whiteboardjournal
Cat Power
[Indonesia] CAT POWER: Born in 1959, Aminah (李德云) received the hidayah (guidance or gift from Allah, leading to the righteous path) in 1978 and converted to Islam. She married a Palembangese villager in 1980, giving birth to one daughter and three sons. She gave away two of her sons to a pribumi or "indigenous" family because she had no money to raise them. In 1988, the Chinese Muslim divorced her husband after the marriage turned sour. Nowadays, Aminah goes from door to door selling cakes and pempek (Palembangese speciality -- a mixture of sago, fish and seasonings made into balls and deep fried or grilled) made by two of her neighbours. Aminah earns about US$0.80 to US$2 a day. Apart from that, she has to do all the housework on her own, which wears her out very quickly. Both her children are working and each of them earns about US$30 a month. The family lives in a rented space at 27 Ilir (downstream), an area where Aminah has been staying since her childhood days. The monthly rental is around US$35, including utilities. "If God gives us this much, what can I do? I feel ashamed to ask others for things," says the Hakha lady. "Once, someone offered to employ me for US$50. I declined because I prefer to work on my own. I don't want to be scolded by my employer." Aminah's cats also keep her company.
Cat Power
[Indonesia] CAT POWER: Born in 1959, Aminah (李德云) received the hidayah (guidance or gift from Allah, leading to the righteous path) in 1978 and converted to Islam. She married a Palembangese villager in 1980, giving birth to one daughter and three sons. She gave away two of her sons to a pribumi or "indigenous" family because she had no money to raise them. In 1988, the Chinese Muslim divorced her husband after the marriage turned sour. Nowadays, Aminah goes from door to door selling cakes and pempek (Palembangese speciality -- a mixture of sago, fish and seasonings made into balls and deep fried or grilled) made by two of her neighbours. Aminah earns about US$0.80 to US$2 a day. Apart from that, she has to do all the housework on her own, which wears her out very quickly. Both her children are working and each of them earns about US$30 a month. The family lives in a rented space at 27 Ilir (downstream), an area where Aminah has been staying since her childhood days. The monthly rental is around US$35, including utilities. "If God gives us this much, what can I do? I feel ashamed to ask others for things," says the Hakha lady. "Once, someone offered to employ me for US$50. I declined because I prefer to work on my own. I don't want to be scolded by my employer." Aminah's cats also keep her company.