Aceh Elderly Woman Still Working

Elderly women, it always remains a concern and interesting for me to document the photograph. Every time I see them at work I always come to them, talk and ask permission for my capture their photos.

Generally, Acehnese women still work for their needs, not complain, keep working, do not want to expect their children and do not want to live at nursing home.

On the way to the villages, I immortalized some of them as shown in the following photo.

Nek Syakdi (70 years old), resident of Krueng Mane, North Aceh is working to make traditional coconut oil, using traditional clamps as a traditional press, coconut that has been decomposed for almost a month, then measured, then pressed with "Peuneurah" ( press tools coconut oil traditional Aceh), after dioress, cocoa oil is accommodated into bottle for household needs, some are sold. Then, the dregs or by-products are made into food for cooking with vegetables or fish called "Pliek U".

Nek Bandi (75 years old) works as a rice drying worker, in a paddy factory owned by a businessman, this woman from Seunuddon, North Aceh, works when the weather is sunny, because drying rice is still dependent on direct sunlight. If the weather is overcast or rainy, he quickly has to collect back so that the rice is not rotten, his income is uncertain, sometimes only 20,000 Rupiahs, sometimes she much her can get 40.000 Rupiah, to support her family.

Nek Baren (80 years old) from Seunuddon, North Aceh, when I photographed him just got back to cut grass for his cattle feed. According to her, if calculated, the daily work cost is only 5000 rupiah, after sale minus the purchase price a year ago, she had a cow and he lived alone, her husband has died.

Nek Ancan (90 years old) this elderly woman still works as a betel maker whose wrap is mixed with areca nut, in Aceh called "Ranup". She sells for 1000 rupiah/3 pieces. The producer is uncertain, sometimes 1 day he gets 25,000-40.000 /days.

Seeing them work in old age, sometimes makes me sad, but sometimes, I am proud, because, their lives depend on others, including from their own childrens. Here, I do not want to blame their children who let them keep working, because of the interview by me, they do not want to stop working even if their children forbid it.