Water, water everywhere... and not a (clean) drop to drink

Gung Hay Fat Choy! On this first day of Chinese New Year, Jakarta is flooding. With 13 rivers and torrential rainfalls during rainy season, Jakarta has abundant water. But as the staff of our partner Kruha point out, many people in Jakarta suffer from water scarcity, especially the poor. They estimate that 6,000,000 of the city’s population of 9,000,000 do not have access to clean water. “When the water system was first turned over to a private operator in 1998, they promised that after 10 years of privatization everyone would have potable water.” We are driving through the flooded streets to meet a community of 900 people that has been struggling to get the company to keep that promise. The pipes and water meters exist on their streets, and the families have been receiving water bills. But the pipes have yet to deliver water.

Leaving the car, we start wading down a narrow street of simple homes, curious children, families on porches, women washing clothing and dishes. And many, many buckets, pans and vessels collecting the rainfall. Soon we are struggling through knee-high muddy water, trying to find footholds in the broken pavement deep below.

As we reach the community hall, the rain stops. Duirng the next two hours we meet with about 8 women. Over bananas, coffee and cake they tell us of their efforts to get the water company to deliver on its promise, and the expense of buying bottled water. They talk of how even today’s torrential rain is a blessing. “Because then we can collect free water to bathe in, to wash our clothes and do our dishes. Even if we’re sleeping and we hear the rain we’ll get up to collect water in the middle of the night!” They tell us of family arguments about water leading to divorce. How the cost of water can sometimes add up to more than the monthly rent.

One also tells us that her life has been threatened due to her activism on this issue. “But I will continue this struggle. The struggle for water is my whole life. I’ve even known people to die because of water problems.”