Recently I've started my usual early morning jogs around the park a half hour earlier to beat the rains.  Yes, rainy season has started here in Jakarta and most days the rains start about 7 or 8am (just in time to add to the chaos of rush hour traffic). 

On one of my ''early'' jogs at the park, I came across this lady feeding the strays that live within the park.  I've never seen her before but I wanted to meet her and ask her about all those cats.

It turns out she has been coming to the park every morning and every afternoon for about four years to feed all the strays and to rescue any dumped kittens or injured/sick cats that need help. 

Not only does she do this at the park, it turns out she has a total of 8 ''feeding stations'' where the stray cats wait for her each morning and each afternoon and come rain, or shine she has never missed a day. I asked her what happens if she were sick, she said it wouldnt matter...she's always turned up, and no matter what happens she always will.  She likes to say...she is poor but she gives the cats life and care and that is what makes her happy.

I asked her if I could go around with her to the ''feeding stations'' with my handy cam and meet her cats and she very kindly allowed me to jump on the back of her clapped out old motorbike and off we went. First stop was the park, then six stops on the streets and finally the last stop was her ''sanctuary'' at the edge of a football field where she has a little ''shack''. 

This is where she brings the sick, the injured, dumped and unwanted strays she picks up around the place. I took video footage of two stations on the street and one at her ''cat sanctuary''.  (Links to the videos are at the end of this article).

To most of us (westerners) the ''sanctuary'' shack might be appalling but we just have to consider that this lady lives on or below the poverty line herself.  She feeds the cats with rice which is mixed with fish she gets from the markets and discarded food she gets from the hundreds of little ''warungs'' (sidewalk footstalls) that line just about every street in this suburb.  The locals have gotten to know her and know what she does and she gets many ''donations'' of rice and sometimes cans of the cheapest sardines available, sometimes the local pet store or vet donates a bag of kibble, and other times she goes around and literally asks people for the food.  She says she never asks for money but doesaccept donations of a few rupiahs when it is offered.

I enjoyed meeting this lady very much..one of the reasons is because (wonder of wonders) she actually can speak a little bit of English and she understands even more than she  can speak.

I hope you enjoy meeting this lady...and realize that there are angels on this earth who (no matter how poor they are) unselfishly do what they can to help their fellow creatures on this planet.

Once again I have to ask...please excuse the very amateurish filming with my handy-cam....I need to have lots more practice I know.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ii60O-hNA&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb6ww4EMxPE&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0OsmNqkRPI