Tourism minister visits South Jakarta scavengers

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture Marzuki Usman visited a slum area in Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday to encourage the children of scavengers to struggle for a better future.

The presence of Marzuki and his staff amid shanties enlivened the atmosphere of the area, during which the minister handed over a cash prize of Rp 30,000 (US$4.50) to a boy who won a scavenging contest held earlier in the day.

Marzuki said his visit to the site reflected the government's concern for scavengers who had helped the general public cope with the disposal of tons of garbage so as to keep the city clean.

Noting that scavengers were also part of the city's life blood and deserved proper treatment, he said children of scavengers should never stop reaching for their dreams.

"Who knows, one of these children may one day become a government official?"

In a show of appreciation for the scavengers' side business, Marzuki bought some souvenirs -- like artificial flowers made of plastic waste -- which he said would be given as gifts to the ministry's guests.

The visit was partly related to his idea of encouraging the participation of people from the grass roots in developing tourism. One of his plans is to turn slum houses located behind big hotels into home stay facilities for tourists.

The scavengers' shanties visited by Marzuki stand on a 6,000- square-meter plot owned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1989, the ministry permitted Astono, leader of the scavengers, to use the land on condition that the plot, which currently accommodates 26 families, would be vacated if the ministry needed it.

Once a fortnight Astono buys the items collected by the scavengers at prices ranging from Rp 90,000 to Rp 200,000, depending on the bulk of the waste.

With such a meager income, only a few of them can afford to send their children to school.

In a show of solidarity with the poor community, an Islamic foundation in the neighborhood has offered scholarships to the scavengers' children.

Marzuki declined to comment when asked if his plans and visit on Monday contradicted the city's policy on slum areas which advocates the demolition of shanties in the capital.(04)