Bengok Craft is another work of the son of the country that not only presents solutions to environmental problems, but also empowers the community. Check out their story below.

We already know information about water hyacinth which can damage aquatic biota. Its excellent adaptability make it grow rapidly; that can damage the ecosystem.

Realizing this, Firman Setyaji formed a populist business based on community empowerment to process water hyacinth into handicrafts, with a product called Bengok Craft. Bengok craft involves all levels of society, from women to young people in Kesongo Village, Central Java.

“We started using weeds. Those useless things are processed into more useful things,” Firman told Greeners (17/2/2021).

Starting from Raw Materials

Initially, the people of Kesongo Village have also used water hyacinth as a source of income. However, this utilization is limited to supplying raw materials and sending the water hyacinth that they cultivate to the Yogyakarta area to Pekalongan.

“Even here, there are no craftsmen. Well, this is why we are moving to come here, we can also make it a craft area. We dream of becoming a craft center later, we will start and we will continue to process and progress,” said Firman.

The Bengok Craft has a simple meaning, but is closely related to the characteristics of the products they sell. Firman said, Bengok is the local name for water hyacinth in their area.

“While craft is a global name. From the very beginning, we wanted to bring this local product to the global,” he added.

When selling wet water hyacinth to sundryers, the raw material usually sells for Rp. 500.00 per kilo.

“It is dried in the sun for 2-3 weeks to dry. It is sold per kilo for IDR 5000.00. If one kilo is made into crafts, it can produce many times over,” said Firman.

For example, craftsmen make hats; the hat requires about a kilogram of water hyacinth. “So, there is an increase in prices there. Even 10 times more with us being creative,” said Firman.

Community Empowerment with Bengok Craft

According to Firman, the use of water hyacinth as a craft is an opportunity to improve the standard of living.

“As for whether it is possible or not, it can be studied. With will, imagination, and skill, later it can produce a creation or work,” said Firman.

Bengok Craft provides solutions for residents to be able to process water hyacinth crafts. Usually they carry the raw materials, sell them, and make IDR 100,000 – IDR 200,000.00.

“If it is made into crafts, it can reach millions of rupiah. How to? We process them into hats, bags, and other creations,” said Firman.

Hope to be a Water Hyacinth Craft Center

Firman hopes that if more residents cultivate water hyacinth crafts, their village will become a center for water hyacinth crafts. He believes, this uniqueness can attract tourists. Apart from adding income for the residents, they also pass on knowledge to people who come to their village.

In addition to increasing the value of Bengok, the upcycle business through Bengok Craftraft also carries zero waste. Firman said, they minimize waste as much as possible.

“So the rest of the craft, if we make sandals or make bags, we can reprocess them into something new,” he added.

Bengok Craft distributes water hyacinth creations through social media. They reach out to cities that really have a high appreciation of upcycle creations via online such as Instagram and the Website. According to Firman, if you only market in local areas, your business will not be able to develop.

“We are trying to reach the market in big cities, namely in the Bali – Jakarta area. Indeed we are not like a manufacturer or mass production. We still have limited creativity. We are increasing the number of innovations with new creations,” he said.

Currently, the various processed water hyacinth products they sell are room decorations (a place to store things), bags, sandals, phone cases, and bowls.

This article has been published on the https://www.greeners.co/ide-inovasi/bengok-craft/ page with the title “Bengok Craft: Gebrakan Upcycle Eceng Gondok dari Desa Kesongo”.

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