There is a general perception in Jakarta that all foreigners here, particularly bules, are relatively rich and living the easy life in the capital. And oftentimes, that is true. But like all stereotypes, there are many exceptions.
A 59-year-old British citizen named Kenneth William Carl was recently taken in by South Jakarta Social Services Department after he was found to be sleeping outside of a musala (Islamic prayer room) in West Cilandak.
The head of the department, Mursidin, said residents in the area had reported that the man was sleeping just outside of the prayer room. On Saturday, social services officers went to meet with the British man to find out about his situation.
“Once we got the report, our officers rushed to the location and took Bapak Ken in for protective care. We’ve brought him to the Social Services Center Bina Insan Bangun Daya 1 in Kedoya, West Jakarta,” Mursidin told reporters on Sunday, as quoted by MetroTV.
According to Mursidin, Ken told the officers that he had been living in Indonesia for 17 years and worked at an investment company until 2013 when he was forced to stop due to the company’s mandatory 55-year-old retirement age.
The British citizen said he tried to apply for other jobs here but had no luck. He also said he had married a woman from Solo but that she had passed away in 2015 due to cancer. He said he had spent Rp 2 billion on her medical treatments which had used up all of his savings, leaving him destitute.
Ken said he was trying to ask his first wife in England to send him some money and that he had already asked the British Embassy for help getting home, but was only told to wait.
Without a place to live or work and without any family (he said he had no children), Ken said he was forced to rely on the mercy of others.
According to Mursidin, Ken was told that one of the reasons he was being taken in by social services is that he could not continue sleeping in places like musalas. The South Jakarta Social Services head also said that the Brit was very appreciative towards the social workers and hoped they would be able to help find a more permanent solution to his problems. Hopefully, he will get the help he needs.
