words and photos by Angela Richardson
the province of DKI Jakarta ( Daerah Khusus Ibukota , excluding Bogor, Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi) has a population of over 9.6 million (2010), each individual produces waste. Shocking for a city of its size, there is no solid waste management plan in place, and recycling is left in the hands of some non-governmental organizations and the Pemulung working hard to sort mixed waste millions of people before it is taken to a landfill. An estimated 6,000 tons of waste are produced daily in Jakarta in 2000 which is thought to be found in rivers, causing floods and disease.
The first thing you notice when you go near Bantar Gebang is the smell. There is a stench like no other, and we approach the mountain of waste, the more it stings the nostrils and the back of your throat. There is a smell I will never forget. Driving around, you are greeted with a slum built just above and among the garbage and flies by the thousands.
Arriving at the primary school Bantar Gebang on, Yayasan Dinamika Indonesia, we are greeted by children running around, playing and screaming their morning break. It is like arriving at a different school, with the exception of this school is surrounded by garbage and odd Pemulung dig through garbage left in the bushes on the grounds of the school the children play. Here we meet Nasrudin, head of YDI, which explains the history of his school for us, which has been in operation since 1996.
"There are 362 children in the primary schools and 52 preschool on the road, "said Nasrudin. "We have an open door policy with flexible rules to try to keep children in the classroom. We'll even let them sleep if they need. "Nasrudin was to YDI since it opened and knows more about children Bantar Gebang than anyone else.
"once children can read and write, they often want to leave and start earning money for themselves to do what their parents, "said Nasrudin. "90% of crane operators on the landfill YDI are old and we have a lot of grandchildren of alumni." This truth becomes evident when looking at how the number of students decreases as the number of grade up: grade 1 (69 students), 2nd year (79 students), 3rd year (54 students), 4th year (59 students), 5th year (41 students) and 6 students (27 students ).
Pemulung who live and work on Bantar Gebang mainly come from Indramayu in Cirebon, with a minority of Madura and Karawang. the Pemulung mainly work directly for pengepul , someone that acts as a middle man and buying waste them at a cheap price, selling on their bosses, who then send recyclables to recycling plants. There is a monopoly system in play here, so that the Pemulung pengepul give loans to keep them under their thumb forever indebted to them. On this site landfill, the Pemulung work five days a week, wading through mountains of waste mixed in search of recyclable items, with two days to sort what they have collected, earning between Rp Rp.150,000 .200,000 one week. Children usually help with the plastic cutting and sorting of waste collected after school hours.
"Many children have skin irritations, and they all cacingan (to)," Nasrudin said. Anemia is another common disease these children face, although surprisingly, the number of cases of dengue fever is very rare and there have been no cases of tuberculosis. Living on a landfill is extremely unhealthy and dangerous, and four Pemulung died recently in a landslide of garbage. By visiting the landfill, I am saddened to see men, women and children working in terrible conditions, completely oblivious to the stench and rotting garbage, they have become accustomed.
"Children find it difficult to do in state schools after they leave us," said Nasrudin. "There is a certain stigma that is attached to the children of Bantar Gebang. "It is wonderful to hear that Nasrudin some of his students have continued working with large companies such as Panasonic after completing a university degree, through Yayasan Dinamika Indonesia. Oman, one of the elders of YDI even returned after studying mathematics at stkip Kusumanegara, to teach children to a place that gave him hope for the future.
now receives YDI financial support from the government under Biaya Operasi Sekolah , which helps pay for their operating costs, but they are currently looking for sponsors to help pay the costs of teachers, such as funds received does not cover. If you are interested in sponsoring this extraordinary school, or your time to teach English or math for children in Pemulung, please contact Nasrudin at 62 (0) 8129848401 .