Indonesia's 'Silvermen' Beg to Make Ends Meet

On a rainy day in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, three men coated in metallic paint known as the "manusia silver", or silvermen, brave the elements at an intersection near a mall to ask drivers for change.

- 

JAKARTA -

It is an arresting act that comes with health risks, one some young Indonesians feel is necessary to make ends meet as the cost of living worsens and jobs dwindle after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I'm ashamed to earn money like this. I want to find a real, more dignified job," says Mr Ari Munandar, 25. "But the embarrassment disappears when you remember that your daughter and your wife are at home."

Barefoot, dressed only in shorts and daubed head to toe by the irritating paint, Mr Ari, his brother Keris and their friend Riyan Ahmad Fazriyansah each take a lane in the road.

When the cars come to a stop, they strike robotic poses in front of the drivers.

"Good afternoon, have a nice drive," says Mr Ari.

The poses have little meaning other than to attract cash.

"I do them because one day I saw a friend earn more by doing them," he says, moving between cars, holding out a bucket for donations.