"For me, being able to get the opportunity to study in Germany is something that I never imagined could be realized before," said Anysaufha Putri Kinanti. Aufa is UNY student who received the ISAP 2022 scholarship program (Internationale Studien-und Ausbildungspartnerschaften) at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany.
“When I was in college because I wanted to learn to live independently, I ran an online business. It's still odd, and you could say it sells anything,” Aufa said. She started from the Muslim clothing business to the food business. Aufa was lucky that UNY allowed her to pursue entrepreneurship because she was chosen to join PMW (Student Entrepreneurial Program) in semester 4. When she left for Germany, her entrepreneurial spirit was still attached. Starting when she missed Indonesian food, Aufa looked for Indonesian MSMEs through social media that sold Pempek, and the choice fell on Pempek Bangik. “Initially, I thought I only wanted to order 3-5 packages of pempek. But after I think more about it, the shipping costs to Germany are quite costly if I only sent a small amount,” she said. After thinking carefully, Aufa decided to become a reseller. For shipments to Germany, luggage storage services are used for Indonesian people who want to leave for Germany and open a luggage storage service.
In the first order, Aufa ordered 20 packages consisting of pempek and mackerel fish otak-otak. Surprisingly, she succeeded to sold 20 packages of pempek and otak-otak in less than a week. Enthusiasm for pempek is very high, including the longing for Indonesian immigrants who are in Germany. Finally, Aufa continued to reorder pempek from the same MSME until now almost 60 packages of pempek have been sold. Uniquely, buyers are not only Indonesians in Germany. But there is also one Austrian. Aufa said that whatever the cost of shipping from Germany to Austria, she will pay to feel the pleasure of pempek food made directly from Indonesia. It turns out that this Austrian customer has been to Indonesia and likes Indonesian cuisine, including pempek, which according to him, taste of Indonesian cuisine is extraordinary. He also said he really wanted to visit Indonesia again.
Aufa learned many things while selling pempek in Germany. one of them is regarding the procedure for sending goods between cities in Germany and even between countries. The distance between cities in Germany is not close. Ensuring pempek packages arrive in good condition is also another challenge. "It's pleased in my heart when I hear gratitude and thanks from happy buyers because they can finally complete their longing for Indonesian cuisine. There is one friend who comes from Turkey who turns out to like pempek," said Aufa.
"I'm happy that the small things I did turned out to have a positive impact on many people. From the owner of the Pempek Bangik business in Indonesia, the owner of a luggage storage service, as well as the happy smile of people who bought it," said Aufa.
