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Children on Jakarta’s coastline try their hand at photojournalism
Children from low-income families in the coastal area of North Jakarta participate in a photojournalism class given by a photojournalist who resides in the area.
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Children practice interviewing in Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta. The children participated in a class organized by Cilincing resident and photojournalist Syamsuddin Ismail, 35, producing works to be presented in an exhibition. (JP/Andi M Ibnu Aqil)
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akarta’s coastlines don’t always have much to offer for children, especially those from lower-income families. Nestled on the coasts are elite neighborhoods like Pluit as well as port or industrial areas like Tanjung Priok and Koja. Meanwhile, the coastline area of Ancol Beach is privately managed.
However, a space still remains for children to play for free on the coast of Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta.
Located just a few meters from New Priok Container Terminal One in Kalibaru, the place turned alive on Sunday afternoon with some 100 children, gathered there to play and also to learn.
One of them was Muhammad Farel, 12, a fifth-grader of the Dewi Sartika Elementary School. Armed with a pencil and paper, Farel and other children introduced themselves to each other before asking questions like young journos full of curiosity.
The children were participating in Kelas Jurnalis Cilik (Junior Journalism Course), an event organized by Syamsuddin Ilyas, 35, a freelance photographer and local of Cilincing.
Initially, Ilyas noticed that his journalist peers often came to report from Cilincing, but with the intention of portraying Cilincing as a slum with unruly children.
“I wanted to change that. We want to show that we have exotic things for the public to see,” Ilyas told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Ilyas then came up with the idea of teaching the Cilincing children photojournalism, his forte.
However, as the children had already developed in their own way and it might be hard to teach them with conventional methods, or even just keep them together in one place, Ilyas devised a curriculum mixed with games for the children, comprising of 40 percent theory and 60 percent practice.
“They have developed in some way, so we can’t just tell them what to do. [We must lead] by example,” Ilyas said.
For example, Sunday’s session for the second batch of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik – with more than 100 children – was a mix of games and basic interview methods. The youngsters were paired up and instructed to ask each other questions.
The course takes four months with a class every week. The first month is about basic writing, the second month is about basic photography, the third month involves meeting the community and the fourth month is for the children to take pictures to be later showcased in an exhibition.
For the pictures, the children use smartphones, usually given to them by their parents, and those that do not have one take pictures with their friend’s phone, or Ilyas would lend them one.
Beginning with the classes on July 9 last year with just 33 children, Ilyas initially organized everything from the classes to the exhibition alone. Now, with the second batch of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik trainees, volunteers from various communities, such as Komunitas Lubang Jarum, Geonusantara, and students from universities in Greater Jakarta help him organize the classes.
Initially, the class elicited only a lukewarm response from the locals, Ilyas said.
“Some asked why small children were taught to use smartphones, while others were not interested at all. After our first exhibition, they finally realized [what it was all about],” Ilyas said, referring to the first exhibition of the children’s photos in Cilincing on Oct. 26.
Some of the pictures exhibited there were by fourth-grader Ainun Zahra, 11, who presented a picture of men cooking fish to be later cured with salt and another of an old man in Cilincing.
“I went around and found the person, then I took the picture. I asked the men for permission, and they said it was okay. It’s unique, because they cook the fish using wood,” Ainun said.
Ainun, who had joined the first batch of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik trainees, said she was happy to have learned a lot.
“The learning was fun and I could make friends with other children and develop my imagination,” she said.
Meanwhile, fifth-grader Salsabillah, 12 , took a picture of a cat and another of a river filled with trash, with some children playing there.
She said she employed different techniques to take her pictures.
“[For the cat picture], I shoot it from below. Because Kak Ilyas told us that not only humans can be photographed, and I am interested in cats,” Salsabillah said.
She said she was torn between becoming a journalist or a doctor.
“Initially it was just me who wanted to join, but then I told my friends to come along,” she said.
