KANG UCUP’S ONLINE MASSAGE SERVICE
IMAM BUHORI Merdeka.com

Yusuf and his wife Aida are visually impaired. Despite being blind, they refuse to depend on the mercy of others and provide massage service to earn a living. Their rented house in Halim, East Jakarta, has witnessed their hardship. A sign board of 75 cm long and 50 cm wide is placed on their window. Yusuf, or more commonly called “Kang Ucup”, provides services like sports massage, whole-body scrubs, and shi-atsu. To convince customers, he inserts the word ‘Certified’.

Before becoming a masseur, Yusuf, 31, sold newspapers in Lebak Bulus Bus Station in South Jakarta. In 2007, a traffic accident claimed his eyesight. However, the tragic incident was a blessing in disguise. He met Aida, 28, from Palembang, South Sumatra, who had been blind since birth. They have been together for three years.

Kang Ucup learnt to massage at PSBN, a special house for the blind, in Cawang, East Jakarta. When he started doing his service he relied on the word-of-mouth marketing. In November 2015, he decided to enroll in an online-based masseur network. He did this following his friend who joined the network earlier. “With this online massage application, customers need not bother to go to massage parlours,” said Kang Ucup. He uses an Android-based smart phone with Talkback application. In one day, Kang Ucup can at least get two customers through the online application. Many people prefere blind masseurs to non-blind ones.

To do his work Kang Ucup is assisted by his nephew Agus, 17, who sometimes teases him by pretending not to hear when Kang Ucup asks him to accompany him to see any customer.

That day they rode a motorcycle to a housing complex in Ciracas, East Jakarta to meet Firyal, 50, who had been waiting for him. Kang Ucup quickly prepared a mattress and massage oil. He massaged Firyal slowly, from toe to head, while occasionally tried to have a chat. Firyal did not respond much and seemed to enjoy the massage. A massage service for 1.5 hours costs 115,000 rupiah, as specified in the application. Often, satisfied customers gives tips to Kang Ucup.