I have just started editing images from a trip I did yesterday. My friend Ed joined me for the day as well before he went to Kuala Lumpur. Together with Sidarta, a local photographer, we set out to document the people living on one of the largest landfills in the world. Bantar Gebang, south east of Jakarta. It was first when we arrived to the site that I realized the scale of the place. It is the size of a small city, with more than 4000 people living on it.
The photographer Jim Nachtwey went there about 12 years ago, and I wanted to see if anything had changed. It hadn’t. The stench from the garbage, heated up by the sun, was almost unbearable. We made our way up a small muddy track (which Ed later slipped on) that led us up to the top of one of the many mountains of garbage. What we saw was a bit overwhelming. Children, some as young as 4 years old, are working here. Together with their parents they pick out the different types plastic that can be re-used, for that they get paid 300 Rupiah ($0.03) per kilo, most make about $3 a day. Everyday from dawn to sunset they are up to their ankles in waste, some with only sandals on their feet. It makes you wonder what really is going on with the world. When the gap between the rich and the poor in one city can be so enormous.
I am in the process of editing but I am going to put some more images up on the website soon. Until then, take care and be good to each other!
