Indonesians in Focus: Dindin Komarudin

By Barrie | October 31st, 2007 | No Comments

The problems that street children face are rooted in poverty and social exclusion, and are not amenable to quick-fix solutions. People might assume that street children are not suited to working in the business sector, yet one man holds the belief that going into business will bring street children long-term benefits.

For the past five years, social worker Dindin Komarudin has been a four-in-one-figure: a parent, brother, buddy and business partner for street children.

Dindin, 34, said that when he was first offered the job of managing a workshop for street children in North Jakarta, he wondered what kind of project they would get the most out of.

He thought the children might get a kick out of screen printing T-shirts. But they showed little interest. Not long after, one of the children brought in a how-to-book on recycling paper. And from that moment on, the children were “his”.

Recycled paper was still considered new, back in 2002, Dindin said. At first, the idea of street children recycling paper did not get much support. Most people thought the children would be better off doing English-language courses or cooking, sewing or computer training that would lead them to employment. However, Dindin never gave up.

It was not long before their products were in high demand. “We kept promoting our products through exhibitions,” Dindin said.

The recycled paper products are currently sold by a large art paper company, PT Suhuf Art Paper, in the country. The workshop also takes orders from Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands.

The children use a range of materials to make their paper, including onion skins, straw, lamb’s wool, water hyacinth and human hair.

They also make handicrafts, ranging from shopping bags to photo frames to massage tools. “At the start, they could make paper whenever they wanted. Then, I set them working hours of between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Now, they work Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. And they’re OK with that.”

Some of them make the paper products, while others sell the products door-to-door to printing companies or bookstores. “They are free to choose which job they want to do.”

“Can you believe that? They used to be people who couldn’t stand routine, like washing their dirty clothes,” said Dindin, who graduated from the Social Welfare Institute in Bandung, West Java, in 1997.

“When they wanted a change of clothes, they’d just throw their shirt on the roof of a house and go out and buy a new one. Are they rich or what?” Dindin said.

“Of course, I did not know about it back then. Just recently they confessed,” he said laughing.

“I needed about three years to change their mentality. It’s a hard process that requires patience. On the street, they could get some Rp 20,000 in a couple of minutes. But it was always easy come, easy go.”

Dindin acknowledged that some of the 13 children who worked at the gallery were not 100 percent reliable.

They are paid according to their level of experience, from Rp 15,000-17,500 a day for newcomers and Rp 30,000 a day for old hands.

“I remind them to put something away, to buy themselves a better future. I also suggest they share some of their earnings with loved ones who are financially in need. “Bit by bit, I am trying to get them to realize they need to be more systematic.”

Dindin said street children had much to contribute. “They are hard workers. You only need look at the way they go out into the street every day, rain or shine.

“Their commitment is what keeps me going. I keep focused on one thing alone: How to build this paper recycling business.” However, he acknowledged that it took a lot of time to build street children’s skills and self-esteem.

“What they need most is a role model, not money. I try to be a good parent for them.

“But I know there will come a time when I have to let go — when they will no longer be dependent on me. That’s another hard task, I admit.”

Dindin said the workshop was now fully self-funded. “After being supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency from 2004-2006, the workshop is now on its own.” Since 2004, the workshop has been taking orders from Japan every three months, for up to 6,000 sheets of A4 recycled paper.

However, Dindin said the market for recycled paper here was also very promising. “There is a big gap between our prices and the prices our paper fetches in malls.”

They children sell an A4 sheet of paper to the distributor for Rp 600. In shopping centers, the paper is sold for more than Rp 2,500.

Dindin hopes the government will offer more concrete support in the future than just extending exhibition invitations. “We need support so we can develop the business.”

The K’Qta workshop is located in an eight-by-16-meter rented house in a narrow street of Kampung Bendungan Melayu in Rawa Badak Selatan, North Jakarta.

They rent the house for Rp 8 million a year, with the money coming from product sales.

When asked why he kept going, despite receiving no fixed income from the gallery, Dindin, who has a 2-year-old son, said: “I’ve been blessed by these kids. I have the wonderful feeling that they are my own children.”

Agnes Winarti