Milk vendors turn to prostitution in Central Java

By Agus Maryono

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): The economic crisis has changed the lives of many people. Some will do anything to make money. They might cheat, steal, rob, or turn to prostitution, as many women have in the tourist resort of Baturraden, 15 kilometers from Purwokerto.

Karno (not his real name), a 25-year-old security guard at Hotel "SH", one of some 100 hotels in the area, acknowledged that more women -- former vendors of hot milk or food -- are now engaged in the sex industry. Most of them are around 25 years of age, some of them are about 30, while others are about 18. Karno said a customer pays at least Rp 30,000 for the service.

"They come from villages surrounding Baturraden, mainly from the villages of Kemutug Lor and Kebumen," he added.

Mobile milk vendors have been there for approximately 10 years, coinciding with the opening of a nearby milk farm project located at Kemutug Lor village.

But Karno claimed the appearance of milk vendor prostitutes only occurred a year and a half ago. "It was because of the economic crisis that many milk vendors resorted to prostitution on the side."

Sri (not her real name), a 29-year-old divorcee who became a milk vendor two years ago, said she was forced into prostitution after her husband sought a divorce, leaving her with their two children.

"My husband divorced me at the same time as the arrival of the monetary crisis. I was confused and did not know how to feed the children. A friend told me about selling milk in the Baturraden complex," Sri said.

Vendors buy the milk from the farm at Rp 2,000 per liter, an amount which can fill four glasses. They sell each glass for Rp 1,500.

Sri usually carries two thermos bottles, moving from one hotel to the next in the hope of a sale. She fills one thermos with 1.5 liters of milk, and usually sells about four glasses on a round.

"When the milk is finished I go home except if a guest wants me to stay with him, then I go home rather late."

Selling milk yields an average profit of between Rp 7,000 (US$1) to Rp 10,000 ($1.4) a day.

Sri said she had never thought that the efforts to gain extra money would involve pandering sex. "It started with a hotel guest who persuaded me to go to bed with him after he had asked me to take the milk into his room. I refused, but when he offered a handsome amount of money I finally gave in." Afterwards she was not shy anymore to accept offers from hotel guests. Now she even dares to take the initiative and proposition a hotel guest.

Darti, 32, a milk vendor from Kemutug Lor village, said she became involved in prostitution to provide for her three children. "Two of my children are in grade school; it costs a lot of money. If I did not do this job, where could I get the money?"

Darti sells milk twice a day, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in accordance with morning and afternoon milking times at the farm.

She leaves her house with a thermos that has a capacity to fill seven big glasses. She sells a glass of milk for Rp 1,500; with ginger or coffee added it is Rp 2,500, and Rp 3,000 is the price for milk with an egg and herbal medicine.

Unlike Sri and Darti, Sukarti has never married. The 18-year- old woman, also from Kemutug Lor village, started selling milk one year ago.

"I use the money for cosmetics, blouses and pants. Part of the money goes to my parents," said Sukarti, who said her daily income from milk sales and prostitution averaged Rp 70,000 a day. "How could I dress well if I only sold milk? The profit is small," Sukarti said.

Of course, not all milk vendors turn to prostitution, even though they only make small sums of money selling the drink.

"It is not bad. I can survive on it," said Turyati, 26.

"Even in this situation I keep my faith," said Turyati, who has to walk two kilometers from her house in Kebumen village to the tourist resort.