The village influencer - 17th September 2021

Kasegeran, a remote Indonesian farming village, is now truly on the map, thanks to YouTube and Siswanto, a 38 year old, cash-strapped motor mechanic.

Having seen Indonesian influencers on TV, who had made it big through YouTube, Siswanto was keen to follow suit, initially trying out some comedy sketches, Siswanto's early attempts fared badly.

Struggling to fix a pricey motorbike, Siswanto turned to YouTube for help and then, the penny dropped. Even for Siswanto, a mechanic, the video was too hard to follow, but he saw an opportunity, he could make straightforward how-to videos for motorbike repairs.

Pawning his phone for one more suited to filming, Siswanto started pumping out videos and soon became something of an internet sensation. He now has in excess of two million YouTube followers and can afford to hire help with recording and editing his films.

Siswanto's newfound wealth attracted some unwanted attention and accusations that he was dabbling in black magic. Wishing to dispel these rumours, Siswanto gathered the villagers together to clarify his YouTube enterprise and to select some of them to coach to be YouTubers.

Siswanto: "Because not everyone has the passion to be a YouTuber, so I picked 33 people whom I've trained intensively. In six months, they can make money because they have successfully monetised their YouTube channels."

Everything from al fresco cooking to traditional farming is now filmed in Kasegeran by Siswanto's proteges.

Siswanto has not only thrust himself into the limelight, but also his neighbours.

Siswanto: "This has brought a better economy, which was never expected by the local government or the elders. I hope future generations will remain comfortable living in Kasegeran because it no longer holds the title as 'the poorest village'."