Aka, as he is known to his friends, is a native of Garut, which is five hours from Jakarta by car. He is married with two children aged 12 and 4 years. He works long hours and the money he earns, he has a savings target of Rp.20,000 one day. Like many others, Aka comes to Jakarta for work. He returns to his wife and children every six to eight weeks with his savings. With his savings, he can support them, put food on the table and buy school uniforms for her children.
On a good day, Aka repair five pairs of shoes and is averaging around Rp.50,000 per day. "Last week was very good," says Aka beaming, "I had a very good day and made Rp.100, 000. It was very good."
whatever extra money he earns goes to his family, however, some days not so good. It has been days when he does not win money. The hardest part of his job is to not be able to repair some items. "Some customers get very angry," he said. "I always try very hard to satisfy my clients."
Overall, Aka loves his work and he particularly likes the freedom of working for himself. He likes to talk to people as it goes on its towers and always seems to have a smile on his face. he did this job for five years and he loves more than his previous job, working in a factory.
So the next time you hear the call "Solbatu" it will give you a better understanding of these shoe repair men and the challenges they are going through every day.