Taking Care of each Other through “Waste Movement”

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Amsiah Gunawan (49) shows a jerry can containing used waste collected from residents at the Rongosk and Jelantah Alms House in Karangklesem Village, South Purwokerto, Banyumas, Central Java, Thursday (9/9/2021).

Jogo Tonggo (taking care of neighbors) is a movement that is shaping community resilience in Central Java during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Purwokerto, Central Java, this spirit of solidarity is manifested through the establishment of a scrap and used cooking oil-based charity house.

Gibran Eka Putra (16) never guessed that used cooking oil, which would usually end up in a waste container, could be of significance in his pursued dream of becoming an engineer.

He was able to purchase school books two weeks ago after he received Rp 200,000 as financial support from the charity house initiated by community members in his RW 005 neighborhood, Karangklesem sub-district, South Purwokerto district.

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The 11th-grade student majoring in electrical installation engineering at a private vocational school in Purwokerto has lived with his grandparents since his mother died. His father works in Karawang, West Java.

"Simbah kakung [grandfather] is a pedicab driver. Simbah putri [grandmother] just stays at home. My father will send us Rp 100,000 once a week on Saturdays," Gibran said on Thursday (9/9/2021).

He said he was grateful to fellow residents for the educational support through what they call Rumah Sedekah Rongsok dan Jelantah [scrap and used cooking oil-based alms house].

The alms house raises funds by pooling and selling the waste cooking oil. Gibran is among the alms house’s 44 beneficiaries.

Amsiah Gunawan (49), a volunteer at the alms house and also a member of the neighborhood administration, said that among the alms house’s beneficiaries was a family living next to her.

“She is elderly and unmarried. She does not work and lives with her younger sister who takes up odd jobs. Every month, the family gets assistance worth Rp 200,000,” she said.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Amsiah Gunawan (49) shows a jerry can containing used waste collected from residents at the Rongosk and Jelantah Alms House in Karangklesem Village, South Purwokerto, Banyumas, Central Java, Thursday (9/9/2021).

An equal sum of assistance has also been channeled to families with Covid-19 positive members. The alms house has so far helped 35 pandemic-impacted families.

Residents who have been laid off as a result of the pandemic, or those affected by traffic accidents are also assisted. They receive basic goods worth Rp 100,000 worth and Rp 50,000 in cash.

The waste cooking oil is collected from the households and pooled at the alms house on Jl. Wadaskelir in the neighborhood. That is why the charitable activity is also called the “Wadaskelir Share” movement.

The pooled waste oil is sold to authorized third parties who later transport it to Surabaya, according to neighborhood head Sidik Fatoni. Waste cooking oil is utilized as feedstock for biodiesel production.

Pandemic trigger

The “Wadaskelir Share” movement was initiated in May 2020 by the neighborhood administration along with its seven community subordinates as an emergency response to the pandemic outbreak.

The pandemic has inflicted havoc on all sectors nationwide, including the neighborhood’s residents. "We wanted to help residents without causing a burden to fellow residents," Sidik said.

It is feared that reckless dumping of waste causes damage to the soil and pollutes rivers.

He added that they were simply making use of the abandoned household scrap and waste cooking oil, which would usually be dumped anyway. It is feared that reckless dumping of waste causes damage to the soil and pollutes rivers.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Head of RW 05 Sidik Fatoni shows jerrycans to collect used waste collected from residents at Rongosk and Jelantah Alms Houses in Karangklesem Village, South Purwokerto, Banyumas, Central Java, Thursday (9/9/2021).

Capitalizing on the cooking oil waste for biodiesel, the movement is expected to be able to help stem environmental problems, ease the economic burden, as well as reduce the risk of health problems, such as high cholesterol and cancer, potentially resulting from the over-use of cooking oil.

The neighborhood is home to approximately 430 families, around 70 percent of which are active in giving away household scrap and used cooking oil.

The scrap, such as damaged buckets and plastic bottles, can sell for Rp 1 million in two months on average, while eight 18-liter jerry cans of used cooking oil can be procured within a month and a half. One jerry can sells for Rp 100,000.

The movement can raise between Rp 2 million and Rp 8 million per month as reported on its Instagram @wadaskelir05. Donations of household scrap and used cooking oil also come from outside the neighborhood.

“There are seven RT [community units] here. Each RT can channel assistance to two or three families per month,” Sidik said.

Karangklesem sub-district head Praptono appreciated the neighborhood’s initiative and hopes that other neighborhood units will create similar movements as part of the manifestation of the Jogo Tonggo community program administered by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

ISTIMEWA/KAGAMA

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

Aris Afandi, who heads the waste-management division at the Banyumas regency environmental office, applauded the movement, saying that the residents displayed civic character by being willing to collect the waste from the households, although waste should actually be the responsibility of those who produce it.

With 1,000 tons of waste being potentially produced by 1.7 million residents of Banyumas, the movement in Purwokerto could be a solution to the upstream waste-management problem .

Through charitable deeds, the waste can be a blessing socially, economically and environmentally.

(This article was translated by Musthofid).