How Rust Collectors In Indonesia Risk Their Lives To Survive | Risky Business

Scavenging for rusted scrap metal is one of the only ways widows in Jakarta can make money the women search for Iron and Steel from used ships in one of the most polluted Waters in the world that tree is 6 3 years old but she has been the main Breadwinner for her three kids since her husband died foreign is a multi-billion dollar Global industry and massive yards across the world break down everything from cruise liners cargo vessels and oil tankers to Naval warships but these women make only about two dollars a day selling small pieces so why are so many widows stuck Scavenging like this and what makes it such a risky business [Music] every morning that tree leaves her 10 month old granddaughter behind and goes to work she has always had a job even before she got married at 19. but things have been tough since her husband passed away 13 years ago widows often struggle to find jobs in Indonesia because many believe they can bring bad luck but the owner of this shipbreaking company lets peruse scavenge for free foreign the women are only allowed to collect small pieces like these the larger chunks belong to the ship owners to sell or reuse most of the valuable pieces are underwater near the ships oh my God thatri uses a magnetic stick to find the metal foreign Rivers empty into Jakarta Bay carrying with them sewage toxins and all kinds of trash the three's thick gloves and socks don't always protect her once she stepped on a nail that went right through her foot Brothers welders are constantly sawing off hot pieces of metal so she has to be careful that tree says even though the job is dangerous she's still proud of making her own money around noon the women escaped the heat with a quick lunch break there are about 10 million widows like them across Indonesia and most live in extreme poverty some turn to sex work to survive others are forced to send their children to work to make ends meet Amina wanted to avoid them so she took this job at the scrapyard 37 years ago today at 61 years old she has many health issues including severe arthritis and she's afraid she will run out of breath and drown because she has heart problems foreign on a really good day she collects as much as 200 kilograms and sells it for almost three dollars foreign [Music] with that she can buy about four cups of rice for dinner [Music] her salary isn't enough to pay for her treatments but she's too sick to find another job [Music] nowadays her children work but Amina still helps with all the bills and she'd rather scavenge than go into debt um the widows sell The Rusted scraps to narwin a middleman foreign it takes 20 workers at least a week to cut down an entire ship depending on its size [Music] most ships have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years after which they are retired but they have hazardous materials inside things like Asbestos and pipes heavy metals and paints biological hazards from sewage tanks radioactive material from gauges and the list goes on left unchecked they can seep into the soil Beach and water near ship breaking yards and Destroy local Marine habitats but there are also many usable parts of a ship including metal bars and plates those are recycled and sometimes used to make new ships or heavy machinery experts say this is a Greener alternative to producing new steel which uses a lot of energy and it also saves the planet from more metal mining so while workers like datri and Amina play a crucial role in building a more sustainable industry the profits and the praise are not trickling down to them [Music] both widows live in this colony poorest areas in Jakarta most of their neighbors also break down ships at the scrapyard or fish along the coast [Music] datri raised her three sons here mostly on her own [Music] her husband died when the youngest was just 11. and she never considered marrying again now her kids are all grown up but she shares her home with one of her sons and helps support his wife and their baby [Music] foreign [Music] foreign foreign says her faith in God has helped her through the tough times [Music] [Music]

Channel: Insider News

Views: 1,982,246

Keywords: Insider, News

Id: Vnn3kED7vMc

Length: 11min 37sec (697 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 12 2023