BGBJ founders Resa Boenard and John Devlin with their students. (Photo: doc. Resa Boenard)
Jakarta has long been struggling with the problems of its excessive waste and all of those problems are now mounting in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, where Jakartas main landfill is located.
The landfill is home to over 3,000 families. Its a home for thousands of children whose parents make money by scavenging the 8,000 tons of waste coming from Jakarta every day.
Maybe you dont know how it feels like to live among the mountains of garbage, but Resa Boenard does.
A view from BGBJ's headquarter's rooftop in Bantar Gebang.(Brilio/Retno Wulandari)
She had to wake up to four or five meters of hills of waste, right in front of her house, every single day. As a kid, she was bullied for living in a landfill, with people calling her a Bantar Gebang girl.
That kind of life has never been easy, Resa told Brilio. Every time I came to school with the mud from the landfills stick to my shoes, they smelled like cats poop. Kids can be cruel. They will say here comes the smelly Bantar Gebang girl right in front of your face.
I have a thick skin, so I never took it personally. But with other kids, things could be different. Bullieshave made many of them stop coming to school, she added.
Bullying is not the only problem faced on a daily basis by children living in Bantar Gebang. Most of them fail in their education, and have no option but to be a scavenger, end up getting married at age 14, and get divorced at 15. Resa wants to change that.
After finishing high school in 2004, my mom had no money to send me to university. Instead of doing nothing, I think I can be more useful if I can do something with childrens condition here. I decided to be a kind of part-time teacher, taught them everything I know that wont be taught in school, she recalled. Thats how I became an activist.
Resa eventually managed to fund her education, and after getting her Bachelors degree in Information Technology, she set her focus once again on social activities. In 2014, along with her partner John Devlin, she founded the Kingdom of BGBJ, a community hub focused on guiding and providing additional education to Bantar Gebang children.
Resa and John with their students. (Brilio/Resa Boenard)
BGBJ stands for the seeds of Bantar Gebang hence we work on how to cultivate the seeds till they grow into strong trees. We facilitate the children with a school, a workshop, a tool shed, an improved sanitation, a mini library and a computer lab. Theyre free to learn as many things as they want to, said Resa.
On Sundays, Resa and fellow activists hold English classes, motivation sessions, psychological counseling classes, dancing classes and many workshops such as craft making classes, furniture making, gardening, cooking, music and mosquito repellent balm making classes. The mosquito repellent balm products are now being sold to help to fund other BGBJ activities.
Open classroom in BGBJ with handmade furnishing. (Brilio/Retno Wulandari)
BGBJ's library. (Brilio/Retno Wulandari)
In running the school and workshops, Resa and John arent alone. There are hundreds of volunteers helping them to teach and work with the children.
"I'm very happy with the results. Some of those children have their confidence boosted and theystarted to have the courage to speak with foreign volunteers in English," said Resa.
Whats so amazing about these volunteers is that they dont get paid, they have to pay for their lunch instead. Most of them are foreigners visiting Indonesia for work or vacation.
In the beginning, we had problems in getting volunteers. But then I met John and we designed a new concept, and then we established this community hub. We provide a dorm so the volunteers can stay during their volunteering period. In one and a half year, we managed to attract around 150 volunteers from around the world. They were Danish, Mexicans, Germans, English, Australians, Dutch, French, Americans, as well as Indonesians.
BGBJ students and volunteers. (Brilio/Resa Boenard)
Just like any other good deeds, running BGBJ has its own challenges. Resa admitted that not all of Bantar Gebang community find her volunteering activities favorable. Some parents forbid their children to come to BGBJ because they thought Resa and the volunteers taught values that arent compatible with religion beliefs.
We dont necessarily teach children about religion, because we want everyone to come to BGBJ, no matter what their religion or ethnicity is. I told my students, if they want to know more about religion, I can help them but they have to come to my house instead of this school. I spent six years in Islamic boarding school in Padang, so questioning my religion belief, for me, it doesnt make any sense, she said.
Resa teaching her students. (Brilio/Resa Boenard)
Resa has a dream that one day her students will have an opportunity to go to university, get a better life, thus when they have their own children, they will be able to give a better life for them as well.
Things happening in my life are beyond belief. My mother and I had almost nothing. Ive never thought that one day I will work with many people from many countries, become an activist, speaking in events in foreign countries. I am a living proof that people can be anything they want to be if they just believe and want to give extra effort.
For more information about BGBJ, you can visit their official site or if you want to donate for the cause, you can visitKitabisa.com and Gofundme.com.
(brl/red)
