh’s inspiring profile and empowering trajectory can also be viewed through the following documentary video link: Syaifulloh’s Video Profile.

Syaifulloh is an alumnus of the 2018 barber entrepreneurship training organized by YIIM and INSIGHT. Before joining the program, he earned a living as an online motorcycle taxi driver. A sharp decline in ride-hailing income pushed him to search for alternative livelihoods to sustain his household needs.

Striving to provide for his family, Ipul took on odd jobs. However, erratic daily earnings often meant returning home empty-handed with no money for basic necessities.

The turning point arrived when a friend informed him about the free Barber Class organized by YIIM and INSIGHT. Driven by determination, Ipul enrolled with great enthusiasm. He absorbed every lesson across 5 days of intensive training, completed a 2-month professional apprenticeship, and underwent 3 months of business incubation at YIIM’s Barber Inspirasi.

Upon concluding his training, Ipul submitted a business proposal and was awarded an equipment grant by YIIM and INSIGHT. He utilized the professional tools to initiate an on-demand mobile barber service via the D’Kapster digital platform.

When the Covid-19 pandemic swept the country, Ipul received numerous house-call requests from clients preferring haircutting services at home. He operated strictly under health protocols, wearing masks, sterile gloves, a face shield, and regularly sanitizing equipment. Through the app, he averaged 5 clients daily, earning between IDR 60,000 and IDR 100,000 per customer depending on the haircut and styling requested.

Navigating a fledgling enterprise amidst a global pandemic was no small feat. While numerous barbershops were forced to close due to plummeting foot traffic, Ipul persevered, persistently sharpening his craft and honing his entrepreneurial discipline.

His dedication culminated in earning official barber competency certification from the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP) in 2019. Recognising his skill and passion, YIIM and PT Insight Investments Management entrusted him to serve as a certified instructor for their Barber Class trainings beginning in 2020.

As an instructor, Ipul trained 2 batches in 2020, mentoring a total of 30 participants. His trainees came from marginalized backgrounds, including correctional clients from probation offices, unemployed youths, and low-income community members.

YIIM and INSIGHT firmly believe that cultivating resilient grassroots entrepreneurs like Syaifulloh aligns directly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably Goal 1: No Poverty and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Driven by the vision of running a permanent brick-and-mortar barbershop, Ipul rented a small roadside kiosk in August 2020 and established “Maxximal Barbershop” on Jalan Asmin, Ciracas Urban Village, East Jakarta. Today, this shop serves as his family’s primary, stable source of income.

Maxximal Barbershop operates daily from 10:00 to 21:00 WIB. On average, he welcomes 10 to 15 customers per day, especially on weekends and holidays, with a standard haircut fee of IDR 20,000 per person. Through this enterprise, he generates a monthly revenue ranging between IDR 4,000,000 and IDR 5,000,000.

Ipul expresses profound gratitude for how this venture has transformed his family’s economic foundation. Expanding the circle of empowerment, he hired a fellow YIIM Barber Class alumnus as a barberman in his shop, paying him a daily wage of IDR 100,000.

Between styling appointments, Ipul reflected on his journey:

“I extend my deepest gratitude to YIIM and PT INSIGHT for organizing the barber entrepreneurship training and equipping me with professional business tools. Because of this support, I now have a dependable income to support my family, whereas before I was merely an app-based driver and odd-job worker with precarious earnings. Being appointed as an instructor in YIIM’s barber class further motivated me to inspire fellow low-income individuals to build businesses for a self-sufficient future. May YIIM and INSIGHT continue to prosper and broaden their reach.”

Ipul takes pride in being part of YIIM and INSIGHT’s empowerment ecosystem, maintaining the vital balance between business profitability and community benefit. These foundational values are continually nurtured by YIIM throughout the incubation and mentoring of its graduates.

May the economic empowerment initiatives of Yayasan Inspirasi Indonesia Membangun continue to nurture many more resilient changemakers like Syaifulloh across the country.

Salam Inspirasi!