Build Self-Confidence Through Catfish Farming
"Don't be shy. I used to be like you. I am your friend", said Wahono to his friend who had just joined the Self Help Group (SHG) meeting. Immediately I as the Community Organizer (CO), one lady as Community Mental Health volunteer, and Wahono's brother as the caregiver looked at each other because we were surprised that Wahono was able to convey these words. Even though at the beginning of the assistance, around mid-2022, Wahono tended to be shy and did not want to interact much with other people.
Wahono, who is now 41 years old, is a one of people with a psychosocial disability (PwPD) who has experienced psychosocial problems since he was in the end of high school period. After being referred to a mental hospital and accessing regular treatment, Wahono's condition had become quite stable. Currently, Wahono has routinely visited doctor and taken his medication at the Seyegan Primary Health Care, and he has not had a relapse for a long time. Aat first, the challenge was that Wahono did not want to interact much with his surroundings and instead distanced himself from his neighbors and friends. Howeever, Since he joined Saras Mulyo SHG in Margomulyo village, Seyegan, Sleman, Wahono has started interacting with the members of the SHG. In fact, he often initiates a conversation with other members who are shy. He also often tells me about how grateful he is that now he can recover, considering his previous condition where he tended to be silent, absent-minded, and withdrawn. This is what builds his concern to motivate his friends to be enthusiastic about recovering. A fairly stable condition as seen from these various aspects is the starting point for the empowerment to focus more on developing productive aspect. It is because Wahono is so far still very dependent on his younger brother, who is already married with 3 children. However, Even though he has not been able to work in the formal or informal sector, Wahono has been quite productive in helping with household chores. Wahono also helps clean the house every day, takes care of his baby nephew, and drops off and picks up his nephew from school.
One day Wahono had a desire to be able to make his own money, but he felt that he could not afford to work outside the home like most people. Seeing his younger brother who was just trying fish farming at home, Wahono became interested and wanted to help feed the fish. From there, it could be seen that Wahono liked this activity and was interested in fish farming. Moreover, when someone asked him about fish farming, he could explain the process that needed to be done, from preparing the pond to harvesting. This made Wahono a candidate to get start-up kit support from Pusat Rehabilitasi YAKKUM through the CEPLERY Project. Based on the monitoring of CMH volunteers and COs, consultations with psychologist at the Primary Health Care, and recommendation from the village government, it showed that Wahono deserved the opportunity to try to have his own business that matched his interests. So that in March 2023, Wahono received the support of a biofolk pond, catfish seeds, and fish feed subsidies as business capital. The pond is located right next to his house, so it's easy for Wahono to feed his fish every day.
And as expected, the end of June 2023 was the first harvest period. On June 27, 2023, some of the catfish cultivated by Wahono were ready to be harvested. After sorting the catfish, it turned out that there were already 14 kg of catfish ready for harvest. Assisted by his younger brother in marketing via WhatsApp, Wahono managed to sell the catfish at a price of IDR 27,000/kg. Wahono got help from his brother to harvest, weigh, and clean the catfish so that when the customer got it, it's ready to cook. This made Wahono even more excited. He saved his money and recorded his harvest and sales, so that later he could further expand his business by buying more catfish seeds. So far, the CEPLERY Project, through individual and group assistance, has proven to be able to increase the empowerment of people with psychosocial disabilities, as shown by Wahono. As people with a psychosocial disability, Wahono used to be withdrawn and had a lack of self-confidence. Nonetheless, after interacting with the members of SHG and being given the opportunity to manage his own business, he is now a more confident person and cares about other people with psychosocial disabilities.
