It's a hard life ...<\/p>\n
Fortune has yet to shine (or may never shine) on Nurdin, 42,
\nand his five-year-old son, Jamal, as hardship follows them and
\nforces them to scavenge from leftovers to survive. The farmer and
\nhis son, who hail from West Java, have lived for two years in the
\narea around Jakarta's main landmark, the National Monument
\n(Monas) park.<\/p>\n
Under open skies, the father and son sleep on a piece of
\nplastic sheeting laid on the grass while sacks for used bottles
\nare their shelter from the night wind. What they earn -- from
\ncollecting used bottles and plastic containers -- is enough to
\neat for that day, with nothing left for the next.<\/p>\n
What concerned Nurdin most was Jamal's future, as he thought
\nJamal too young for such a tough existence.<\/p>\n
Fate destroyed Nurdin's dream of making a living in riot-torn
\nTernate, North Maluku. He migrated to another island with his
\nfamily on the government's transmigration program but his wife
\nwas killed during a clash in 1999. Earlier, Nurdin had also
\nparticipated in a similar program to remote Irian Jaya but was
\nforced to leave due to political turbulence.<\/p>\n
Nurdin's hand-to-mouth existence typifies the tough life that
\nseems to have pursued him wherever he goes.<\/p>\n
Text and photos by P.J. Leo<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/its-a-hard-life-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }