Entrepreneurship

At Rumah Cemara, we know that people living with HIV/AIDS and drug users face economic obstacles in their everyday lives. Healthcare is more routine, incurring larger transportation costs, and treatments more expensive. Health insurance is nearly impossible to access, and purchasing nutritious food increases the cost of living. At the same time, because of discrimination and social stigma, people with HIV/AIDS and recovering drug users are denied job opportunities, and thus struggle to survive.

To directly address these economic obstacles, Rumah Cemara has built an Entrepreneurship Sub-Unit within our Resource Mobilization Unit. By training and hiring people living with HIV/AIDS and recovering drug users at our small business ventures, we not only increase their professional skills and address their economic troubles, but we break down the social stigma that wrongfully assumes they are less capable employees. In addition, our small business ventures also serve as income-generation projects so that Rumah Cemara can support itself independently from donor aid into the future.

Rumah Cemara presently manages two businesses, a motorbike and helmet washing business out of our office on Gegerkalong Road, and an internet café in Lembang. We are currently in planning stages to add an internet café and a clothing store to our office space on Gegerkalong Road. In the future we hope to offer you an online shopping option, and we will keep you updated on our progress!
If you are in Bandung, please support our local businesses!