Fausto Marlius Pushes Garbage Cart To Earn Money To Graduate At UNPAZ

The car is his strength to survive, the car is what makes him able to breathe until today, so he can earn a dollar, the car is welded with iron, he uses two wheels to help him find the garbage that the community they are no longer used, piled up to be taken to the landfill.

The communities know where to throw the garbage, but the distance is far. They throw garbage just in front of their hut. Everyone is unhappy and unhealthy when they live surrounded by garbage. A young man, brunette skin appeared an idea in his head, how to continue his life in the current situation, especially living in the city of Dili. A young man drove his green cart around the Comoro market to pick up the garbage piled up in front of the hut. With this, he cleaned the garbage from the community's huts and also earned some money.

He is Fausto Marlius, 27 years old, born in Watulari, Matahoi sub-district, Mauselok village, born into a poor family. With his own efforts Fausto managed to complete his studies in primary and secondary school in Watulari. He had a big idea, he wanted to get a university level education. He came to Dili to pursue his dream, although he had to move from one family to another, to continue earning money for his life and studies. Why does Fausto use the carriage to survive? To Neon Metin he said,

“I push gerobak in 2019, because the economy is not sufficient, I push gerobak is an opportunity for me, because I can earn a living to earn money, because through pushing gerobak is like a spring come to me, and fill my body.”

Often in people's minds, garbage collection is not good for health. Waste is the remains of things that people use and no longer need, are no longer valuable or they no longer want to use. In many languages, people say dirt. However, in the garbage Fausto sees an opportunity for him to earn money, how to sustain his life, and to study at university. Fausto does this by pushing a cart to pick up and throw away people’s garbage.

“Luckily one day I pushed the cart and got $10.00, luckily I only got $3.00, because according to the langanan. But I'm happy when I carry garbage, because carrying one person's garbage is $1.00, if carrying three people's garbage is $3.00. Carrying water in a gerobak is also the same, carrying water to a cart is $1.00, but people see me thinking or feeling sorry for me so they give me $1.50, and to carry the vegetables willingly or unwillingly they give $0.50 de 'it,” Fausto explained of what he did.

Fausto showed his diligence, shamelessness, shamelessness and kindness in doing his job. After three months of driving, he felt that he had a little money. It was not easy for Fausto to decide to continue his studies at university level, because he knew his father could not afford to support his studies, and his mother had died. Against the reality, Fausto went to the University of Peace (UNPAZ) to continue his studies in International Relations. Driving a garbage truck enabled Fausto to finance and finish his university studies.

“Every day is like this until I finish my studies at university, then go to apply for vacancies too, the government is now looking for families only, which is very difficult for us to find a place . So until now I continue my activity as usual, because I am happy and grateful with my job, a month can get $170.00”, Fausto gave his expression of glee.

Fausto is not stuck in one place. He moved from Becora to Comoro, so it was easy for him to walk to UNPAZ, and he did not have to spend money to pay for the bus. Trouble always comes in Fausto's life, and he is about to lose hope about his studies. Thinking back to this situation, Fausto's eyes filled with tears, but he encouraged himself that there will be a way to find a solution, it may be difficult but not give up.

Fausto finds hope in the carriage. Fausto was asked to push his cart, to carry people's foos, carrying once he was paid $0.50. Fausto did not hesitate, he accepted generously, so every morning he pushed the cart earned $0.50.

“Fortunately, people gave me $1.00 like this until people knew me, I became their langanan, partner to the aunts selling modo, tahi, tempe. Until a month like this, the aunts who sell the modo know me well, so I have a lot of langanan. I went to pick up garbage and pick up water”, said Fausto.

As a customer of Fausto, Santiaga do Rego de Sousa is happy because Fausto can help them take garbage to the garbage dump. When the garbage was put together in an empty bag, then Fausto came to pick it up. Santiaga and other traders did not bring garbage to the disposal, because there was a lot of garbage and their carts were not there. So Fausto and his carriage helped them a lot. Santiaga also said Fausto never asked for money to pay, if they gave $0.50 he accepted, and after a few hours gave good.

Also Celestino, another customer who knows Fausto in the former Comoro market, because he always asks Fausto to pick up his garbage. The garbage he carried was rotten apples and rotten sugar and pig manure. Celestino picked up the garbage and Fausto picked it up and threw it away.

Elsewhere, Fausto's colleague Ribeiro also recognized Fausto's efforts. As a person who has been friends with Fausto since childhood until he came to Dili, he testified that Fausto did everything to survive and support his own school and managed to complete his studies at university.

“At university Fausto is also known as an active young man. Always go to school, do his homework, get involved in activities, and be active in discussions. Fausto set a good example as a young man in the neighborhood, he was not ashamed to push the cart to carry garbage and carry people's belongings back and forth in the neighborhood”, Ribeiro explained.

Ribeiro also said Fausto is a young man who knows how to manage his time to school and work driving a cart. He doesn't spend much time with his friends, because for Fausto the time he has is too little, and he wants to dedicate himself to making a living and studying at university. Fausto uses various ways to make money. The money Fausto earns he keeps in the safe, so he can pay for school and sustain his life. In addition to pushing the cart to pick up garbage, and carrying sugar, he also sells raw beans for $10.00 a bag, cooked beans for $0.25 a small plastic bag. From this Fausto can earn $15.00 to $25.00 a day. It can be noted that Fausto knows how to prioritize his life, especially to complete his studies at university.

The dream that Fausto wanted to get, managed to get, because he graduated from UNPAZ in 2021, from working pushing Karrosa to pick up garbage to throw away, this is a victory for himself. Although it is not easy to live in the city but the dream comes true, the star is in his hands. From the iron carriage, he walked forward wearing a hat and wearing a graduation hat with pride. The garbage truck, makes Fausto graduate.

Fausto's father, Antonio Andre, recognized Fausto's efforts. I remember when Fausto was a child, he was a good child who went to school, hung out with many friends. But today he finished his studies at the university as a burden that his son has passed. Now another burden is to find a job, to see his brothers again.

“When I see my son finish his university studies I feel happy because he has gone through a lot. Although the son of a farmer, but can also finish university. And our hope for him is that he can finish and when he works maybe he can help us again,” Antonio expressed.

Fausto observed other young people some finished school, some did not because they could not afford to come from poor families, often young people get into trouble, and some are ashamed to earn a living like Fausto did.

“The reality is that many young people are successful through activities like this, many are not successful when they do not want to make an effort. For those who are successful, it is also through selling nuu in gerobak, some carry rice in gerobak because they are also students like me”, Fausto said.

He urged the youth to make their own efforts to sustain life and do any activity that can benefit life.

Watulari has shown his results as a young Timorese, who does not give up on his dreams, does not feel tired against the big waves. The sleeping eyes are his strength, the car is his resource. No car with no title. It may sound funny to interpret, but the story of the $0.50c car made Fausto Marlius create a job for himself and get a degree at university.