Scavenger delivers baby at dump site

TANGERANG: A homeless scavenger who makes a living by collecting recyclable items at garbage sites around the Lembang Market in Cileduk district of Tangerang delivered a baby at a dump site near the market on Wednesday morning.

The mother, identified as Inah, 38, said that she went to the garbage site to relieve herself at 6:30 a.m.

"But as soon as I crouched on the ground, I felt something unusual come out of my vagina. When I looked down, it was my baby," she told journalists while lying on a bed at Medika Lestari clinic on Jl. HOS Tjokroaminoto, Cileduk.

Inah said that while her baby girl was lying on the ground covered in blood, she cried for help. Several residents came and one of them immediately called the police.

Several police officers arrived at about 7 a.m. and took her and her healthy 3.6 kilogram baby to the clinic.

According to Inah, she was married to a man called Ujang, who was also a scavenger. But Ujang had disappeared when she was two- months pregnant.

"I don't have any money and no place to bring up my baby. I will probably look for a family who wishes to adopt her," she said.

She said there had been several women who came to see her baby, and showed interest in adopting her. --JP