The area under the Kalibata overpass in Rawajati, Pancoran, South Jakarta, is home to nothing but street vendors, bird cages and blistering heat.

However, a completely different ambiance can be found a few hundred meters away in an alley beside a mineral water company building.

The end of the alley leads to Community Unit (RW) 03, where the houses and the sides of the wider street are adorned with numerous plant pots. Head west and you will find a lush park surrounded by a mosque, the RW office, a waste bank and an organic waste compost center.

'€œThere is a smaller park near my house, but I prefer to play here because it has many trees and shade,'€ Andika Prameswara, 8, told The Jakarta Post recently.

The little boy did not have any idea of the condition of the RW over a decade ago, but the caretaker of the compost center, Soepardi, 75, could spend hours talking about it.

The retired army member said around 3,000 residents living in the 12.5 hectare area used to burn their garbage in six spots, causing air pollution in the area, which was dry and dusty.

He said efforts to make a change started in 2001 when the newly elected head of RW 03, the late Sambudi, conveyed his dream for a healthy environment during a meeting with 10 Neighborhood Unit (RT) heads, including him.

'€œI remember him saying, '€˜I want our surroundings to be like this'€™, while showing a picture of Jl. Gen. Sudirman [in Central Jakarta]. We were all shocked. To me, it was like a dwarf reaching for a star,'€ Soepardi told the Post.

Sambudi had serious intentions. The man who held a managerial position in a foreign shoe company took dozens of representatives from each RT on a weekly tour in three locations '€” Banjarsari green neighborhood in Cipete, South Jakarta; Kampung Daun culture gallery and café; and a cow farm in Bandung, West Java.

Soepardi said that after evaluating the inspiring trips, they planned to gather support from residents to creative a healthy environment.

A group was formed to disseminate the program, including some officials from the sanitation, health and agriculture and maritime agencies.

'€œOn the first day, only five people showed up, while we had nine speakers talking about the program,'€ he said, laughing.

It took eight months to get full support from the residents.

Soepardi said the program commenced in 2002 with a distribution of two empty plastic bags to each family who was obliged to have five plants. The target was doubled every three months. However, the target to reach 30 plants drew a public outcry.

'€œThe residents said they could not afford more fertilizer and soil,'€ he said.

Then Soepardi transferred his knowledge in composting household organic waste. Previously, the man who voluntarily became a gardener in the area had the chance of joining an organic farming training program at the Agriculture and Maritime Agency.

'€œWe asked the wives to collect their residual vegetables. Back then, we did not even call it garbage because residents still perceived it as '€˜smelly stuff'€™,'€ he said.

The compost was initially distributed for free, but in 2007, the residents agreed to buy it at Rp 1,000 per kilogram and used the money for recreation.

Soepardi said this month, the composting center would be expanded to Rawajati subdistrict. It is expected to manage two tons of organic waste a day.

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