Failed to Enter Dream University, Bekasi Gen Z Turns to Goat Farming in Housing Complex

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - While other Gen Z individuals rush to secure jobs at prestigious offices, 21-year-old Hanan has chosen a different path. Instead, he has taken up goat farming while pursuing his fourth semester in History at the State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta. The story began in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Indonesia, drastically reducing Hanan’s family income. Amidst their financial struggles, his parents utilised their land to grow vegetables and other produce. “My parents grew chillies, eggplants, and other vegetables. Then my father tried raising chickens,” Hanan said during an interview at the site on Friday, 22 May 2026. At the time, his father had acquired 300 chickens from East Java to rear in the residential area. However, after six months, the chicken farming venture was deemed unsuitable to continue. Eventually, ahead of Iduladha, Hanan’s father received an offer to become a goat reseller from a friend. “In 2020, my father sold around 30 goats as a reseller, and they sold out immediately,” Hanan added. Despite having no prior experience in goat rearing, his father relied on determination and reputation to sell dozens to friends. Seeing the potential in goat trading, Hanan’s father decided to resume reselling ahead of the 2021 Iduladha festival. However, he remained a reseller rather than a breeder, despite having a goat shed. In 2024, after Hanan graduated and three months before the next Iduladha, he began to focus on livestock farming. His decision to pursue farming came after a lengthy and considered process. He chose to expand his father’s business after failing to secure a place at his dream university in Yogyakarta.