When RTs Drive Change

Neighbourhood associations (RTs) in several parts of Jakarta and its outskirts are no longer merely about administrative matters. A number of RTs are now delivering innovations touching public services, community safety, and the strengthening of a community-based economy.

In North Jakarta, RT 07 RW 08, Kelurahan Rawa Badak Selatan, is led by Sahdan Arya Maulana (19), a student at Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, entrusted with leading around 150 households, or about 750 people.

‘Many people look down on it. Like young people can do anything. But, well, we’ll just prove it,’ Sahdan said when speaking to Kompas.com on Saturday, 12 July 2025.

‘Our voting path yesterday even had a rival. The vote results were far apart; the rival received 17 votes, I received 126 votes,’ he added.

One of Sahdan’s first steps was to repair a 100-metre stretch of the local road using RT crowd-funding of Rp 23 million, without government assistance.

‘We had planned to pave it next month. But, as the road was badly damaged, we paved it that day,’ he said.

‘I want to support my career. My dream is to become Governor of Jakarta,’ he added.

In East Jakarta, the innovation came from RT 08 RW 04 Malaka Jaya, Duren Sawit, led by Taufiq Supriadi. He has turned a street drain into a two-storey fish farming pond.

‘When I visited Tokyo, I saw fish in a drainage channel. It’s the same concept as this two-storey setup, the bottom for dirty water, the top for fish,’ said Taufiq.

‘The catfish harvested sells for Rp 25,000 per kilogram, so a single harvest could bring in Rp 20 million,’ he added.