For my midterm project, I decided to ask a few minor workers, but not just any you see on the street. I chose to ask the ones we see often, for instance a friend’s maid, a masseuse, drivers or even construction labourers. These types of people are the ones we see usually every day, some in our neighbourhood, some even in our homes. Most of my friends chose giving people quotes to make them happy or going to nursing homes, but I didn't because I feel on a regular basis we are always so mean and thoughtless to the people working for us, your own maid for instance.

By asking these people I know a few questions, I realised I didn't really know them at all. All I knew was that they worked for the people around me, I would talk often with them, but little did I know any struggles they had, or how they became like this.

These were the range of questions:

1. What is your name?
2. Who do you live with?
3. Where do you live?
4. What was your last stage of education?
5. How did you start working?
6. What time do you start daily?
7. What time do you reach home?
8. Could you tell me your daily routines?
9. What are your preparations before starting work?
10. How much do you earn monthly? (Daily)
11. What are the challenges of your work?
12. How do you cope with these obstacles?
13. How are your family?
14. Do you enjoy your job? Why?

• Are you a fairly patient person?
• Do you believe Allah will reward your patience?
• Living far away from family, do you often pray and read Qur’an?
• If you didn’t work this job? Do you think you would work at all?
• Not finishing off your school, do you ever regret it, and what would you like to learn now?

Note: I didn’t put up the whole conversation, as some things were better off untold and not all questions were given to interviewees as some were uncomforting to them. These were the results of five applicants.

Murhasiyah is an eighteen year old woman who works as a maid in Bogor. She has been working since the age of fourteen under her own will, in order to help her family. Her last level of education was elementary school. Every day she works from 5AM and finishes off at 11PM. Throughout the day she cooks, cleans and irons.

Before she works, she sets up daily needs such as cutlery and gets herself clean and ready before cooking morning meals of the day. When working, one obstacle she faces is not being able to cook, which she would gladly love to learn. Mur says she enjoys her work because she does not feel under pressure from her boss, whom I quote, she says “My boss is very nice to me and rarely yells at me”.

She is paid a monthly 750 thousand rupiah, although this may be enough to feed her, but not to send back to her family. Mur says her family is healthy; thankfully, she comes from a family of five, being the eldest of three kids.

When asked, “Do you think you are a fairly patient person?” she said yes she is, and that one day she believes Allah will repay her on earth and in the afterlife. She also prays and does not forget to read the Qur’an several times a week. If Mur was not working, she thinks she would be back in school, having a keen interest in English.

Next I interviewed Nurhayah, who has a relation with Mur, being first cousins. She also ended her education at primary school just like Mur, being sixteen; she is two years younger than Mur. She works together with Mur, so most of the things they do are similar, except Nur usually plays with the children in the house to watch over them. At the age of fourteen she decided to leave school and work under her own will, but left the workplace after three days as she was given the task to nurse a young child.

Nurhayah left her workplace because she missed her youngest sibling; she comes from a family of eight. Nur has two elder siblings, but the eldest child passed away at the age of ten and her elder brother and father currently work. She is now happy in her current workplace as there are no todlers she must nurse.

She thinks of herself as a patient person and that in the afterlife Allah will repay all patient people. Even far away from family, Nurhayah prays and reads Qur’an often along with her co-worker Mur, often on a Friday night. Although she recites the Qur’an, she does admit she wants to learn how to properly read Arabic.

Nur stated that if she didn’t work as a minor worker, she would probably nurse her younger sibling; she does not regret working because it makes her family’s case at home much easier. The three people that work in her family are her father, as a farmer, her big brother and herself.

The third person I interviewed is a masseuse, her name is Eel Harlina, being the mother of 4, and she lives together with her family in Cilendek area Bogor. Her last level of education was high school, and worked in a light bulb factory in Cijahe. Later on she found out her true hobby which was giving people massages and helping them to relax, and it continued to be so until now, it has been fourteen years.

Before she begins her work, she cleans and cooks for her family but also take care of her youngest child until there is a babysitter. In a day she can massage about 2-5 people, her daily income is usually 100-150 thousand rupiah (One massage could cost from 30 to 50 thousand rupiah.) The reason she works this job is because she likes helping people. If Eel was not working this job, she feels she would be a regular housewife.

Eel says she does not face any particular obstacles during her work time; also, her family is doing well. She is a fairly patient person and believes that one day her prayers and patience will be rewarded Insha’Allah in this life and the afterlife. Each week she tries to recite the Qur’an, usually on a Friday or together in the mosque with her friends.

That night I went in front of my neighbourhood to look for one of my usual motorcycle driver or as Indonesians call them “ojeg”, his full name is Jalal Abrizal. His last level of education was middle school and he quit to start working because family conditions were narrow.

Each day Jalal starts working at six in the morning, before work he prepares the motorcycle’s engine, making sure it’s running alright, some days he also washes it. Each day he drives and picks up kids from school, usually at 5PM he ends his work and stays in a room with his other two roommates. Abrizal is paid 1,300 thousand rupiah a month. He claims he faces no obstacles at work and fortunately his family is healthy, being a family of six.

He likes his job and feels it is an easy job to do, which is what makes him enjoy it. Jalal Abrizal is thankful to have this job because as he says, if he didn’t work there, he would probably be a handyman somewhere amongst his village.

The last participant is Diky Febriansyah a gardener who ended his education at middle school to come work willingly because he felt it was the right time. Just like Jalal, he works from 6AM to 5PM; however, he does not have any preparations before work.

His daily tasks consist of cleaning the pool, cutting the grass or gardening and washing cars. Diky is paid  one million rupiah a month and claims he faces no obstacles because he works alone and does not meet many people throughout the day, as when he works, everybody else is working as well. He really likes his job because at night when he’s not working he has many friends, so he has an advantage of working in the Cilendek area in Bogor.

Throughout my experience of asking these people, I realised they all had a story that I didn’t expect to hear. I found out that most of their family is doing well. Whereas I always thought people who lived in villages were always suffering, it turned out they were just like city people. Also, almost all participants worked under their own will, so what movies show about the village life was very stereotypical and I believe most Indonesian teenagers from a lavish life think that the lower class are always forced on upon something. Where as they aren’t always necessarily forced to work.

I think the reason we always underestimate the minor workers is because of how the media perceives them, they aren’t always bad people, murderers, kidnappers, or stealers. For Allah’s sake they could be good too, they pray and read Quran too, just as much as we do. So my note to all kids living the high life, look down and DO NOT feel sorry for them, but respect them. Just because we feel bad when a beggar is out on the street, does not mean we respect them being there. And so during this process I had time to reflect and I would like to give a message, when you have the time, get to know people, when you’re willing to become a better person, engage with them and go along act as if you are friends. For Allah had told us never to differentiate between the rich and the poor, the fair and the dark complexion.

Sahih International

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.

Q.S. Al-Hujurat 49:13