Residents of Koja, North Jakarta harvest hundreds of kilos of grapes, eroding stigma of former red-light district

JAKARTA - Once Southeast Asia’s largest red-light district, Koja in North Jakarta has long been associated with a negative stigma. This stigma persists in RW 01, Tugu Utara, Koja, just 500 metres from the former Kramat Tunggak red-light district, now transformed into the Jakarta Islamic Center (J IC). Previously, drug use, alcohol consumption, and promiscuous behavior were common in RW 01, particularly in RT 07, which remained stigmatised despite the closure of Kramat Tunggak in 1999. However, through the efforts of local residents, the area has undergone a dramatic transformation. Dani Arwanto, 51, head of RT 07, explained the challenges: ‘We know this was the Kramat Tunggak prostitution site. Changing these activities was difficult due to their strong impact, especially on teenagers.’ Community initiatives such as religious gatherings, sports, and urban farming were introduced. A vacant lot was turned into a badminton court before becoming a vegetable farm in 2016, growing sawi, pokcoy, and kangkung. By 2021, grape cultivation was added to the project. The initiative has gradually eroded the area’s negative stigma, turning a once problematic neighbourhood into a productive agricultural space.