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community in Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi will soon have a home-scale company that cleans used plastic wrappers, in an effort to empower women and teenagers.

Dyah Anikasari, grants manager of Plan International Indonesia, a children's NGO, said the project was funded by Crocs Inc, a European shoes company.

"Children in this area often help their parents to scavenge the landfill for resellable items, which exposes them to danger, including broken glass," she said Sunday.

"The plastic-cleaning home industry will be a place where they can work with their mothers, away from the landfill,"

She said the company would buy used plastic wrappers from scavengers in the area and clean them before selling them to companies or other potential buyers.

"Right now, we are still doing a feasibility study on the business. Once it's completed, we will be ready to start the building construction and buy a mini truck."

The idea of establishing a plastic-cleansing station came from 23-year-old Resa Aprianengsih, who initiated a shelter called Satu Untuk Semua - One for All - a humble room dedicated to developing children's creativity in Bantar Gebang.

The young activist who was raised in the landfill area will be appointed as a manager of the plastic-cleaning house.

Resa said the plastic-cleansing project was a dream she wanted to realize because she believed it could be a sustainable funding source for the children's shelter.

"Currently, the shelter is not funded by any group. After the plastic cleansing project is set up, the shelter can get some funding and we don't need to depend on *funding from* proposals anymore."

The Gunadharma University graduate said the new business would also help the shelter continue when she had to leave to pursue further education.

Akbar, 12, said he and dozens of other children came to the shelter every Sunday for activities like singing, reading, dancing, learning English and painting.

"It's fun. I like painting and singing very much. I have been coming here for years."

He was among 50 children who entertained a group of officials from Crocs visiting the landfill on Sunday, by singing and dancing.

"We are here to support the project and make sure Resa can realize her dream," said Robin Akeroyd, the company's managing director.

He said the company had donated 10,000 euros to the project.

Children in the 108-hectare Bantar Gebang area live around mountains of garbage due to being too poor to continue school.