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Living along the Railway Tracks by Sandra Weller
A Community of 60 families lives along the railway tracks of Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. Each family has 4-6 children, their homes situated only a few metres from the track. The railway tracks are a place to meet, sit, walk and play. When a train passes by everyone moves aside. The inhabitants say there hasn't yet been an accident with a train. There is no signal from the train but the children seem to know when one is coming. After the train has passed by life goes on as usual. The families live in small houses, ususally one room for the whole family. Some of the homes are made of wooden boards and corrugated metal sheets. The better ones are made of wood and brick. Electricity is tapped illegally and water taken from a spring. The inhabitants pay between rent to the train company (JPKA) who owns the land. All the families came here from rural villages to earn money. Some have been here since the 1970s, others came just a few months ago. They earn money as beggars, street singers, sex-workers, garbage pickers, "becak: (rickshaw) drivers and market or food sellers. The train company (JPKA) has anounced that they need the land to extend the train line and the homes will be demolished around 2010. Nobody knows what will happen to the inhabitants then.
