Discover Top Posts Tagged with #savengers

New Post has been published on The Rakyat Post

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/03/17/scavengers-hoping-to-strike-it-rich-at-dump-site/

Scavengers hoping to strike it rich at dump site

KOTA KINABALU, Mar 17, 2015:

Wake up and smell the coffee? Not for Sam Abdullah.

Because for him, waking up to the smell of coffee is a luxury.

“When I woke up this morning, there was a stench, a rotting smell, maybe stale food or maybe something much worse,” said the 42-year-old scavenger.

When met, he said his mission was to get more aluminium tins and electric cords for its copper from the dumpsite which he frequents.

“Those are hot selling items,” he said, as he took a puff on his cheap cigarette, maybe to ward off the overwhelming smell.

Sam had been in the “business” for eight years, but going through the trash never gets easy.

“I was introduced to the ‘work’ by a friend. Before, I was doing odd jobs, rubber tapping and many other jobs. But the pay was not much and sometimes we had to wait months before we got paid.

“I am a father of eight, seven are stepchildren from my wife’s previous marriage.”

Sam said while life was not exactly a bed of roses before, at least they had money, enough to save some for the wedding of one of his daughters.

Sam said he used to earn RM2,000 a month, sometimes more, but the increasing number of scavengers had reduced his income by half.

“My late wife used to come with me, but I stopped her when she was pregnant with our first child. The dump site is no place for a pregnant woman, it’s dusty, dirty and full of germs.”

After having their son, Sam’s wife fell sick and had to be hospitalised.

“She had cancer, and after being warded for just four days, she passed away. I was at her bedside. That was six months ago.

“She left me with the children, and while my children have offered to help, I didn’t feel it’s right for me to bring them here, plus they are all grown-up girls.

“I come here as often as I can to earn us some money. Luckily, some of my children are married now, so I only have to care for the younger ones.

“I think I’ll survive,” said the doting father.

He remembered an incident sometime last year, seeing a group of well-dressed people scavenging for something together with them.

“They were in office attire, but in slippers. A few days later, a man came to us for help, I guess he must be their boss.

“He told us to find two garbage bags containing money, and offered RM100,000 as a reward,” said Sam.

He and his friends, of course, jumped at the golden opportunity. The search lasted a week, but the boss and his men went home empty-handed.

About a week later, Sam heard a rumour about a young boy who had found a million ringgit in two black plastic bags at the dump site.

“I guess the rumour is true because I’ve never seen the boy here ever again. His ‘success’ has somehow inspired me to search harder.

“I have also heard about some people finding RM10,000 worth of jewellery in a jewellery box here.

“Sometimes I wish it was me, but you cannot question your fate, right?” Sam said as he turned to his friend, seeking some support.

Another scavenger, Indak Ajail, was seen carrying an iron bar, which she said “brightens my day”.

“I’d be getting at least RM20-RM30 from this iron bar,” she said, adding that was her normal earning for a day’s job.

Indak said if she was lucky, she could get some extra from money found in old handbags or unopened ang pow (red packets).

“I am a single mother with three children. There have been times when I feel like quitting because of the smell. But I am uneducated. No one will want to take me to work for them.

“The dump site is the only place for me to earn a living. It helps to put food on the table. Beggars can’t be choosers, so I learn to live with it,” said the 49-year-old.

She, too, had heard the rumours about lost money, and while she prays that she would be lucky to come across such a treasure, for now Indak said her aim was to get enough money to make ends meet.

For Sam and Indak, their life may evolve around the dump site, but they will not complain.

“I will do this until some opportunity knocks on my door. I can only dream of a better life now, but I know there’s something good for me and my family in the future. And I hope it’ll come real soon,” said the hopeful Sam.

#savengers