As long as the road is clean and pleasing to the eye, this 52-year-old father of two doesn’t care how much time he spends on the job. But he does wish people were more conscientious about keeping the city clean.
Is this a solo job or do you work as part of a team?
I work alone here. Each sweeper is responsible for cleaning an area with a three-kilometer radius.
What is your responsibility?
There are six things I have to take care of. It’s my responsibility to pick up trash, keep the gutters clean, sweep up sand, pull weeds, pick up stones, and empty the trash bins.
What ‘weapons’ do you get for work?
I get a helmet, a raincoat, boots, a broom, dustpan and trash bags for the things I pick up.
So what do you do with the trash?
First I put it into a sack. Then the sacks are taken to a nearby collection site where a truck comes to pick them up.
Are you supervised?
It’s not like they always keep their eyes on the sweeper, but they’re around sometimes. I don’t feel awkward when they show up. I know I do my job well.
Tell me more about your job.
This is a 24-hour job. It is divided into three shifts. My shift is from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. It’s always like that, we don’t roll or rotate. I’ve been doing this for nine years.
Do you have any days off?
I’m off on Tuesday.
You sound cheerful talking about your job. Why do you like your job so much?
I must say I’ve done a lot of different things to earn money for my family. I’ve repaired cars, dug wells and cut wood, but I would say this is the most comfortable job I’ve ever had. Working at 4 a.m., when most people are still sleeping, it’s less crowded. I still can have fresh air to breath. And I work up a sweat, this is my exercise to keep me healthy. Plus, the company I work for gives us employment and health insurance. There is also a scholarship fund for our children.
Have you ever been hit by a vehicle?
I haven’t but my friend has. He was grazed by a car. Thank God we have insurance.
What do you do after the shift?
I go home and hang out with my family. In my spare time, I help people around my kampung when they need some therapy or massage. I don’t ask for money, the only thing that matters is helping them to heal.
I see your uniform is different from the others, what does it mean?
I work for an outsourcing company. The company is appointed by the government to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of the city. There are several companies in this business, they have different uniforms.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve ever found?
Valuable? I wish I’d found gold.
What is the least valuable thing?
Nails on the road. Well, not just nails, I’ve even found spikes. That’s horrible. But I just do my best to clean them up. That’s all I can do.
You mean someone put them on the road intentionally?
Hmm… I don’t know anything about that. I’m just saying that if there is someone doing that kind of thing it’s mean. I just do my job and clean them up, get them off the road.
What is the hardest dirt to clean?
I didn’t like the horse poop. Before Monas was fenced, there were a lot of horse-drawn carts around.
What is the least favorite thing about your job?
If there is a demo. The demonstrators leave a lot of trash. I worked till 7 p.m. the other day.
When did that happen?
On Anti-Corruption Day.
How did you feel about it?
It was a pretty hard day. But it’s my responsibility to clean up the mess.
Do you think Jakarta is clean enough? What do you suggest?
There are still many people who litter. I understand that my job is to clean it up.
-Posted on My Jakarta, Jakarta Globe February 2010
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