Since the pandemic, MSMEs have continued to be in the spotlight. Why is that? Because medium and small micro businesses (MSMEs) are no longer seen as an alternative, but as the backbone or foundation of the country's economy.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that economic growth in the first quarter of 2020 touched 2.97%, a sharp decline compared to the first quarter of 2019 of 5.07%.

One ​​of the reasons why the decline in economic growth is the weakening of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

As a result, the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs predicts that as many as47 percent of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will have to close down due to the impact of the Covid-19 corona virus pandemic.

It's not just micro entrepreneurs who are affected. Many workers also became victims. Some have had their salaries cut, others have been temporarily laid off. In fact, quite a few have been laid off and lost their source of income. To maintain their survival, they try their luck by selling from home.

This condition is still being made worse by people's purchasing power which is also decreasing. In fact, the number of poor people is predicted to increase to 10 to 12 percent. At times like this, our sense of concern is needed. We certainly don't want small businesses to get worse, nor do we want the number of poor people to continue to increase.

This is the time for us to join hands, to provide assistance to those who need it.

JagaUMKM.com in collaboration with WeCare.id created a movement called "Donate While Taking Care of MSMEs". Donate While Taking Care of MSMEs is a donation program that aims to increase sales of MSMEs on the JagaUMKM.com platform.

All of the proceeds from this donation will purchase food and drinks which will later be distributed to orphanages, nursing homes and informal workers in Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. In distributing aid, JagaUMKM.com collaborates with LITS (Love In The Streets).

Also read:

How do I participate?

1. Go to wecare.id/jagaumkm/ to donate

2. The donations collected will buy food and drinks from MSMEs in Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang.

3. The food was then distributed to orphanages, poor children and informal workers on the streets.

The following are several MSMEs whose sales will be helped by this fundraising:

1. Rice Bowl Al

Al's Rice Bowl has been running for almost 5 years. Rice side dishes packaged in rice bowls at affordable prices are the mainstay to meet the lunch or catering needs of employees or individual orders. Marketing is mostly done through word of mouth and social media with a circle of friends. During the pandemic, Bang Al experienced a decline of 50%, due to WFH and decreasing purchasing power. They also decided to sell long-lasting and ready-to-eat products to replace declining sales. The result, thank God, increased sales which had been declining.

2. Warteg Satria

Mr Isnaeni, he has been running his parents' business for more than five years. The pandemic had a very significant impact on him. However, he is not discouraged and continues to be grateful while trying to keep this food business running. His business, which is near schools, has inevitably decreased drastically since schools were closed. We can't imagine how this business can continue to provide profits like before the pandemic. Warteg Satria has also started registering with GoFood and GrabFood.

3. Mbak Njamu

Kiki, is one of the owners of Mbak Njamu. Mbak Njamu's business has only been running for 1 month, and currently the average has reached 20 bottles per day. With very economical prices, Kiki hopes to reach all levels of society because he believes that everyday health does not have to be expensive. He really supports the #JagaUMKM movement with Wecare.id because at least it can help local businesses while donating to the informal sector.

Let's donate while keeping MSMEs alive. No matter how small our concern, it means a lot to them.