Kekean Wastra Gallery: Pertamina's Fostered Partner That Successfully Empower Women and Disabled Produces World-Class Products
Jakarta, September 14, 2021 – PT Pertamina (Persero), through the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Funding Program, has fostered more than 65,000 partners across Indonesia. Of the tens of thousands of MSEs fostered, many run their businesses by carrying out humanitarian missions or sociopreneur-based businesses.
One is the business undertaken by Achmad Nur Hasim, the owner of the Kekean Wastra Gallery business. The man who is familiarly called Aam has been running his business since the end of 2014. Now, his business is rapidly growing with his sociopreneur concept. "Currently, we are empowering 12 KUB (joint business groups), where the last one was KUB in Gresik with around 290 weavers who are members of it," he explained.
The business owner who has worked with a luxury goods manufacturer and a well-known French fashion house, Christian Dior, really upholds the system of gender equality in his business. As a form of Women Empowerment, he empowers hundreds of workers 99% are women.
Furthermore, he provides opportunities for the disabled to participate in their global fashion products developments. The majority are the younger generation, which according to Aam, is what his business currently needs. "The majority of the younger generation have fresh, creative thoughts. Therefore, the products can be up to date and of course have high quality," he said.
On that basis, he co-founded the Kekean Foundation. Apart from being a form of social responsibility, it also plays a role in creating and developing business processes. Some of the proceeds from Kekean products sales are set aside for the Kekean Foundation program to be distributed as an education program for underprivileged children.
Apart from this role, according to Aam, Kekean Wastra Gallery also has three other essences that are used as the basis for its business. Namely, local resources with the use of raw materials 100% from local. Then, environmentally friendly relates to business waste generated, and finally, fair trades, which carries a trade mission to promote Indonesian products globally.
Acting Senior Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Pertamina, Fajriyah Usman, added that Pertamina through the PUMK Program fully supports the efforts made by Aam. "Pertamina will provide guidance and assistance so that businesses such as Kekean can continue to grow, upgrade, and further expand their international marketing," she said.
According to Fajriyah, through the MSE Funding Program, Pertamina wants to provide energy that can move the economy--energy that fuels and energy that produce sustainable growth.
Pertamina also supports SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) achievements through implementing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)-based programs in all of its operational areas. It is part of the Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) to realize economic benefits in the community.**