JAKARTA IS CRUEL CITY!

"Jakarta is very harsh! Life in this capital city is harder than we thought! You guys are so lucky, have a home, have a family, have a food to eat, have a job. But, look at us! We don't have house, we don't eat three times a day, sometimes we don't eat for a hole day. But, even street  we have pride, we are humanity, and we want to live like all of you. We are street people won't suffer and keep work as street singer and poetry."

Hello guys, long time no see! It's been 4 months since I left Japan and back to my home country Indonesia. Well, I start this article with opening message from street singer who I met in city bus when I was heading back to my home after work.

YO GUYS, WELCOME TO JAKARTA! INDONESIA CAPITAL CITY! THE CRUELEST CITY IN INDONESIA!

That's what they said, street poetry and singer. Sounds bad impression? Hahaha, I know because I use the word "harsh" and "cruelest". But that's true! 

Jakarta is Indonesia's capital city. A center of government, politics, and business. This city never sleep, life is everywhere, it's like wild forest. 

Because Jakarta is center of everything, so all Indonesians who come from all 17,000 islands, they want to come to Jakarta. They hope to have better life, collect more money, getting a job, but life is harder than they thought. Some of them are being successful, some of them ended up living under bridge and illegal location, some of them going back to their hometown, some of them being rich, and some of them being poor.

My father is one of person who challenge his life by coming to Jakarta from his hometown Medan, North Sumatra. Although, he's graduate from one of the top university in Medan, North Sumatra, he didn't had an idea when he landed at Jakarta. Luckily, he had good communication skill, so he met Minister of Co-operation, shake his hand, and get a job as accountant in co-operation office.

However, the others aren't as lucky as my father. They ended up by being unemployment, living under bridge and illegal location, and do everything to provide their life. 

In the past, Indonesian society thought that if they have more children, they will get rich when they getting old because they expect all their children study and being successful. Those people who come to Jakarta in the past, success to increase birth rate in Jakarta. However, they didn't think before their children being successful person, they must feed them. The more they have children, the more they have to produce money, but the problem is they don't have a job.

Why? Because available job in Jakarta is very limited but the number of job applicant is increasing every year. Moreover, in Indonesia, education level is matter. Those who just finished their formal education until elementary or high school, of course they can't compete with university graduates. However, university graduates are also struggling because the number of fresh graduate in Indonesia is very high. It's not included overseas fresh graduate who come back to Indonesia to get a job.

The result is they children couldn't go to school and get higher education. I often see many children being street singer as well, or beggar on the street, or even thieves.

Some children become street singer in order to collect money for life

"Even street people, we are human, we have pride, and we want to be happy" -Street Singer-

Traffic Jam

Jakarta isn't big city but it's center of everything. But people keep coming there to get better life and it makes Jakarta very crowded. So, those who cannot get a job, they do everything like being street singer in city bus, beggar on the street, open small restaurant on the street although it's illegal because they have no permission.

Moreover, everyone is working in Jakarta every work day. Those who live in Bekasi, Tangerang, and Depok (Jakarta's bed town), they come to Jakarta every morning and going back to their home every night by using transportation such a car, bike, and train. Too many people, too crowded, the result is traffic jam. Jakarta's roads have no more space. 

Every day, morning and night, I face traffic jam. This is traffic jam from my house, Jatibening, West Bekasi, to my work place in Sudirman, Central Jakarta:

Traffic jam in highway is my 'breakfast' everyday

Jakarta's traffic jam caused by high number of transportation and of course people

Looks messy? unmanageable? Hahaha, there's still more story actually. But, don't take negative points from this story. Let's take positive points!

Are you working now? Have an income? Have a house? You study in the best school? Getting degree? If all your answer is yes, then, SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE! Because you're not one of these people, who ended up being nothing in Jakarta.

My answer for all questions above is all YES! Every time I complain with my job or life in Jakarta, I met street people in bus and they remind me again to gratitude to what I have today. Sometimes street people can be annoying in bus, but they can be real inspiration for me.

Everyday, I'm taking a bus for going to work. So, everyday I meet street people who sing a song in city bus, or sing a poetry or just make a speech. Some of them, show how harsh life in Jakarta with their song or speech. I like to hear that. Doesn't matter if their voice aren't good as professional singer, but the message that they want to tell us, is what I want to hear.

Street singer in Jakarta's city bus morning when I'm heading to my office

I feel like, my problem isn't big as they are. I don't gratitude enough to all what I have and I don't look around how people struggling in Jakarta. I do self-introspection. What can I do for them? Doesn't matter if they're "just" street people but they are human. We're human being, so when others need help, help them!

What I can do for give them better life?

I join volunteer group called "Belajar Bersama Sjors" (Study with Sjors). My sister and brother introduce them to me in 2014. Every Sunday, they have small school under bridge Jembatan Tiga, Pluit, North Jakarta. It's school for 6-12 years old children. It's not like formal school, we educate children with fun activity and communication. We don't teach them maths, science, or sociology, we teach them to keep their dream live.

"Welcome to Belajar Bersama Sjors! We are Indonesian kids and WE HAVE A DREAM!"

"We Have Dream!" That's what written in Belajar Bersama Sjors (BBS) poster. We want them to dream high, have an encourage to achieve their dream, and tell them to not give up with their life now. Some of them living under bridge and illegal location, but we won't them ended up being street singer or beggar. We want them to be a big person in the future, achieve their dream, and have better life. We teach them how to be brave and keep their spirit to achieve their dream even though, they don't have "legal" house and can't go to formal school. We want them to be strong even life is hard.

Indonesian kids in "Belajar Bersama Sjors"

And this is their dream and it's so amazing! Some of them said "I want to be director without corruption" and also "being wise and fair businessman". Yeah, Indonesia need people like them. I want them achieve their dream someday.

I tried my best to join every Sunday. Sometimes I have another agenda but when I free, I will come to the activity. That's one of my effort to develop Jakarta's society and develop Indonesia's future talent. I'm lucky enough to be able to study in Japan, in the great university like APU, and have job once I went back to Indonesia. I want to share what I learned to these children.

I won't let them be street singer or beggar. I want them to be greatest, to be the best, and together we change Indonesia to be developed country.

So, Jakarta is harsh, but do you want to suffer? Do you just complain about inconvenient things in Jakarta like traffic jam or pollution? Do you think your problem is bigger than those who don't have house and job? Is what you can do only complain, complain, and complain? Where is humanity? Where is justice? 

If you called yourself as "educated person" than help Jakarta's governor, Mr. Ahok to develop Jakarta's society. Give your hand to help those who need help. Don't just complain with something that you don't like. I have seen so many people called themselves "educated person" because they graduated from top university but their behavior is worst than street people. Sometimes, I think street people have better attitude than those who're "educated". If you call yourself as "educated person" then don't just talk in social media, complaining, and look down street people or homeless. Give your hands, give your money, give your time, and energy to help them. Mr. Ahok cannot re-build Jakarta alone, he need support from all of us. If you're working or living in Jakarta, then let's stick together to make this capital city become better city in the future.

Because street people can be stronger than you and have humanity more than you. If you feel Jakarta is harsh and cruel, then your life isn't tough as street people. Where is humanity in Jakarta?

So, get up from your bed, your sofa, Get Up! Let's show that there's still humanity in Jakarta!