Changing people and changing tax ehehe...

Today I went to Al Bahar to see the mothers' progresses on paper recycling business we've taught. There were some progress here and there, but many of them are dissapointing. Can we apply some sophisticated theory on a very simple community? We were wrong in the first place. We trained them how to be an achiever, we trained them on technical stuffs. We hoped that they could be on their own, doing the business with the help of their instructors.

Eko was right, they are the marginalized kind of people with very learned-helplessness attitude. In Eko's term, they're "rakyat jelata" that cannot be changed (you damned right, Eko!). I had this hope and optimism toward them, all went wrong suddenly with a single shot. They were happy with their lives being a garbage pickers, and they tend to continue that profession because they instantly see it as a cheap kind of business compare to paper recycling business. See how their visions are limited to their sights.

I talked to a mother who were so willing to be in the program then. I asked her why she left the program. She just laughed bitterly, and said she's very busy doing her job. I asked her how much she's been paid for 1 kg of plastic garbage. It's Rp200,-!! She said she ran out of money since she just got back from her village in East Java for Maulid Nabi. I asked her how much she paid for the trip. It was only Rp100k/person for God sake, and she went broke after the trip. Oh Lord...suddenly I felt lucky tho' I have to pay another Rp3 millions for last year tax! 

We have to change the method again. Tho' they come from a so-called collective community, they cannot work in groups! That's for sure. So we've to forget teamwork here. All we got left is 4 individuals who are still seeing the business as prospective one. We have to develop them, help them open their networks and opportunities. It seems we need small sample of success people in the community to attract the attention of others.We will create leaders for them to follow.

On the way home, we reflected all the efforts we've been giving, and plan another effort to cultivate the enthusiastic individuals. We can't be wrong this time. 

PS. Still upset by the fact that I have an indebted tax of 3 millions thanks to gross up method. Gosh, that is a lot of money to be blown away uselessly.