Venture capital firm Alpha JWC Ventures, together with the online-based investment unicorn startup Ajaib, distributed tens of thousands of rice packages worth 1.3 billion Indonesian rupiahs to residents of Surakarta. In order to combat the pandemic, Alpha JWC started a solidarity program that included this distribution.
During the distribution event held on Tuesday, April 6, 2022, at Surakarta City Hall, Alpha JWC Ventures and Ajaib symbolically handed over 23,100 packages, each containing 5 kilograms of rice, to representatives from various segments of society. These representatives included social welfare institutions, Islamic boarding schools, disaster response teams, waste collectors, rickshaw drivers, parking attendants, artists, and cultural figures.
Chandra Tjan, Co-Founder and General Partner of Alpha JWC Ventures, explained that this activity was a form of contribution to assist the community. “Alpha JWC is committed to continuously contributing to the nation. These two years of the pandemic have been challenging, but Alpha JWC continues to innovate so that we can endure and grow. Despite the pandemic starting to be under control, many people are still suffering from its economic effects. We are implementing solidarity programs both in terms of health and the well-being of others, as we are currently doing with the Solo City Government,” he said. “We understand that this assistance might be small, but we believe that no matter how small, it can have a positive impact on the well-being of society.”
Anderson Sumarli, Co-Founder and CEO of Ajaib, echoed similar sentiments. “We are always enthusiastic about participating in social activities like this. Just like Ajaib’s goal from the beginning, we want to create an impact on society, whether it’s an economic impact through our products or a social impact through activities like this. We are very pleased to collaborate with the Solo City Government, Mas Gibran, and Alpha JWC. We hope that in the future, social impact activities like these will continue to be pursued amidst the pandemic situation to help and reach even more people in need.”
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Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming expressed his appreciation for the concern of entrepreneurs, especially Alpha JWC Ventures and Ajaib, in contributing to the community and their commitment to continuously contribute to the nation. Gibran also invited business owners in Surakarta to contribute and help those in need.
“We collaborate with private companies to provide assistance to the community. Yesterday it was cooking oil, and we will continue to monitor the prices of basic commodities. The Governor asked earlier, ‘What’s the price of cooking oil now?’ and most importantly, the supply of basic commodities in the market is now available, as before it was difficult to find these items,” said Gibran.
Numerous portfolio companies, including Ajaib, as well as partner organizations like the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), have been a part of the pandemic relief program (“Covid Relief”) that Alpha JWC launched for more than two years. In the previous year, the program donated 100,000 masks to 60 healthcare facilities and supported vaccination efforts by providing seven vaccination buses in the Java and Sumatra regions. They also participated in a mass vaccination for 40,000 recipients spread across Indonesia.
