A little over a decade ago, the neighbourhood of Jodipan (in the East Java city of Malang) was deemed beyond hope. Hugging the Brantas River, the area was considered squalid and unsanitary, with dreadful living conditions and severe infrastructure issues. The only solution for the local authorities was to demolish the whole site and relocate the residents to subsidized housing, thus cleaning up the river bank and eradicating the slum problem..
In March 2016 a group of eight students from Muhammadiyah University of Malang were asked to come up with a project to solve local issues. Their proposal was to add colour to the houses of Jodipan to brighten up the village. They got a local paint supplier to donate over 3 tons of free paint, and then they pitched their idea to the villagers who all agreed to go ahead. Within a few months, 107 houses, as well as neighbouring alleyways, bridges and steps, were covered in bright colours – all painted by the villagers, alongside local volunteers, mural artists and military personnel.
The goal of the project was for the benefit of the residents. And it worked. The makeover revitalised the community and gave the inhabitants a newfound pride in their surroundings. Household waste no longer flooded the river while alleyways and common spaces remained clean. There was no more talk of demolition and relocation.
But then, to everyone’s surprise, visitors started coming to see the Rainbow Village. The residents embraced this new opportunity and set up stalls selling food, drinks and souvenirs. Others found employment as parking attendants or in ongoing maintenance work. This unemployment hotspot was suddenly teeming with entrepreneurs!!
Nowadays, community members charge a small fee (Rp 10,000 / €0.50) to enter the village. The ticket sales directly benefit the community, with 80% of revenue going to the upkeep of the community infrastructure and 20% to fund the local waste management programme. The neighbourhood is maintained by monthly voluntary cleanups. Murals are changed, and houses retouched, regularly. Residents are learning languages to interact with their visitors!
