One Never knows where Life will take you and I was very Fortunate to have traveled to Indonesia where I met Marni and Nur. As an Expat we took a tour of the Garbage Dump to see the Hard Life of a "Trash Picker" and it was Heart Breaking to see their Living Conditions and the Homes they lived in inside of a Dirty Garbage Dump. You saw Rats, running all over and the Smell was atrocious! However, when you saw and were introduced to the people there I was Amazed how they all had Smiles on their Faces as they shook your hand to meet you. That is were this Friendship began!
When I walked out of the Dump my mind raced wondering, "How can I help these people?" That is how Revive Hope Goods began. I went weekly to the Garbage Dump to teach women how to make Jewelry out of Recycled items that they were surrounded by. We turned Trash into Treasures with the One of a Kind Jewelry Designs! Eventually, Marni and Nur came each week to our Home to design Jewelery and in that time they became like FAMILY to me!
A "Trash Pickers" life is very Difficult!! Trash Pickers in Indonesia, known as pemulung, are Vital to the recycling industry, but they work in poor conditions and face stigma.
The Role of a Trash Picker is to collect recyclable materials like plastic, metal, cardboard, and paper, and sell them to recycling Companies. Their living conditions are Dangerous, often alongside heavy machinery, and many live in dump sites in Shelters made from waste they collect. They are underpaid with some earning as little as $2-$10 per day for the long hours they work. They also face stigma and are often denied access to residential areas.
Indonesia has a 60% Poverty rate, and many Trash Pickers live in Poverty! One Challenge is the lack of Education. Many children of a Trash Picker do not attend school and often go out along side their father's to collect items to be recycled. This only perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Huge Health risks they have like respiratory problems and exposure to toxic chemicals.
Trash Picker do not have job security or health coverage which makes Life so Difficult!!!
So the REASON for Raising this Money is because Marni and Nur who I talk to weekly just like my regular Friends have informed me that everyone in the Garbage Dump is being Evicted because some Rich Man owns the land and intends to do something more profitable with it. Marni and Nur's Family do not have the Money to just up and relocate. However, Marni has been Saving Money for some land near her home Village that she wants to purchase so I Hope to Raise enough Money for her Family and Nur's Family to purchase the land and have a nice Home not surrounded by TRASH or Rats.
These Women are the Kindness People I have ever known and they have Pride. Many times I have asked if they need money and they would answer me, "No, ibu Sam we still have money from the Jewelry sales you sent us " It amazes me how they could have easily said yes send us Money but like I said they have Pride and much rather WORK to earn their Money than get a Handout.
So Please, if you can Share this Page and let's see if we can make it go Viral and make the Money needed for them to have Housing and to Live in Suitable Conditions. These Women mean EVERYTHING to me and while I was abroad those 3 plus years in Indonesia these two women were there for me in some of my Darkest Days when I had no Family or friends being 12,000 miles away from Home. I have some of my GREATEST Memories with Marni and Nur and I Thank God for that! So if you can please Donate whatever you can and Share...Share...Share this Page. They do DESERVE a better Life so let's see if we can make it Happen for them❤️❤️❤️!!!
Please Like and Follow Revive Hope Goods Facebook Page as I will have Videos and Photos of the Life they Live so you can see how very Fortunate we are!!!
