LP XXXVIII--The Umbrella Boys

Please forgive the departure from London stories. My trip to Indonesia during my London stay was revealing and in some ways life-altering.

When it begins to rain, and it rains nearly everyday, the umbrella boys, approximately age 8-11, go to work. They materialize from wherever they live to wait outside the mall with umbrellas in hand. As a person exits the mall, a boy quickly hands over an umbrella to the person, follows him/her to the car or another building, gets soaking wet, and waits for the 1,000 rupiah that comes his way. 1,000 rupiah is roughly equivalent to 10 cents.

No rain, no boys. They emerge during the rain with a purpose and a hope, usually realized, they will earn some money. They have no concern of getting wet and no regard for their own situation. They also have no care of the person with the umbrella. It is all business and if someone is willing to pay, they will gladly provide an umbrella. Upon receiving the money, they retrieve the umbrella and run rapidly back to the mall with the hope of enticing another person to carry an umbrella.



The water falling upon them makes no difference on their appearance due to their poverty and general living conditions. They are small, dirty, unkempt, unwashed, mostly uneducated, and wear the same clothes everyday. They are The Umbrella Boys and their existence is minimal and by our standards, pitiful.

But let's examine this another way. Playing in the rain and getting wet is fun, particular for a little boy. Furthermore, they suddenly have a purpose and a way of making money. Those who save it up might buy something new and special. Others spend it immediately on candy or coke or something satisfying. From this experience they learn the power of work, of making money, of providing a service, of the amazing truth of supply and demand. They represent the highest ideal of a true market economy. For some, perhaps the steady work (and it rains nearly everyday), will lift them out of poverty and into a higher form of living. For others, perhaps they are satisfied with their position and their lot.

I do not know any Umbrella Boys personally, but I saw them in action in Jakarta, Indonesia. They are real, they are entrepreneurial, and they are dedicated to their employment. Somewhere within the sadness of their poverty, there lies a truth of how sacrifice, dedication, and tenacity is beneficial. Maybe one of those Umbrella Boys will one day be a billionaire or a world leader.