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Ex-Kampung Bayam residents join hands to survive difficult times
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Transitory life: A person sweeps on June 5, 2024 in front of the temporary houses sheltering former residents of Kampung Bayam on Jl. Tongkol 10, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. Around 35 families returned to the shelters after they were evicted in May from an apartment complex next to Jakarta International Stadium.
(JP/Nur Janti)
W
ith individualistic culture increasingly prevalent in cities globally, including in Jakarta, evicted former residents of Kampung Bayam in North Jakarta have chosen to stick to the nation’s spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation) amid the difficulties of living in temporary shelters.
Kampungs, low-income communities in urban areas that value togetherness, are on the verge of extinction in Jakarta due to rampant evictions to make way for luxury shopping centers and high-rise apartment buildings, among other developments.
Kampung Bayam was demolished in 2020 as the city administration commenced the construction of the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS), dubbed as one of the biggest sports venues in Southeast Asia. The residents were promised an apartment complex next to the facility, but they were barred from moving in after completion due to “legal issues”.
Now, the authorities have pledged to develop brand new apartments for hundreds of displaced citizens, though the construction timeline remains uncertain. For the time being, the residents live in makeshift settlements made of bamboo and plywood without sufficient access to basic amenities, let alone stable jobs and income.
Read also: Jakarta administration to build new apartments for former Kampung Bayam residents
