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Ngojak explores hidden history, cultures of Jakarta
It is widely assumed that young people love modern technology and are losing touch with history, but a Jakarta-based community called Ngojak is trying to prove otherwise
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span>It is widely assumed that young people love modern technology and are losing touch with history, but a Jakarta-based community called Ngojak is trying to prove otherwise.
Since starting out in 2013 as an open platform for people to share their writing about Jakarta life, Ngojak — short for ngopi di Jakarta (drinking coffee in Jakarta) — has grown into a collaborative community aimed at learning about the capital’s history, culture and other urban stories.
Members gather regularly at certain locations, which is usually followed by a walk to a nearby historical site. They would take pictures, talk to local residents, write about their findings and upload their story onto a blog or social media platform.
Some of the lucky few will have their writing posted on Ngojak’s official website Ngopijakarta.com.
Ngojak cofounder Novita Anggraini said that despite bearing the word ngopi, there was usually no coffee involved in their gatherings.
“The name came from the realization that people usually talk about everything over cups of coffee. Here, we talk about the city’s history, culture and even urban planning from many perspectives because our members come from various backgrounds,” she told The Jakarta Post recently.
In August 2016, Novita and two of her friends, Ali Zainal and Indra Pratama, were inspired by a similar community in Bandung, West Java, named Komunitas Aleut. They decided to adapt the concept, started planning tours and then conducted research on the potential stories they could learn from their experience.
“We chose the Ciliwung River as our major topic and we began by visiting Kampung Karadenan in Bogor [West Java],” she recalled.
Ngojak has already explored a number of kampungs and areas in Greater Jakarta that have a rich history, from when it was called Batavia until its transformation into a metropolitan city.
“Now we have more than 300 members. Some 50 of them are regular. They join our gatherings quite often and post our activities on their social media accounts,” Novita said.
Holding a gathering once in a month was not an easy task, she said.
Before a gathering can take place, she and her fellow organizers must first research the area or site thoroughly and contact locals or experts that can help them explain its history to participants. The group must also obtain a permit from the operator or owners of the site that they want to visit.
As of today, Ngojak already has 20 research papers that are available on its website and free to download.
Ngojak has also published two books: Ngopi (di) Jakarta Vol. 1: Jalanan, Manusia, Ruang dan Waktu (Drinking Coffee in Jakarta Vol. 1: Street, People, Space and Time) and Ngopi (di) Jakarta Vol. 2: Awal Mula Jakarta, Manusia dan Sungai (Drinking coffee in Jakarta Vol. 2: Jakarta, People and Rivers) that detail the history of communities and rivers in the capital city.
Frequent participant Welly Sundawa has been a part of Ngojak since 2017. He said that joining the group’s activities had given him the opportunity to see new places and learn new things.
“Ngojak is an excellent platform, especially for youths, to show that Jakarta has so many more historical sites than just the Fatahilah Museum [in Kota Tua, West Jakarta]. The city hides thousands of stories that can be found in a corner of a street or in a deep alley,” Welly said, adding that he had also been able to capture beautiful pictures of the city for his Instagram account by joining Ngojak tours.
The group also collaborated with the city administration to commemorate Jakarta’s 492nd anniversary in a program promoting attractions in East Jakarta, such as the Meester Cornelis Senen building, Jakarta Gemstone, Koinonia Church, Prince Ahmad Jaketra’s tomb, the Velodrome and Jakarta International Equestrian Park.
“The city’s long journey is shown through a number of legacies and remains that we can still see today,” Ngojak organizers said in one of the group’s Instagram posts.
The group actively shares its activities on social media platforms such as Instagram @ngopijakarta, which has 1,935 followers, and a Facebook page that has garnered more than 1,000 likes.
