Rawa Kucing scavengers on the rise<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
People who visit the Rawa Kucing dump site in Kedaung Wetan,
\nTangerang, and observe how hard the scavengers there work to
\nsurvive, will likely realize and be grateful for all the
\nblessings in their lives.<\/p>\n
As trucks came to unload garbage at the site, dozens of
\nshabbily dressed scavengers comprised of children, teenagers and
\nadults, immediately ran towards the trucks with baskets on their
\nbacks, oblivious to the rain, heat and pungent odor. They sifted
\nthrough the dump for recyclable trash such as plastic bags, cans,
\niron plates and bars, and plastic and glass bottles, then cleaned
\nthem with water from puddles and placed them on the ground to
\ndry.<\/p>\n
When The Jakarta Post arrived at the site last Saturday, a
\nyoung family was busy in front of their bamboo house, collecting
\nthe plastic recyclables they had washed and dried, and putting
\nthem into large bags, while surrounded by the smell of garbage
\nand a hoard of buzzing flies.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the unpleasant situation, 19-year-old Yani and her
\nyear-old son relaxed on a rickety, torn and grimy sofa as they
\nwatched Yani's husband Manto, 22, working in the garbage.<\/p>\n
Manto, who comes originally from Indramayu, West Java, told
\nthe Post that he has been a scavenger since 1997. He has no
\nintention to change his occupation, because he has no formal
\neducation.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not interested in changing jobs. Garbage, though ugly and
\nsmelly, is not without use. If handled properly, it can be a
\nsource of money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hamid, 52, who comes from East Java, said that he has been a
\nscavenger for 30 years and would continue with scavenging,
\nbecause he no longer has the strength to take up other work.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps it is my fate to rake garbage until the end of my
\nlife,\" said the father of three, who dropped out from elementary
\nschool in the third grade.<\/p>\n
Manto said that the income of scavengers depended on how hard
\nthey worked. If he was diligent, he could earn up to Rp 200,000 a
\nweek without having to leave the dump site, since buyers always
\ncame to his house to purchase recyclable items.<\/p>\n
Hamid added that he could average Rp 10,000 daily, while his
\nwife and two children could also collect enough garbage to make
\nthe same amount every day.<\/p>\n
Many underage children from scavenger families also help in
\ncollecting garbage, so they have no time to go to school.<\/p>\n
Yuyun, who works with husband Aji to collect plastic refuse,
\nsaid that the plastic they collected could be sold at Rp 900 per
\nkilogram while cans, iron plates and iron bars could be sold at
\nRp 200 per kilogram. She and her husband collected up to 20
\nkilograms of plastic and 30 kilograms of cans per day.<\/p>\n
\"But the most lucrative item is medicine. One kilogram of
\nexpired medicines can be sold at Rp 25,000. Unfortunately,
\nmedicine can't be found every day,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Despite living on the edge of poverty and under unsanitary
\nconditions, the number of scavengers continue to increase.<\/p>\n
Neighborhood head Edi Suharja said about 1,000 scavengers had
\nbuilt a small village among the piles of garbage on the 5-hectare
\ndump site. He also explained that the scavengers' work helps the
\nmunicipal administration in reducing the 3,290-cubic-meter heap
\nof garbage produced daily by its population of 1.4 million.<\/p>\n
\"The scavengers come from many different regions such as East
\nJava, Central Java, West Java and Banten,\" he said, adding that
\nseveral unemployed local residents had also joined the migrant
\nscavengers in collecting recyclable items.<\/p>\n
Agus, 20, a native of Kedaung Wetan and father of one, was
\namong the several locals who had joined the scavengers. Agus was
\ndismissed from his job at a tile factory in Karawaci two years
\nago due to company closure, and although technically unemployed,
\nhe can make at least Rp 7,000 daily as a scavenger.<\/p>\n
\"It's difficult to find a job, and I think more local
\nresidents will join us due to rising unemployment,\" he said. He
\nexplained further that many people became scavengers at the dump
\nsite while awaiting their next job opportunity.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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