Development brings no benefit for locals<\/p>\n
Ateng, 45, is one of the local residents of Kelapa Gading who has
\nbecome a minority in the fastest growing district in North
\nJakarta, where the majority of people living here are wealthy
\nnewcomers who occupy luxury homes.<\/p>\n
Ateng, his wife and their three children live in a very
\nsimple, old house built by his parents in the 1950s. The house's
\nrundown condition is in vast contrast to the new stylish
\nbuildings located only a hundred meters away.<\/p>\n
"I never tell anyone I live in Kelapa Gading anymore as people
\nwould think that I own a luxury home. I prefer to say I live in
\nSunter," Ateng told The Jakarta Post at his house recently.<\/p>\n
Ateng's house and several hundred other semipermanent
\ndwellings are located along the Sunter riverbank in the
\nsubdistrict of Kelapa Gading Barat. These houses form a row that
\nis the first to be hit by floods when the Sunter river overflows
\nduring the rainy season.<\/p>\n
Just like his house, which never improves, Ateng's job also
\ndoes not change. He is among the residents who do not have an
\nopportunity to enjoy the fast-growing development going on in the
\nsubdistrict, which has transformed the swampy, rice paddies into
\nlarge, modern shopping centers.<\/p>\n
To feed the five members of his family, Ateng sells thin
\ncolorful rubber balls, which he makes himself. His wife and
\nchildren also help making them.<\/p>\n
During the day, Ateng travels throughout the city selling the
\ntoys, carrying some 60 rubber balls at a time which he sells for
\nRp 1,000 each. At night, he makes more balls. In a day, he can
\nsell up to 30 balls.<\/p>\n
"There is only enough money for our daily basic needs and for
\npaying the school fees for our children," said Ateng when he was
\nasked why he did not renovate his house.<\/p>\n
Two of his children go to an elementary school while another
\ngoes to a junior high school.<\/p>\n
Slamet, 42, is another Kelapa Gading Barat resident who was
\nborn and raised here. He also complained that local residents
\ncould not reap any benefit from the recent development of the
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Kelapa Gading Barat is one of three subdistricts in the Kelapa
\nGading district. The other two districts are Kelapa Gading Timur
\nand Pegangsaan Dua.<\/p>\n
Slamet was one of hundreds of residents evicted from their
\nhomes late last year so that the area could be developed to build
\nanother trade center.<\/p>\n
Residents tried to defend their homes when bulldozers were
\nbrought in, but they were forced to give up as they did not have
\ntitle deeds for the houses, which were located in swampy areas.<\/p>\n
Slamet was fortunate though, as he was able to rent a house in
\nthe area from the head of the neighborhood after the evictions.
\nMany other families were forced to build shanties along the road
\nclose to Sunter river.<\/p>\n
Slamet also complained that businessmen did not give equal
\nemployment opportunities to local residents to work in offices or
\nshops, which were mushrooming in the vicinity.<\/p>\n
"Perhaps it is because locals have little education and
\nlimited experience, but why don't businessmen employ the youth
\nhere as security officers, for example. It would be helpful,"
\nsaid Slamet, a junior high school graduate who works in a
\nprinting company outside the district.<\/p>\n
Slamet said the construction of buildings had worsened the
\nflood problem as the swampy areas near their houses had been
\nfilled in.<\/p>\n
"You can look for yourselves, the water still comes into the
\nhouses and covers some of the floor here," he said, adding that
\nduring this year's rainy season, floodwater had reached almost 50
\ncentimeters.<\/p>\n
-- Bambang Nurbianto<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/development-brings-no-benefit-for-locals-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }