JAKARTA (March 16, 2023) - The oil in the frying pan began to heat up. Slowly, Nia Kurniasih (37) put pieces of spiced chicken, one by one.


While frying, Nia prepared rice boxes with sambal and vegetables. The order of six chicken pecel rice boxes came from the Ministry of Social Affairs’ employee in Salemba, Central Jakarta.


Shortly after the order finished, a few people were passing by. Nearing the afternoon, they ordered similar dishes at Nia’s cart stall for lunch.


That’s how Nia’s daily life went by. Responding to customers buying sambal rice with various dishes and vegetables from the morning to afternoon. Moreover, Nia received the catering box and other dish orders as well.


From her cart stall in “Handayani” ATENSI Creation Center (SKA) in Jakarta, the former female migrant worker from Saudi Arabia can fulfill her necessities and her two children. Three of them live in a dorm provided by “Handayani” Center


“Thank God, since I came back to Indonesia in March 2022 and was asked to live in the Center, I could fulfill daily necessities for me and my two children here by entrepreneurship (culinary) in SKA,” said the Banjar woman.


Initially, Nia has been a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia since 2019. She went home to Indonesia to take care of her two daughters after the sexual assault of her first child, NM (15) by her uncle in Pangandaran when Nia was working overseas. 


“My husband passed away in 2019, 7 months after I worked overseas. Since then, my two children have lived with my husband’s family in Pangandaran. I heard about my child’s case from her aunt,” Nia said.


Previously, Nia’s first child case was responded to by the Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini. The minister picked up Nia’s daughters in Pangandaran to the “Handayani” Center in Jakarta in February 2022.


Nia’s first child received social rehabilitation at the “Handayani” Center. On the other hand, Nia’s return from Saudi Arabia in March 2022 was attempted. Upon her return to Jakarta, she was then facilitated with space and business capital and received cooking training by the Ministry of Social Affairs.


“The cooking training was held in “Mulya Jaya” Center in Jakarta for 4 days on August 20-23, 2022. I was trained to cook various food recipes, including serving. Alhamdulillah, I got experience and new knowledge from the cooking training,” Nia said.


The mother of two children has mastered various food recipes from cooking training. She also receives orders for all kinds of food in large and small quantities, ranging from yellow rice, and porridge, to various stews.


The number of orders she received, Nia admitted, was increasing. "Yeah, even though the customers are only the employees of the Center or the Ministry of Social Affairs itself, the number of orders is increasing from time to time," she said.


Compared to her income when she worked in Saudi Arabia, Nia said her income is more stable now. "In the past, when I first worked overseas (Saudi Arabia), if I converted, I got IDR3.6 million/month, it could be more, it could be less, depending on the exchange rate at that time," she said.


Here, Nia continued, the income can reach IDR5 million every month. Moreover, one year has passed since her return in March 2022.


"That’s the average income from two sources, daily stalls, and orders. If there are a large number of orders, sometimes the income can be more than that," Nia said.


Nia stated that she feels calmer working in her country because she can take care of her children while doing her job.


“That’s what the Minister said to me. Don’t go home before being successful. You have to be patient, showing the people that you can fulfill your children’s needs despite being a single parent. Later, when you have become successful, you can go to your hometown, everywhere. What matters the most is you have to be successful,” Nia said while remembering the Social Affairs Minister’s message to her.