Coffee Beans: Sweat and Tears

Maybe people will think, as a coffee-producing regions, women in Gayo mostly highly educated and fashionable style stylish. However, the allegations were false.
Want proof? Look Nurhalimah (41 Years). A widow who daily mendepe coffee in a coffee warehouse property located in the village of Ola Empus Talu Bebesen District, Central Aceh.
Mendepe is a term in the Gayo coffee mill, a process of sorting the lack of good coffee beans that have been peeled dipabrik and the state is dry (it has a certain moisture content).
This job requires patience in distinguishing the beans in question. The information I had heard of women who mendepe, generally, when you first work, a stiff neck due to head down towards the table, the vision became slightly blurred because the beans were small.
Nurhalimah itself has been in the job for two years mendepe.

That afternoon, Saturday, April 28, 2012, at exactly 18:00 pm I went to his house which is right behind the coffee warehouse where he mendepe. I had found it difficult to get to her home because the road is not paved. Incidentally afternoon it rained so swift, automatic road muddy and barely passable by vehicle or on foot.
Half of my feet were muddy. Lucky in front of the house that I want to go there is a ditch to clean dirty feet. My condition was covered in mud that had become the laughingstock of the children who were playing in the fields, on the side of the house that I want to go.
After I washed my sandals and foot end, so I headed for the door of the house, "Assalamualaikum".
"Wa'alaikumsalam," came a woman from the back of the house.
After he saw me, he mempersilakahkan me to come in and greeted me warmly. She asked me to sit on a bale-bale made of wood.
Nurhalimah house is not large, its size is only 4 x 4 square meters. Between the front and rear partitioned by plywood, as a barrier.
After exchanging pleasantries, I'd love to know how his experiences since mendepe.
Prior to working mendepe, Nurhalimah stay Payareje, Takengon. However, since divorced by her husband, she was forced to move to Empus Talu. "I did all this terpkasa, since divorced, my husband never send the cost of living, especially for my children's education is the school," said Nurhalimah.
Women workers who were mendepe in one coffee warehouse in Takengon. Photo: Maskanah
In fact, as the narrative of women who just graduated from junior high school, he had promised to send the money for living expenses, especially for children only child. And that agreement before the divorce. But the promise of only a promise. "Therefore, I did not expect anymore," she invited me to drink hot tea dihidangkannya.
I became curious, if mendepe can cover both of their needs. Not to mention the cost of school supplies, such as clothes, shoes, books and others.
Of income mendepe, Nurhalimah admitted for now suffice. Because, he is targeting revenue he can get.
As an illustration, Nurhalimah able mendepe as much as 50 kilograms of coffee per day, per kilogram valued Rp. 400, - (Four hundred dollars). Daily work he was able to collect money as much as Rp. 20.000, -. Mendepe payroll Nurhalimah work place is given every 15 days.
The work was done from At 08.00 am until 16:00 pm.
Interestingly, the warehouse where he works are not binding on the workers, in the sense that it is up to the workers. When you want to mendepe please come, if workers are absent or ill, there will be no sanctions or other rules.
The question is whether it's safe Nurhalimah life in the economy? Apparently not. Because the warehouse where he works often no coffee coming, income becomes less. "Nothing that I can count on besides mendepe. Moreover, I do not have a garden, mendepe is the only hope for me, "he said plaintively. His face looked sad.
he heard the stories Nurhalimah, occasionally I looked at the clock hands, soon maghrib. Outside, the sky was dark with clouds.
Nurhalimah hear stories, make this heart sad. Apparently so many women who are less educated Gayo and have no special expertise. Moreover, partly they are widows whose husbands left with a trivial reason. They have to fend for themselves for a life, raising her children.
Although living without certainty (economic, red), Nurhalimah remain optimistic to educate their children up to the undergraduate level. He wanted his son to have a future that is better than him who just graduated high school.
"My son aspires to be a policewoman. I want to fulfill all of the dream, "he said, shed tears.
I can only silently staring at his face, tears running down his cheeks. I tried to give him a little spirit, that he would be able to deal with all of this.
After that, since maghrib time soon, I also ask permission. I shook his hand. His eyes still looked red from crying.
When about to move out, a little girl in and almost hit me. We both smiled. It turns out the little girl child Nurhalimah.
They both stood in the doorway, watching me confused for a foothold that is not muddy. Because the soil in the yard Nurhalimah looks slick, afraid of standing. Moreover, I had almost slipped.
Seeing this tingkahku, Nurhalimah girls giggled.
"It had to be let go sandals make it more secure," I told myself.
Arriving home, I still hear the story told Nurhalimah. Apparently, though rich and famous coffee everywhere, but not a picture that is economically prosperous society Gayo.