“Can I have three packets, sir, with less sambal? My grandchildren can’t stand spicy food,” Tonah told the two vendors who were busy wrapping packets of rice, fried fish, sautéed eggplant and hard boiled eggs inside their food truck.

“Here’s Rp 6,000 [43 US cents],” said the 60-year-old as she handed over the money, indicating that each rice meal cost only Rp 2,000.

Underneath the clear blue sky and burning sun at a small dumpsite only 300 meters away from a high-end mall in Kemang, South Jakarta, dozens of customers were lining up to buy lunch from Warung Ikhlas (Sincere Shop).

The food stall is part of a charity project aimed at providing affordable healthy food for low-income residents of Greater Jakarta, most of whom make a living as scavengers.

Murtinah said she and Tonah had been loyal Warung Ikhlas customers for almost a year.

The 65-year-old added that she was glad she was still required to pay for her meals.

“We’re not that poor and we will certainly never beg for free food. We only need to better manage our daily expenses, for example, by cutting our lunch budget,” she explained.

Warung Ikhlas has no fixed prices and customers pay what they can for their rice meals.

The food stall was initiated in 2012 by members of a Quran study group in Cireundeu, South Tangerang, Banten province.

Among them were entrepreneurs Sonnie Wicaksono and Habsari Budi Utami, who are now operators as well as chief financiers of the warung (shop).

Warung Ikhlas, which is currently managed by Habsari’s siblings, Niken Dewi Sinta and Bambang “Wawa” Jawa Satryana, is backed by hundreds of donors.

Wawa told The Jakarta Post that people like Murtinah were the reason the food stall never gave meals away for free.

“[Warung Ikhlas] is a concept of charity that attempts to humanize the underprivileged. Despite the hardships and struggles they face every day, they are ordinary human beings with dignity,” Wawa said.

The money Warung Ikhlas collects from customers is used to cover its operational expenses, such as salaries for the truck’s attendants and maintenance costs for its equipment.

The two attendants, Ahmad and Dedi, have been with Warung Ikhlas since its establishment. They cook and serve 150 to 200 rice packets a weeks.

Driver Abdul “Yoyok” Rohman helps them deliver the food to densely populated, low-income areas across Greater Jakarta.

“Every day, Dedi and I arrive at [Wawan’s house in Cirendeu] at 7 a.m. to cook the meals. The ingredients are delivered by suppliers from a nearby market,” Ahmad explained.

“I myself don’t come from a wealthy family, but I’m content knowing that what I do every day puts a smile on people’s faces,” Dedi added.

Warung Pojok Halal (Halal Corner Store) in Sunter, North Jakarta, has adopted a similar approach to charity.

Initiated by 60-year-old Jusuf Hakim, a Muslim of Chinese descent, Warung Pojok Halal began operating in early February and sells rice meals for Rp 3,000 per packet. The food stall occupies a semi-permanent tent in front of an office building by the Wiyoto Wiyono toll road.

Jusuf Hakim, who is a senior advisor for one of the companies in the building, receives help from fellow office workers who volunteer to serve the meals during their lunch break.

“Our main target is scavengers who frequently walk past the office building,” Jusuf explained.

“It’s only been three weeks [since the food stall’s opening] and we already serve 35 to 40 customers a day.”

“We’ve attracted more attention from potential donors than from the people we aim to serve,” he chuckled, adding that he was optimistic the warung would sell more than 100 packets a day. (vla)

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