Polls give more than promises to scavengers
Polls give more than promises to scavengers
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Despite the lackluster political campaign, with the majority of
people fed up with parties and their unkept promises, euphoria
survives among hundreds of scavengers in Tangerang municipality.
The scavengers have become regulars at gathering points of
campaigners such as Benteng Football Stadium, Achmad Yani Sports
Hall, the compounds of the women's and men's penitentiaries and
the Juvenile Detention Center during the last three weeks.
But they came motivated by reasons other than politics.
"I don't care whatever he says up there. What I need is just
the plastic trash left by the crowd," said Sunarji, busily
picking up plastic cups and bottles at the Benteng stadium on
Saturday while National Awakening Party (PKB) top man Alwi Shihab
delivered a speech in front of a noisy crowd.
The 60-year-old Sunarji, who comes from Pekalongan, Central
Java, said that during the campaign season, he enjoyed a 50
percent increase in his daily income.
Sunarji said he was usually able to collect between 10
kilograms and 15 kilograms of plastic a day and sell it at Rp
1,200 (less than 15 US cents) per kilogram.
But in the last 21 days, he managed to collect at least 30
kilograms of trash a day and earned an average of Rp 40,000 a
day.
Living in a small hut made of carton he constructed on vacant
land belonging to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Jl.
Jend. Sudirman, Sunarji took the trash home to clean and sort it.
He said that if he could remove the labels from the plastic
cups of mineral water, buyers were willing to pay Rp 1,500 for
each kilogram.
"But I don't have enough time to do all that. Rp 1,200 per
kilogram is not bad," he said.
Sambas, 25, and some 200 fellow scavengers who usually pick up
saleable trash at the municipality's Rawa Kucing dump in Kedaung
Wetan subdistrict, Neglasari, also benefited from the campaign
rallies.
"We share information on the time and venue of the rallies and
later decide who will go where," he said.
Sambas claimed he and his friends could earn between Rp 30,000
and Rp 50,000 a day, a whooping increase from his usual income of
between Rp 10,000 and Rp 20,000.
"I have saved Rp 1 million ... I will marry a woman from my
village," said Sambas, who is from Cirebon, West Java.
Another scavenger, Nursimah, 45, from Malingping, Banten, said
she was happy with the campaign period.
"I can earn some Rp 2.5 million from picking up the scattered
plastic and papers left by the party supporters. Now I can send
my youngest daughter to school," said the woman who collected
trash along with her husband and four children.
The rallies which have caused traffic congestion in many parts
of Greater Jakarta have at least brought a wide smile to Sunarji.
"I wish there was a rally every day. Unfortunately, the
campaign only lasts for 21 days," he quipped.