Beggars overrun Lampung prior to Idul Fitri<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Every morning in Ramadhan, Marsiah, 32, goes from street to
\nstreet carrying her two-year-old daughter while begging for alms
\nin Bandarlampung.<\/p>\n
She is not alone. A group of six to 10 women are sent to the
\ncity by their husbands at dawn, returning home before dusk to
\nprepare the breaking of the fast meal.<\/p>\n
Marsiah and her fellow beggars prefer to seek their luck
\ntogether.<\/p>\n
Upon reaching a housing complex, they split up and knock on
\ndoors, saying the obligatory greeting: \"Assalamualaikum (Peace be
\nunto you). Please give us alms for Lebaran. Have pity on us,
\nma'am.\"<\/p>\n
Beggars in their teens would be more likely to say: \"Give us a
\nLebaran bonus sir, pity us sir, we wish to celebrate Lebaran.\"<\/p>\n
Marsiah, who comes from Batuputu village in West Telukbetung,
\nBandarlampung, said that she is just a seasonal beggar. She only
\nbegs as Idul Fitri approaches. She normally works on a farm in
\nher village. \"I am forced to beg because I have to buy new shoes
\nand clothes for my children for Lebaran,\" Marsiah said.<\/p>\n
Marsiah, whose husband is a construction worker in
\nBandarlampung, said she was not ashamed of begging as most of her
\nneighbors were also seasonal beggars.<\/p>\n
\"Well, there is no work in the village during this season.
\nRice paddy owners have not started to plow their fields because
\nof the water shortage,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Besides elderly men and women, seasonal beggars are usually
\nhousewives (30 to 50 years old), and underaged children.<\/p>\n
Beggars like Marsiah must be somewhat creative, at least in
\ndetermining the right person to approach, and how to approach
\nthem. Up-scale housing complexes are first choice, followed by
\ncommon residential areas.<\/p>\n
\"Those living in wealthy neighborhoods normally give us more
\nmoney, from Rp 2,000 to Rp 5,000. But we don't go there as
\nLebaran draws near. Usually they return to their hometowns two
\ndays before the holiday,\" said Marsiah, who receives Rp 30,000 to
\nRp 40,000 a day.<\/p>\n
Neighborhoods that are considered upper-class include Villa
\nCitra, Puri Way Halim Permai, Puri Gading and Sukabumi Indah
\nresidential areas in the Lampung capital of Bandarlampung.<\/p>\n
Others prefer to beg at mosques.<\/p>\n
\"We normally beg for alms at the intersection. But as Lebaran
\nnears, we beg in front of Al Furqon mosque before the breaking of
\nthe fast, as it's crowded,\" said Tursinah.<\/p>\n
Al Furqon, located on Jl. Pangeran Diponegoro, is the biggest
\nmosque in Bandarlampung. It is usually teeming with devotees
\nduring the month of Ramadhan as it is situated in the city
\ncenter, near residential areas and offices.<\/p>\n
Seasonal beggars usually have a few things in common: They
\ncarry a plastic bowl and wear shabby clothes and a sad
\nexpression. But recently, many of them -- mostly teenagers --
\nhave employed other methods. They carry alms boxes painted in
\ngreen with a picture of a mosque on each side. They usually go to
\ntraditional markets, following prospective donors around.<\/p>\n
Rudi, 15, who dropped out of elementary school in
\nBandarlampung, said that it was easier to obtain alms carrying
\nthe boxes. Wearing a prayer cap and a worn shirt when met by The
\nJakarta Post at the Bambu Kuning market, he said he could make Rp
\n30,000 a day.<\/p>\n
Poverty has been blamed for the rising number of beggars in
\nthe province. According to the Lampung Central Bureau of
\nStatistics (BPS), of Lampung's total population of 6.8 million,
\n2.4 million are categorized as poor people.<\/p>\n
In order to address the poverty, the Lampung administration
\nhas launched several programs, including the disbursement of soft
\nloans for small businesses and scholarships for poor students,
\naccording to Lampung Deputy Governor Harris Hasyim.<\/p>\n
However, he acknowledged that it would take some time before
\nthe poverty problem could really be tackled.<\/p>",
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