– Underground Mine Worker
His Daily Life:
Every early morning, Pak Jatmiko leaves his small hillside house. He walks slowly, checking his old helmet and worn-out boots. He and his fellow workers ride a mining truck, their faces already accustomed to being covered in dust and the sharp smell of sulfur.
Underground, they dig carefully. Rocks can collapse at any moment. Sometimes, the air feels suffocating, oxygen running thin. The sounds of small explosions and the trembling earth have become a daily routine.
Their working hours are uncertain. If a mineral vein is found, they could spend over 12 hours in the belly of the earth. But for Pak Jatmiko, exhaustion is nothing new. What truly scares him is when the emergency siren blares — a sign of ground cracks, gas leaks, or worse: a cave-in.
Personal Struggles:
Pak Jatmiko knows well the dangers of his job. Some of his friends never returned, buried alive or poisoned by gas. He himself was once trapped for two hours in a narrow space before being rescued.
His children often beg him to stop: "Dad, please don't go back to the mines, find another job…"
But in his village, mining is the only steady source of income. The alternatives? Odd jobs with no security or stability.
Motivation:
Pak Jatmiko isn't chasing riches from mining. He simply wants his children to go to school, to escape the cycle of dangerous work like him. He dreams of one day opening a small grocery stall, living a simple but safe life.
For him, every day in the mine is a gamble for his family's future.
Interesting Facts:
Underground miners face a 7 to 10 times higher risk of death compared to regular field workers.
Main hazards include ground collapses, methane gas explosions, prolonged exposure to silica dust, and chronic lung diseases (pneumoconiosis).
In many developing countries, mining safety standards are often neglected for the sake of cost efficiency.
Despite the dangers, mining provides jobs for millions of impoverished people in remote areas.
What People Say About Mine Workers:
Pak Jatmiko's Wife:
"Every morning, I worry whether he'll come back in the evening or not. But we need to eat. All I can do is pray."
His Teenage Child:
"My father is our hero, but I'm afraid one day he won't come home. That's why I study hard, so I can earn a living differently."
Fellow Miners:
"We all know the risks, but we watch out for each other. Down there, our lives are in the hands of our fellow workers."
Social Observer:
"Mine workers are an extreme example of the economic dilemma: risking their lives for their livelihoods. Ironically, society enjoys the benefits of mining without realizing who pays for it with their lives."
Pak Jatmiko's Philosophy on Life:
"Rocks may be silent, but behind that silence lies a heavy price. So does our life. Maybe not many people care, but as long as my family can still smile, this exhaustion and fear feel lighter."
For Pak Jatmiko, his hard work underground isn't about wealth — it's about giving his children a way so they won't have to bow in dark tunnels like he does.