Meet Rio Mardianto and uncover his inspiring journey to make a living in Jakarta.
I was with my family going back home from downtown Jakarta, and found a cireng (street food made from fried tapioca flour dough) seller near my apartment. My parents told me that he was popular since he was featured in the local media due to his story. It brought up many questions in my head, so I met him immediately after I got home.
While I ordered some cirengs, we had a little talk. The guy’s name is Rio Mardianto—coming from Padang, West Sumatra, to seek jobs in the capital, and ended up selling street snacks. Fun fact: he graduated from the History Education department at STPIK PGRI Sumatera Barat (now changed to Universitas PGRI Sumatera Barat).
Rio said he is new to this business, as he has been selling the food for seven months. He told me that he lost his personal documents, such as his ID card and bachelor’s certificate. As a result, no company would like to employ him. He had no other choice but to accept any kind of job. Luckily, one of his friends offered him to work in this street food business.
Every morning, from Monday to Friday, Rio collects the food stock at the owner’s outlet, pushes his cireng cart from Pondok Bambu to Buaran, East Jakarta, and sells the food in front of SMK Negeri 48 Jakarta Timur. What I mean by ‘pushes’ is that he literally pushes the cart himself, without any vehicle assistance, for approximately 3.6 kilometres. According to him, the location is pretty strategic since many students would love to buy cirengs during break time or after school. Then, after 3 PM, he returns to Pondok Bambu and attempts to find more customers near the apartment area. He also sells cirengs at weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, since he has a one-day free from the business owner.
When asked about his income, he said that, in his economic condition, his salary is not even enough to cover his daily needs, let alone to survive in the city. However, he keeps being grateful for every cent he receives; at least, he is still able to work. Another thing that he loves about his current job is that being a street cireng seller allows him to interact with many people, tell stories to one another, and broaden his connections. Even today, he has no issue working in this business—he genuinely loves his job.
Meeting Rio reminded me that behind every street vendor is a story of determination and hope. Despite the challenges he faced, Rio never stopped trying. As a bachelor’s graduate, his journey might not have gone as planned, but his spirit is unwavering. As I walked home with a warm bag of cirengs in hand, I felt inspired by his perseverance—his ability to adapt and to keep moving forward.