Little did we know a small meeting that we had three years ago would turn out into something grand we now enjoy..
We won’t forget a Saturday afternoon that marked our very first encounter in Gelora Bung Karno sports complex, Central Jakarta. We didn’t know what would bring us after that day. All that we had in the back of our minds was that we were there for senior hardworking people that we would later call them as sosok mulia or solia.
As awkward as that day felt for some of us, the story of Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta took off genuinely coming from our wishes to do something that we possibly could for solia. Neither a lot of money nor government connections that we had. We then agreed to open an Instagram account under the name of Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta for the sake of spreading information on the whereabouts of solia and inviting people to help them by buying their offered products or use their services.
#SayNoToNgemis has been our slogan to attract public as well as motivate ourselves to stop complaining whatever hardships we have in life.
From that small mission made by us, as newly-made friends, KNJ took baby steps.
Through inviting friends of friends joining as members, jokingly asking for donation from our friends, garnering small group of followers in Instagram, we weren’t even sure what we were doing at first was the right choice. But we believed the help from Alloh swt always guided us and it has always been since the very beginning.
The little traces that we leave gradually paid off.
From a giving-spreading-inviting- solia-related space, a group of people began trusting us to give their money and goods for solia. As more and more people wanted to help solia by money donation, we opened a bank account.
Kakek Abdurrahman was the first solia who received donation. We opened first member batch recruitment. As more donation coming in the account, we decided to have held a monthly execution project.
The KNJ Instagram account was quickly blooming in 2015-2016 thanks to media reportage. With the massive number of people putting their charity at this community, we realized our membership needed to be enlarged.
So, we rolled out another and another membership then volunteering batches. The bigger public trust to the community has made us working our best to channel the donation for solia in need. Aside from the regular execution project, we created innovative projects, such as long-term program with nenek Atjah, social experiment by helping some solia selling offered products in their usual working areas or during Car Free Day events and Umroh Untuk Solia project to name some of them. Our latest creative projects include the handover of Gerobak Impian for some solia and medical checkup for another solia.
Today, on the third year of our anniversary, it’s so worthy of looking back at how far we have come. Not only by counting the projects and the number of solia that we have worked with, but also by recalling how these all have happened.
Without the permit from Alloh swt, we wholly understand the community wouldn’t even exist. Alhamdulillahirobbil’alamiin.. Praise to the one and only the Almighty Alloh swt that we have an ultimate faith without Him encouraging us to do all of these, our hearts wouldn’t have ever moved to do something good at KNJ..
We are deeply grateful for more than 350 solia who have touched our hearts, inspired and knocked our humanity.. For if it wasn’t because of them, we never knew how honored it would be to stand up for something that we love..
For sahabat KNJ who have been with us regardless the period and for kind people who have helped solia by money, goods, “loves”, “shares, “retweet”, “regran”, “repost,” comments and information on the whereabouts of solia.. Massive thank yous from all members of KNJ..
Last but not least definitely, thank you for all members and volunteers of KNJ for the time, money, thought, idea, suggestion, hardworking, and especially, heart, for this community..
Three years ago some of us started all of these as a small cause, now, this community has been the “home” for more than 100 members where we have shared the stories, good and bad, laughter, joys, sadness, failures, stupid jokes, misunderstanding, successes, petty shares.. and love.
Only four founding members remain here.. countless others have left this place, a loyal group of members stay for years.. new ones replace the outgoings.
Members will always come and go, problems will always arise and be solved, seasons will always change, but our love for Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta will always stay the same.
Author : Eny Wulandari
