Poverty blamed for Banyumas ills

Agus Maryono ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Purwokerto   |  Wed, 03/12/2008 11:48 AM  |  The Archipelago

In a crumbling house with a dirt floor and bare walls lives just one of the thousands of poverty-stricken families in Banyumas.

Yet despite their deprivation, Soblem, 50, her husband Darkun, 60, and their family seem to accept their fate.

"We remain grateful to God," Soblem said during a recent visit by The Jakarta Post to their home in Somakaton village, Banyumas, Central Java.

"Even though our house is like this, God has granted us health. The most important thing is a healthy body."

Soblem and her family are far from unusual. According to data from the local administration, 500,000 of Banyumas regency's 1.6 million people are categorized as poor.

The high poverty rate is blamed for the high number of suicides and divorces in the area.

No one ever imagined Sukiman, 51, would commit suicide. He held a job as a teacher, was polite and had never shown signs of mental distress.

Yet the Sawangan elementary school teacher was found dead beside the school building in Ajibarang, Banyumas, with a pesticide bottle.

"We couldn't believe it. Pak Sukiman generally seemed fine, although he had become quiet lately. We didn't realize what problems he was facing," said Satam, 45, the school watchman who knew the victim well.

"He (Sukiman) once told me he had a lot of debts but could not repay them, because he could only set aside Rp 100,000 (US$11) from his monthly salary."

Economic hardship was apparently a contributing factor to the suicide. Sukiman's wife Murtini, 47, acknowledged she and her husband had to borrow money many times to support their family, particularly to pay their children's education costs.

"But I still cannot believe he had the heart to leave me and our family. Why couldn't he be more patient?" Murtini said. "But we accept this reality also. I never demand much."

According to local police data, a total of 62 people in Banyumas committed suicide in 2007 and 2008 because they were in financial difficulties.

"Three people have committed suicide in this year alone, all on the grounds of economic hardship," Banyumas Police chief Sr. Comr. Emron Putra Agung said recently.

And it is not just suicide. Desperate, financially troubled people may even resort to murder, as in the case of housewife Karsini, 43, a resident of Donan village in Cilacap. Karsini allegedly killed her husband Sariman, 50, because she could no longer afford to pay for medication for his chronic illness. Karsini reportedly hit Sariman with an oar during a quarrel over medicine bills.

Poverty is also being held accountable for the high rate of divorce in the area. Thousands of people, especially housewives, are choosing to divorce because they can no longer tolerate living in their villages, often going overseas to become migrant workers.

In 2007, the husband's inability to provide sufficient income was given as a reason for divorce in 1,460 of the 1,839 cases.

"We are very concerned about it. Nearly all the divorce cases have cited similar reasons, and the wives asked for divorce," Munasib Zainuri, head of the Banjarnegara religious court.

According to data from the local administration, poverty in Banyumas has been increasing during the past three years, with an increase of 6 percent from 2006 to 2007. The number of jobless people increases by around 20,000 each year.

"We have made various efforts to alleviate poverty in Banyumas, such as providing free healthcare and housing assistance, but have not had much success yet," Banyumas Regent Aris Setiono told The Jakarta Post recently.

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