TV binman swaps local round for Jakarta
Friday January 27, 2012
When binman Wilbur Ramirez put his name forward for a reality TV show, he could never have foreseen the journey it would take him on.
But Wilbur, from Cricklewood, was not trying out for Big Brother - he was trying out for his toughest challenge yet.
The 43-year-old swapped his normal round collecting rubbish and recycling in Hammersmith & Fulham for the mean streets of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
Wilbur, is featuring in the first of a new series of documentaries called Toughest Place to be a ..., being screened on BBC2 on Sunday (January 29) at 9pm. Wilbur had to go through a rigorous selection process for the BBC programme and was told not to do any research into the lives of the poor living in Jakarta.
He took over the round of local dustman and street-sweeper, Imam, who lives with his family in the shadows of the capital’s sky-scrapers, just yards from a rubbish tip. Imam works seven days a week, not only collecting rubbish, but also sweeping the front of houses and opening and clearing the storm drains, all in bare feet and without gloves.
"I couldn't believe how they live,” said Wilbur. "Nobody has a toilet there, and there is just one cable where everybody gets their electricity from. I've seen countless rats in my daily work but out there they are the size of rabbits."
Imam receives a tiny wage for the job - so meagre that it is not enough to support his wife, child and parents. So he works late into the night, every night, sorting recyclables like plastic bottles and tins from the rubbish pile to sell on for a little more cash.
It is a gruelling and dangerous job, and Imam knows several men who have died doing their job. Incredibly, he is one of the lucky ones, as most of the 3,000 people living near the tip in shacks must live off what they can scavenge.
Wilbur and Imam built a strong bond while working together and he even managed to get his new friend a pay rise after confronting the head of the residents’ association, who pays the sweepers' wages. After ten days working together, Wilbur took on the round alone, meaning that Imam could finally have a day off.
Wilbur said: "Imam told me I was like a brother to him and he couldn't understand why I cared so much for him and his family. I thought it would be tough, but I could never imagine how tough. For me I go back to my job, driving a truck, with a uniform and gloves, and at the end of my shift go home to my family. For them this nightmare goes on every day."
Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “Wilbur’s experience was a real eye-opener and proves that keeping the streets clean and tidy is vital. Leaving rubbish to pile up on the streets leads to unsanitary and dangerous conditions - that is why this council is continuing weekly collections, and why we have some of the cleanest streets in London.
“We are proud to have someone like Wilbur working in H&F. He is so full of enthusiasm and compassion, and is dedicated to his job - he really is a credit to our borough.”
Wilbur, who sings in a soul band, is now planning to hold a charity gig to raise money for the people who live around the tip.
To see how Wilbur got on, tune in to Toughest Place to be a Binman on BBC2, Sunday, 9pm (opens new window). The next two programmes in the series will look at the toughest place to be a fisherman and train driver.
