Radiostation for children of waste pickers The largest rubbishdump in Indonesia, Bantar Gebang, is located half an hour from Jakarta. Thousands of people live and work in and around this refuse heap. Most of them, children included, spend their entire day sorting through the garbage in search for useful material to sell. This way, they earn a few dollars a day. Geert van Asbeck, who also initiated our photographic project called Homeless World, started a local radiostation with a range of 10 kilometres, with the help of a group of these children. It broadcasts programmes made by and for children, serving education and entertainment.

Having their own radio station stimulates the children's general development, their abilities of expression and their independence. At the same time as being a source of fun and entertainment for children who have little or nothing. No matter how poorly these people live, in shags constructed of scrap wood and -metal, most of them tend to own a small radio, to which they listen while working.

The children have been trained locally but also by larger radio stations in Jakarta. Bantar Gebang's radio station was opened 3 May 2003. The children have a major input in deciding the contents of the radio programms. Music, small interviews, quiz games, music competions, useful information from and about school, preventitive healthcare, garbage collecting, English education, storytelling etc.

However this is a project that entails some risk. Because the production will need continuing supervision (therefore money) and the advertisers have no interest in this particular targetgroup. Smaller NGO's are interested in the radio station's longterm success, but there is no guarantee or certainty that this is possible.

Despite these and other risks Moments of Joy and the people who initiated this project, deem it worthwile to support this undertaking. We believe that these children, children who were born to spend their days combing through other people's stinking garbage, in search for something useful, deserve such an initiative and its inherent risks. Mind you, the risks are minimal, because it contains a relatively small amount of money. For 2800 Euros one can start up a radio station that benefits thousands of garbage combers from the largest garbagebelt in tropical Indonesia.

Of that amount € 1400 has already been made available by Mrs H.A. Jonkman. She donated the compensation she received from "het Gebaar" (a finacial gesture from the Dutch government, given to Dutch 2nd World War victims who returned from Indonesia) to this Indonesian project.

Annex: Bantar Gebang, background information The dumpsite exists since 1989 and is over 100 hectare wide. The site created a new community of migrants coming from the provinces of west Java, Central Java and Madura. These migrants work as scavengers. The site provides an open employment opportunity. The location is considered as an ‘open gold mine’ because work and income can easily be derived. However, working and living conditions are extremely harsh and the environment is very unhealthy, especially for children. The work is usually done collectively by the household members (father, mother, children): picking marketable garbage, sorting, cutting cans, washing plastic, packing, etc. Income ranges from 7.000 to 15.000 per day per family. Bantar Gebang has 4600 inhabitants, 1550 households and 4 villages (figures from summer 2001). More realized projects