Samantha and her husband Thomas Beach
XS project is an advocacy NGO environmental damage and poverty through education, best known for its innovative product designs reuse consumer waste. There six months, American expatriate Samantha Beach joined the initiative to teach the wives of garbage pickers how colorful jewelry, key chains and book thongs on waste. These unique creations will begin to be sold this month in the bazaars and directly through the XS project and sales are with the women who make them.
Samantha, is this your first time living abroad?
Yes, this is our first time living as expatriates. My husband is an IT consultant specializing in IT healthcare and an opportunity to work for him in Asia came that brought us here.
Have you experienced culture shock when you moved to Jakarta?
Yes, quite, although I found the people here to be very nice. I feel safer here than in a large city in the United States.
Marni, one of the women being empowered by the XS Project in South Jakarta.
How did you first became involved in Project XS?
I took a tour of the discharge to the XS project Cirendeu with Retno Hapsari when I arrived here. At home, I ran my own wedding cake shop and my friend asked me to join the tour because she knew I'm crafty. I started to think I could come up with some ideas to take trash and turn it into something that people would buy. Retno tried to see if one of the moms were interested and I now have six moms that I worked for six months :. Ipat, Sani, Sutiah Nur, Marni and Supena
What difficulties did you encounter when teaching them these skills?
I do not think they ever made crafts before, so it was very difficult to teach them to bend the cable correctly, done perfectly every time. If I'm watching they will do it the right way, but if they do it on their own, they begin to loosen. I explain that it will not sell if it is sloppy; we must do it that way every time.
How did you overcome the language barrier?
I use Translate! Marni, one of the moms who can do everything right every time, allows me to show other moms what hurts. I'm very lucky I Marni, who speaks a little English; a little more each time I visit. She also taught me some Bahasa.
How is your relationship with moms you teach
The relationship grew ?; they trust me and look forward to come to me. They laugh, tease and imitate me. I find it amazing the way we speak different languages, but I can still go there and teach them that skill.
How are you Empowering Moms?
My husband and I recently returned to the US to visit. I took some of the earrings, key chains and straps book with me and I sold US $ 500. When I returned, I gave Rp.1.1 million every mother and said he was on salary; they were delighted. We also teach moms they need to save money, so that the program we are trying to do more than just teach a skill.
What is your goal with your work at Project XS?
I just want to take off and for moms to earn income forever. Finally Karen McDaniels, the project manager at XS, wishes to distribute in the United States.
A pound strap in recycled tire inner tube and discarded magazines.
The strips of books are beautiful and very unique.
We have two sizes: for those hard cover (12 inches) and shorter for paperbacks. Everything is made of waste; we use an inner tube of tire for the chain and magazines discarded for paper beads. Then we added charm "made with love" to show it is in their heart.
When you moved to Jakarta, have you noticed the problem of litter? .
I noticed the trash I thought it was a dirty city and honestly felt very depressed when I got here and it was a big change for me that said, my friends are very impressed up. where I came from. When I go to XS I just shake my head in amazement as these women can live in this kind of situation and still smile and laugh. I do not know how they do it, but I guess they do not know not better. It's unbelievable.
How do you compare the level of understanding of recycling and garbage here compared to the States?
in recycling States States mandate and shot all waste from landfills because they realize that it will not break down in our lives. Jakarta is very lucky because he has Pemulung; we should be grateful that these people do what they do. You're not going to change the minds of the elderly; the only way things will change is through children and education. It will not happen for many years, but eventually change will come.
What are the aspirations of mothers that you teach?
Every week I ask the mothers of two questions, for example, if you could have a job what would you do? Sani said they would like to have its own local grocery store. Ipat wishes she could be a doctor; she said she is not very educated, but she wants to do his country proud. Marni wants to be a famous singer. One day she picked up a plastic bottle and started singing and mums in the background all joined in!
By asking such questions leads them to think that even if they are in this bad situation, some day they could go out and do what they dream.
wearing jewelry Samantha beach made of trash. She teaches the wives of manual scavengers in Cirendeu this skill.
What are your plans for the future?
We will start making jewelry from recycled inner tubes scooters. More women in Cirendeu want to join my program, but right now we are planning to do so for a year to get the XS level means that the product is. Finally, we will make three other moms.
We had to pay for pearls and products to date, but the next level is that moms have to buy their own beads and be self-sufficient. I plan to take three moms in Mangga Dua so they know where they can get the product, and that the project can continue when I left.
We will also make a website where people can choose and see what products we have available.
What is the most important lesson you have learned so far working with these mothers?
Be patient.
what readers can do to help?
I hope people will understand the importance of reuse and recycling.
Aside from that, I want people to realize that everyone has talents and gifts in this world. Just because some people where they live, we should not look down on them.
What has working with moms XS project for you personally?
It is a blessing that I found. Before my cake shop in the States, I work six days, ten to 14 hours a week, but when we moved here, I did not have a job or a goal. Now I'm trying to find ideas for moms during the week and I train them on Monday. I not only tried to save them, I think they helped me.
If you are interested in more information, or to join a jewelry workshop, please reach out to ssbeach2753 @ gmail. com