Mbah Noto and 1 Ton of Recycled Waste

Winoto, or fondly called Mbah Noto, has just finished picking up sorted waste from customers whose houses are in alleys that are difficult for large carts to pass.

“Yeaaahhh…, I was tired for a while, but I am satisfied and my inner satisfaction can be paid off because at this age I can still serve the community,” he said WVI staff when asked about his daily life.

The man who was born in Tegal 67 years ago has lived in Jakarta for decades. He is active as a General Administration staff at the RW office in Cipinang Besar Selatan as well as a guard and cleaning service for the RW office. However, on the sidelines of his routine work at the RW office, Mbah Noto also helps residents who come to take care of documents such as ID cards, family cards, etc., including being involved in environmental care through waste bank activities.

Currently, Mbah Noto is a member of the management of the Cucok Rowo Waste Bank, a waste bank assisted by the Phinla project of Wahana Visi Indonesia funded by the German government (BMZ). Together with other waste bank administrators, Mbah Noto helped collect used waste that had been sorted, such as bottles or plastic cups used for drinking water as well as papers and cardboard boxes from residents.

Even though he is no longer young, Mbah Noto's spirit is still burning. In addition to sorting waste, Mbah Noto is also enthusiastic about collecting waste savings taken from residents.

This also bears sweet fruit. The hard work of Mbah Noto and other waste bank administrators was not in vain. The Cucok Rowo waste bank can manage about 1 ton of waste that can be recycled every month.

“I am also personally very grateful to WVI through the Phinla program which has revived the waste bank here, by providing very useful equipment. I also hope that the Cucak Rowo Waste Bank will continue to grow and be successful in the future," concluded Mbah Noto.

If Mbah Noto still cares about his environment, what about us?

Written by: Franz Sinaga (Project Manager), Pedaman Halawa (Area Coordinator), Hanung Sutariadi (ASKA Assistant Consultant), Phinla Wahana Visi Indonesia Project Staff