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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Through KONEKIN, Marthella Sirait Empowers the Economy of People with Disabilities

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • Marthella Sirait founded KONEKIN to empower people with disabilities through education and economic opportunities.
  • The platform addresses the significant challenges disabled individuals face in finding employment.
  • KONEKIN bridges the gap between companies seeking to hire disabled workers and qualified candidates.

Marthella Sirait's life took a new direction after a two-day journey to the remote Adodomolu village in the Tanimbar Islands, Maluku. Serving as a primary school teacher in a village with limited electricity, scarce phone signal, and minimal educational facilities, she encountered three students with disabilities: one with cerebral palsy, another with a learning difficulty, and a third with dyslexia.

This experience revealed a stark reality: a severe shortage of teachers, let alone inclusive education or tailored learning for children with special needs. Sirait made a personal commitment to ensure these students had opportunities for further education and independent employment. "If I cannot solve all of Indonesia's problems, at least I want to strive for the future of these three children. I want them to believe that despite their disabilities, they can still go to school and work," she recalled.

If I cannot solve all of Indonesia's problems, at least I want to strive for the future of these three children. I want them to believe that despite their disabilities, they can still go to school and work.

— Marthella SiraitRecalling her personal commitment made to students with disabilities she encountered in a remote village.

This promise led to the establishment of Koneksi Indonesia Inklusif (KONEKIN) in 2028, a platform focused on public education and economic empowerment for people with disabilities. KONEKIN emerged from the understanding that individuals with disabilities face exponentially greater hurdles in the job market than the general population.

Sirait highlights that finding employment is often two to three times harder for disabled individuals, starting from the very first step: accessing job search platforms. For visually impaired individuals, reliance on screen readers is total, yet not all platforms are designed for accessibility. "Imagine, just finding job information is already a challenge," she noted. KONEKIN also addresses the difficulty companies face in connecting with disabled talent, despite a legal obligation under Indonesia's Law No. 8 of 2016 to provide employment quotas for people with disabilities.

Imagine, just finding job information is already a challenge.

— Marthella SiraitDescribing the difficulties disabled individuals face in accessing job search platforms.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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