As we enter 2024, many of us are still recovering from the difficulties of the past few years. The pandemic disrupted our lives in so many ways, isolating us from friends and family, closing businesses and schools, and generally creating a sense of fear and uncertainty about the future. Now, with rising costs of living, climate disasters, and political tensions, it often feels like the world is more divided than ever. How can we find hope and strength during such trying times? The answer lies in the power of community.
In Jembrana, Kedai Circles provides an inspiring example of how small actions focused on community can uplift us all. Kedai Circles is bringing people together. The focus is simple, exchange vouchers for meals using Circles Points. But the impact goes much deeper.
At Kedai Circles, where people lined up to redeem their vouchers for steaming bowls of Bakso (meatball soup) or Kopi (coffee), you could feel the sense of care and connection. Fifty vouchers were available for a large bowl of hearty bakso worth 16,000 Rupiah, and another fifty for basic Bakso and a drink priced at 12,000 Rupiah, to earn a voucher, customers provided proof of four Circles Point exchanges, which equates to proof of contributing to their community.
Over the following weeks, Kedai Circles fostered further community spirit with discounts at local businesses. Kopitia provided 180 vouchers for 5,000 Rupiah off any order, while Malika Jaya Kiosk offered 300 vouchers for 2,000 Rupiah discounts. Special deals were announced on Circles' social media to encourage participation.
The results were incredible. Promotion and support for local businesses made local cuisine more accessible and boosted community mutual support and exchange. Shared meals and stories prioritized elderly neighbors, and boosted visibility of small businesses in need of customers.Â
As we move forward into 2024, let us remember the power of community demonstrated by Kedai Circles. When faced with global crises that seem beyond our control, we can still lift each other through small acts of service and care. Sharing a meal, volunteering time, and supporting a local business, are the actions that strengthen bonds and spread support. If initiatives like Kedai Circles have taught us anything, it's that the community can overcome even the greatest challenges.