Estructuras de origen mecánico

As explained in Chapter 4, this study took place in two rural areas: Central Hill and Central Valley (considered to be one rural area) in Central Java, and East River in East Java. The first location, Central Hill and Central Valley, is located between two mountains in the eastern part of Central Java. This location is a rural area

approximately 20 km from the district town centre, accessible in about half an hour by motorcycle or car – see the community map below. There is public transport in this area.

Figure 5.2 Community map of Central Hill and Central Valley

The region is a non-irrigated agricultural area; however, characterized by fertile soil, a cold climate and adequate rainfall, this area is suitable for growing a wide range of vegetable crops. Various vegetables are grown in this region, including carrots, cabbages, mustard, chili and spring onions. It is a place with traditional practices of vegetable growing. A variety of vegetables are primarily grown in the rainy season, with planting occurring twice a year. The first round is between October and January followed by the second from February to May. Furthermore, in the dry season between May and September, farmers continue to cultivate their farms with tobacco. Thus, in a year farmers in this area usually have three harvest periods: two for harvesting vegetables and one for harvesting tobacco. Besides being suitable for cultivation, because of the abundance of grasses, this location is also suitable for cattle farms. In small-scale farming, households usually have two or three cows which are kept on the family plot. Aside from being agricultural areas, Central Hill and the Central Valley are also destinations for agriculture and volcano tourism. The variety of economic activities for the market indicates that cash economies exist predominantly in Central Hill and Central Valley.

With regard to cash economies, households in Central Hill and Central Valley have variations in the level of wealth, evident from the ownership of land, animals, vehicles and the condition of their houses. In respect to land ownership, there are two categories of households: households that have their own land and households that cultivate land owned by someone else, either with a rent system or a harvest- sharing system. In general, households own livestock such as cows, usually between

one to three animals. Generally, households also have a motorcycle, primarily to transport agricultural equipment to the fields, or to drop and pick up children at school. However, some households do not own a motorcycle, so the children have to go to school by bus. Housing conditions are basic, mostly using brick walls and cement floors/plaster. However, some houses still have wooden walls and uncemented floors.

Migration plays an important role in the economic life of the community. This phenomenon is common in Indonesia, where the people in the villages have to migrate to cities to find work. In this community, some households have to migrate to find work outside the region, such as working as construction workers. They usually work outside the area for several weeks or months, then return to deliver the money they have earned. People migrate in general in the non-growing season or when there is no work available in the village.

Basic services in Central Hill and the Central Valley are very limited, except

electricity and basic education. Most households in the region use electricity as the primary energy source. However, they still use firewood obtained from forests around the community. Access to clean water for cooking and bathing is met through community water reservoirs supplied from springs. Most people use the river to wash their clothes; washing clothes is done by hand, not using a washing machine.

Similar to the provision of the basic services, educational services in Central Hill and the Central Valley seem to be lacking. There is one elementary school in this area, which is relatively close to the children in Central Valley (about 1–2 km from the houses). However, this is not the case for children in Central Hill, as the distance of the school from Central Hill is around 2–3 km and in general children have to walk to school. There is no junior high school (SMP) in this community; the nearest SMP is about 4–5 km away. Children use a variety of ways to get to school, including public transport (which is very limited), or going on motorbikes driven by their parents. Accessibility to elementary school and junior high school in this location enables the achievement of the nine-year compulsory education. This programme obligates children to pursue elementary school for six years and junior high school for three years. Elementary school usually starts from the age of 6 or 7, while junior

high school starts from the age of 12 or 13. However, to access education in senior high school (SMA/SMK), children in this area have to go to the city, a distance of about 20 km. It is very difficult for children from disadvantaged families to continue their education in senior high school.

Households in the community are dispersed; this situation affects how children play with friends or neighbours as they are not nearby. There are on average 2–3 children per household. This is presumably as a result of the Family Planning Programme which promoted the ideal family member as a father, a mother and two children. One of the problems faced by children in this area is early marriage, although according to Indonesian law, boys under 18 and girls under 16 are prohibited from getting married.

Central Hill and Central Valley have good access to the local development

programmes. Accessible programmes for children include the Child Friendly City (CFC) Programme and the Withdrawal of Child Labour to Support Family Hope Programme (Program Penarikan Pekerja Anak untuk mendukung Program Keluarga

Harapan, PPA-PKH). Via the CFC programme, the local government aims to build a

comfortable area for children through a series of actions including the

empowerment of institutions; the development of civil rights and child freedom; improvement of basic health and well-being of children; education; cultural activities; and special protection for children. Meanwhile, through the PPA-PKH programmes, the government directly works toward eliminating the practice of child labour in the region. In addition to state-based development, there were also NGO-based development programmes for children, namely an education

scholarship for elementary school students. The presence of these programmes indicates that children’s lives are not only influenced by parental care but also by government and NGO activities.