Me Reflecting on Bantar Gebang [Photos Updated]

What are you going to do if you are asked to live in the biggest landfill in Indonesia? Probably you will reject that request soon enough. But I am glad that I have been “forced” to do that. My colleagues and I were asked by our office to abandon our ordinary live for three days to live inside Bantar Gebang Landfill.  

A 30-meter trash mountain really is distinct scenery for me to enjoy on the last Monday. The odor from the stinky trash also made me hard to breathe. Then, I would also have mistaken waters running down the trash mountain as coca cola, if I did not realize that I was in Bantar Gebang Landfill. Later I know that the dark water is called lindi water - water from piles of waste. Soon enough, I knew that I had no clue at what I was going to face in the next three days.

Try to guess what's the grey mountain on the furthest back?? 

After a couple minutes from trash mountains, my friends and I finally entered a village. It is not an ordinary village. It is a village of scavengers, a place I never imagined to visit before, and I never imagined to live in before. As long as eyes can see, shanties made of plywood stand everywhere. Garbage is everywhere to find since those scavengers bring them home. The soil path that I stepped on was also very muddy after rain poured down. Goats, chickens, ducks, cats and rats run freely on the village.

“What a view,” so I said to myself.

The house where I lived in

However, there was one thing surprising me. Even though they lived near trash mountains and piles of trash around their houses, I did not really smell any odor from the trashes. It was not as strong as I had guessed.

“It’s not so bad,” I reassured myself.

Then, I entered the biggest plywood-made house in the area in which I would live for the next three days. I was surprised by the house’s decency. The house is clean. The used poster banner covers the soil floor. Some electronic stuff is also spotted there. After waiting for a minute or two in the house’s double (or even triple) function living room, the house’s owner, Denin then warmly greeted me and my friends.

Denin lives in the house with his other 5 family members. He himself starts living in Bantar Gebang in the early 1990s. Now, Denin is no more than ordinary scavengers. He currently employs 15 couples and some of their family members to scavenge. Not only that. His strong relation with various NGOs makes him a notable figure in both scavengers and non-scavengers community. I was glad to live in his house. Her wife, Daniti, cooked really tasty food! 

Homes and workplace 

After spending a night at Denin’s house, my friends and I then braced ourselves to start exploring the scavenger area. With an area as large as 148 acres, Bantar Gebang attracts many people from various part of Indonesia. The newcomers working as scavengers then build their own housings, making a village of shanties near trash mountains or on the brinks of paddy field.

My friends and I were told by locals that there was a larger area of shanties village not far from Denin’s village. The information led us there. After walking for several minutes, we found what we were looking for.

“Oh my God…,” my heart kept saying that when sceneries of shanties complex greeted me.

The shanty village is so crowded. It is also just no more than 20 meters from the trash mountains. The odor was so strong in the village, unlike in Denin's village. The shanties standing there are probably not more than 20 meter square large. The soil path is also way dirtier since black muds are spotted here and there. More wastes and more animals can be found in this area. It is really contrast to Denin’s community which is more organized and cleaner.

Living close to the trash mountains

I stood still for a couple of minutes observing what I saw. I was then feeling a sudden rush of relieve for becoming “me”.

Then, my friends and I walked into the shanties village before us. That afternoon, I saw men, women, and children sitting outside of their shanties chatting to each other. I heard them laughing after hearing jokes. I watched no sign of stress from their faces. At least, I have not seen it yet.

After a couple of hours, my friend said that he found an “interesting” place. We decided to go there. Soon enough, I stood in front of a 3x7 meter shanty. After the shanty owner welcomed us in, I was shocked.

“14 people living in this tiny space?” I questioned myself of the reality in front of me.

It was not really good watching 14 people living in one tiny space. One of them, a 45-year old woman was severely ill after giving birth recently. I clearly watched some stress faces on that tiny space.But in contrast, I also watched faces of happiness as the household just gained two more babies.

Life is just. There is always happiness and spark of hope in the middle ocean of sorrow. These people may reflect what Rihanna says "we found love in a hopeless place". 

TRIVIA: what's the black spot on the leaves? 

What bothers me the most is the place they live in. It is not as clean as in Denin’s village. I am really concerned about the newborn babies’ health. After several minutes chatting in the tiny shanty, my group then decided to go back to Denin’s house. It was already dark after all.

Treasure 

I reflected what I faced during the day to my own experience. I was once again feeling relieved and grateful for being me. I cannot imagine if I was in their position. I will not be as strong as them. Indeed, these scavengers are stronger than most people thought.

They are not just people with no skills. They have skills! They contribute to our environment’s cleanliness, a luxury we have thanks to the scavengers.Honor those scavengers and never underestimate them. Never look at them with disrespectful look for they really hurt when they got those 'disrespectful' eyes. They are human, just like us. They work, gaining money, feeding their families, just like us. 

photos by: Muhammad Rizqi A.