Mitra Bukalapak: A Form of Supporting the Growth of MSMEs

Talking about the journey in Bukalapak, everyone has their own story. For me, it’s all about making an impact on society. The beginning of my interest in joining Bukalapak is about its Mitra Bukalapak. Previously, I was a freelance architect. When I heard that there was a position whose job description was related to engagement for the grass-root community (specifically for the mom-and-pop shop) I felt challenged. With my experience as a volunteer in a grass-root community, I decided to take the job — and when I learned about Bukalapak’s own vision and mission, I realized this aligned well with my life’s purpose.

Becoming #BukalapakSquad made me active in interacting with Mitra Bukalapak. There are many touching stories about how Mitra Bukalapak can develop sustainably and find their joy. Whenever I notice a significant improvement from the Mitras, such as an increase in revenue or the ability to expand their store, it becomes something that benefits them and motivates them to continue and be more involved in what they do.

I realized how understanding the purpose and impact really made a huge difference in everything I did, including my job. When we can see the impact of what we do on others, we can find more meaning in what we do. I also learned that when we make an impact on other people, that impact will also happen to us.

There is a Mitra who shares her journey with me, her name is Mbak Tia, a Mitra Bukalapak who lives in Demak. She shared her ups and downs with me since she first joined Mitra Bukalapak. It all started when she needed extra income for her family, so she tried to open a shop. As someone not used to using mobile apps, she was clueless. She never shopped through an online platform before. When she joined Mitra Bukalapak, she had to double the efforts to learn because she had to learn from scratch. It’s not easy, but all this struggle really pays off.

After joining Mitra Bukalapak, the daily average income of Mbak Tia’s shop has increased 3 times. The daily transactions received by Mbak Tia also increased from an average of 50 transactions/day to 300 transactions/day. In addition, Mbak Tia also managed to create job opportunities by recruiting 3 employees for her shop. Mbak Tia has upgraded her small shop to a bigger one. Not only that, her life and family have changed greatly because of the income she has earned since joining Mitra Bukalapak.

By joining Mitra Bukalapak, I have learned things. The impact that I feel is I am not afraid to start learning new things, develop my skills, deal and collaborate with other people and teams. By collaborating and communicating with others, I can see other things from a broader perspective, and my interaction with Mitra opens me up to an awareness of how other people live.

By continuing to be part of Bukalapak, I can give a direct impact on Mitra, this is in line with my life purpose, being resourceful and impactful to each other. When we can see the impact of what we do on others, we can find more meaning in what we do.

There is a sense of happiness itself and my heart becomes full when hearing the stories of the Mitra.