Recycling program provides tsunami survivors lifeline<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Ridwan has been working since 8 a.m. He pays no heed to the flies
\nand passing trucks. His deftly sorts out wood and iron from a
\npile of garbage reaching 10 meters high as a result of the
\ntsunami. \"The wood and iron will be stacked separately. Iron can
\nbe sold directly to add money to buy food,\" Ridwan told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Ridwan is not alone. There are some 200 others eking out a
\nliving in the tsunami waste dump at Jawa village in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Most of them are tsunami survivors, but some come from distant
\nregencies as each worker is being paid Rp 30,000 (US$3.30) per
\nday by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The UNDP
\nprogram aims to reduce the volume of tsunami waste which has
\nreached a staggering 300,000 cubic meters.<\/p>\n
Ridwan, himself a refugee, returns home at night to the
\nbarracks for displaced persons. His family survived the tsunami,
\nbut he lost all his woodworking tools he depended on to support
\nhis family.<\/p>\n
Earning a living sorting garbage is tough work. Ridwan and the
\nother workers have to be extra careful to avoid being injured by
\nbroken glass and rusty nails.<\/p>\n
They have been provided with boots and gloves by the UNDP, but
\ndue to handling many sharp objects, their gloves were quickly
\ndamaged. They now work using their bare hands. To expedite their
\nwork, heavy machinery like tractors, have been deployed. They
\nsometimes find interesting things in the debris.<\/p>\n
\"We often stumble upon money or gold. We usually divide it
\nequally among ourselves if the amount is big,\" said Muhammad, 23,
\na fellow worker.<\/p>\n
The biggest amount of money they had ever found was Rp 10
\nmillion. The notes, all soaked, were covered in mud and garbage.
\nThey had to be separated carefully.<\/p>\n
However, they sometimes discover skulls and skeletons. After
\nfinding human remains, they immediately bury them in a proper
\nmanner not far from the place of work.<\/p>\n
Since the tsunami, waste has become a serious problem in Aceh.
\nThere are 1,000 garbage trucks, but only in Banda Aceh. Due to
\nthe emergency situation then, debris from the tsunami was
\ndisposed of in various areas without proper foresight, such as in
\nrivers and rice fields, including in Jawa village. With the
\nimplementation of the UNDP project, a large part of the garbage
\nwill be recycled, such as wood for firewood, or debris to be used
\nas wave breakers in coastal areas.<\/p>\n
\"The program which started on April 11 will be carried out for
\nthree months,\" said UNDP program assistant Muhammad Zaki on waste
\nrecycling matters.<\/p>\n
UNDP will coordinate directly with the Banda Aceh Sanitation
\nand Parks Office in the program.<\/p>\n
Zaki acknowledged that he did not know when the total garbage
\nwould be cleaned and sorted. \"The main thing is that people's
\nland and plantations can be used again,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As the program is transitional in nature, the workers have
\nstated their worries. \"We hope to be provided with tools, so that
\nwe can live independently after the program ends,\" said Ridwan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/recycling-program-provides-tsunami-survivors-lifeline-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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