Brilio.net/en -"Persistence" and "sincerity" are two words that come to mind when wethink of this fan seller from Lamongan, East Java.
His name is Sukarto, and being 80 years of age has not stopped him from selling these colorful hand-woven crafts in the northern part of the Arek Lancor Monument in Pamekasan.
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According to a story about him that recently made waves on Facebook and other corners of the internet, he has been doing his job for 50 years,first moving around different locations, from Surabaya to Madura, before finallysettling inone venue. Having never gained other skills and with no other job options, Sukarto is forced to make do with working long, scorching hot hours and living a homeless life even if it means selling just one piece of fan a week.
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In recent days, Sukarto's health has begun to deteriorate, and, to him, there's nothing more that he wants than to go back to his hometown in the Lamongan District.
He is now sick and wants to go home, but he does not know who to call sincehe has lost his familys phone number," Muchlis Aditya, a Facebook user, says on a photo of Sukarto that he uploaded on the platform.
Photos of him sleeping in public places circulated online, broke a lot of hearts, and subsequently movedthe Social Affairs Office (Dinsos) and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in Pamekasan to coordinate with local residents to help send Sukarto home.
According to a picture uploaded by the Madura group on Facebook, Sukarto's health has improved after being taken care of at the Slamet Martodirjo Hospital in Pamekasan, while family has also reportedly been contacted and are getting ready to meet him soon at the Lamongan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) upon his upcoming arrival.