Rice swept rice into profit by hard-working market women<\/p>\n
Text and photos by P.J. Leo<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The atmosphere that morning was filled with joy
\nand laughter among a group of women at one of the rice stalls at
\nthe Cipinang rice market in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The women, who are mostly single parents (some widowed, the
\nothers divorced), work hard for their living. Every day, after
\ntons of rice has been unloaded from the fleet of trucks that
\narrive here daily, these women set themselves upon the grains
\naccidentally spilt onto the road. From time to time they help the
\nmarket laborers unload the sacks and lug them to the stalls.<\/p>\n
The regular switch of the women's broomsticks brushing against
\nthe asphalt can be heard as they sweep up every last grain of
\nrice spilt during the unloading of the trucks.<\/p>\n
When business is good, the women can collect enough for their
\nown needs. Working from morning until afternoon, on a good day
\nthe women can gather up to 10 liters of rice per person, although
\nwhen business is slack, three liters is a more realistic target.
\nAfter cleaning the grains, it is put on sale for Rp 1,500 per
\nliter.<\/p>\n
The women often work to gather rice under the hot midday sun.
\nIf they are asked by stall owners to help with the unloading,
\nthen gathering activities stop. Usually stall owners will not
\ntake more than four of them to assist.<\/p>\n
\"Even though I feel that my job is rather demanding, I feel
\ncomfortable working here. We can joke with each other while
\ngathering the rice. It's much better than working as a housemaid
\nor in a factory,\" commented the 24-year-old Siti Ropiah, known to
\nher friends as Piah.<\/p>\n
Piah, the mother of a 3-year-old child, said that the money
\nshe makes is enough to support her small family. Piah, who lives
\nin a rented house not far from the Cipinang market, said her
\nhusband left her while she was pregnant and the trauma of that
\ndesertion is still preventing her from enjoying another
\nrelationship.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old Ami, a mother of eight children, has been
\nworking at the rice market for 15 years. She said she works to
\nhelp her husband, a construction worker, to generate income for
\ntheir family.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes I feel that I need to stop this hard work. But I
\ncan't. I need to put my children through school and to meet our
\ndaily needs. How could my husband's earnings alone support all
\nthat?\"<\/p>\n
The women sometimes feel tired and weak after a heavy day on
\nthe job. Occasionally heavy sacks of rice fall on them from the
\ntrucks, but it is a risk that these women just have to put up
\nwith.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rice-swept-rice-into-profit-by-hard-working-market-women-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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