Amaliyah Successfully Turns Waste into Blessings with PNM
Waste is often viewed as a problem. However, waste can be transformed into an economically valuable opportunity while bringing positive impacts to the environment and society.
In Bojonegara Subdistrict, Serang Regency, PNM Mekaar customers have driven the emergence of a solution to this issue at the grassroots level. Starting from a home-based business in 2019, Amaliyah has not only developed her business but also initiated waste processing that provides economic value as well as social benefits to the surrounding community.
Amaliyah’s journey with PNM began to grow rapidly after receiving empowerment from PNM Mekaar in 2023. Not only did she obtain additional capital, but she also received guidance and mentoring that boosted her business capacity.
Through PNM, she developed the Amalia Kitchen brand, a home-based cake business whose waste is processed into various items such as aromatherapy and ecobrick sofas. As production increased, a challenge arose in the form of waste accumulation, which she responded to wisely by initiating an invitation for other housewives to carry out similar sorting.
This initiative not only reduces waste but also gave birth to the MATA Waste Bank (Masigit Asri Tanpa Sampah), involving the surrounding community. Here, 86 members of the waste bank make deposits that are rewarded with rupiah for every kilogram of waste deposited.
More than just a business, Amaliyah has also turned this activity into a field for sharing by setting aside a portion of the profits for the poor and orphans. “I never imagined that what started as housewives in casual clothes collecting waste could now become Mekaarpreneur champions. Alhamdulillah, from this simple activity, I can share and provide benefits to others,” said Amaliyah.
PNM’s Corporate Secretary, L. Dodot Patria Ary, stated that what Amaliyah has done is a real picture of the spirit that PNM wants to continue fostering. “From simple things, a home kitchen, broad impacts can emerge, not only strengthening family economies but also bringing social care and preserving the surrounding environment,” said Dodot.
The real impact of the MATA Waste Bank is now directly felt by Masigit village in terms of waste management. The amount of waste piled up and sent to the cemetery previously reached 900 kg per month, successfully reduced to only 400 kg every month.
This initiative not only provides positive environmental impacts but also opens new economic opportunities for the surrounding community. With well-managed waste sorting, Amaliyah and the MATA Waste Bank have transformed waste, which was once a major problem, into a source of blessings with direct benefits to the surroundings.