Slum Dwellers Mend Fabric: Jakarta, West Java

By Barrie | May 21st, 2007 | No Comments

When it comes to getting by, the city’s poor can be resourceful. While hundreds of people in Kalibaru, North Jakarta, struggle to get out of the trap of poverty, one groups of locals has found a way of earning money by mending worn-out batik cloth.

Receiving orders from batik traders in Tanah Abang, several families living in bamboo houses built on the Cilincing swamp offer their expertise to mend dull, aged batik cloth. Using liquefied wax and a syringe, their hands skillfully recover Batik motifs, returning their original shine and charm.

This slice of life from the tenacious people of Cilincing shows just one way people can use their creativity to overcome the cycle of urban poverty.

–Text and photo by J. Adiguna