Computer classes for dump-site children

By Joko E.H. Anwar

BEKASI (JP): The unpleasant odors and flies inside the 2-meter-by-4-meter classroom at the nearby Bantargebang garbage dump could not dampen the mood of the children.

"It's such fun," Rasiti, 11, commented joyfully on the new computer in front of her.

Rasiti and her 30 friends were totally absorbed in their activities in that tiny room on Monday.

With eyes fixed on the screen in front of him and his right hand rapidly moving an object in his palm, Carkalim, 12, said: "But it's difficult to do a double click."

Another child, Riana, 10, cheerfully smiled and added, "It's really fun."

They are the children of scavenger families who live on the 128-hectare Bantargebang dump in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, and this was their first day at a free computer class held in a small room of a tiny kindergarten located some 50 meters from the dump's entrance.

Under the financial support of PT Microsoft Indonesia, which has provided seven personal computers, the program is being implemented by Dinamika Indonesia Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which also runs the kindergarten and an elementary school at the dump.

Every day, scores of trucks pass the newly painted building on Jl. Balai Rotan, dumping some 22,500 cubic meters of garbage from the 25,400 cubic meters produced each day in the capital.

The local children along with their parents and relatives make their living by collecting garbage at the dump.

With the introduction of personal computers and the Internet, the Bantargebang children are grateful to temporarily forget their difficult life and the environment they are growing up in.

They are also able to forget about broken toys they found some days ago from a giant pile of junk.

One of the tutors from the foundation, Latifah, said the 11- month computer program was designed to train 140 local literate children for free with basic Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel.

The first class will be for three months with 32 students, she said.

"There are many factories near this area. We hope that the children will have an added advantage to work at one of these factories one day," Latifah said.

Rasiti, who received an opportunity to take lessons with the first batch of students, said using a computer was more enjoyable than watching television, which her family was still unable to afford.

She became excited when she successfully maneuvered the pointer over an icon on the screen as Latifah had instructed her to do.

Rasiti was also thrilled after she successfully followed Latifah's instructions to make her name bounce all over the screen as a screen saver.

"Look! Look!" Rasiti exclaimed, followed by other childrens' exclamations of amazement.

She told The Jakarta Post that at that time of day she was supposed to be joining other Bantargebang children finding iron and "toys" in the dump for which she could earn Rp 65,000 (US$7.50) every 10 days.

The excitement of the computer experience has left other children, who are waiting for their class to start, feeling impatient.

"I have to wait six more months," Lastri, 12, said sadly, adding that she was enrolled in the third class.

"I bet it will be fun," she said.

The president of Microsoft Indonesia, Richard Kartawijaya, said the free education program for the Bantargebang children was aimed at introducing computers to children.

"We just want the children to know that there is something else out there besides garbage," Richard said.

A similar program is in progress at the Griya Asih Foundation for street children in the Rawasari area of Central Jakarta.

The class at Bantargebang is taught by tutors from the Dinamika Indonesia Foundation.

"Using a computer is like a dream for these kids who never had any hopes to do. Some kids were even afraid to touch the (computer) mouse because they thought it would sting them with electricity," the foundation's manager, Achmad Marzuki, told reporters.

The program was well-received by parents at the dump.

Sudarmi, 41, said she did not mind letting her child take lessons despite her losing a few hours of collecting junk.

"I let her take the classes. It's good for her so that one day she will be able to work outside (the dump).

"I hope she won't be here forever like me," she said while separating the plastic and paper she collected from the garbage pile.