Dili, March 2, 2025 (Média Democracia) – Joana de Conseição (69), from Turleo Village, Tibar, Liquiça Municipality, continues to make a living by crushing and selling gravel, despite her age and physical challenges. Every day, she works tirelessly by the river, breaking stones into gravel to sell and support her daily needs.
According to Joana de Conseição, she has been doing this job for years, collecting stones from the river, gathering them in one place, letting them dry, and then breaking them into different sizes for sale.
“When I was still strong, I used to dig up stones from the riverbed, and when customers came, I carried them to their vehicles myself. But now, I no longer have the strength to do that. Breaking stones is already a tough job, so I decided to keep doing what I can such as gathering stones, crushing them into gravel, and selling them to meet my daily needs,” she explained.
She further mentioned that the crushed stones are separated into small and large pieces, as some buyers prefer bigger gravel while others want smaller ones.
“Every day, I carefully separate the gravel to avoid getting headaches from dust exposure. On some days, I don’t go to the river to collect stones; instead, I crush the ones I already have at home. On good days, I can get up to four or five sacks of gravel, but on difficult days, I barely manage two sacks. Breaking stones is not easy, it often injures my hands, but I have no choice because I need to earn a living,” she said.
Joana sells her crushed stones at affordable prices, with each sack costing $2.00 to $2.50. However, sales are unpredictable, and sometimes she has to wait a whole week for a buyer.
“Sometimes, in a whole week, I can only sell two or three sacks. So, I save whatever money I earn to cover my daily expenses. We cannot just sit and wait for help, because no one will come to our aid if we don’t work for ourselves. Even though this job is full of difficulties, I always pray to God for strength and guidance,” she added.
Despite the physically demanding nature of her work, Joana believes that prayer gives her the strength to continue.
“Apart from breaking stones, I dedicate some time, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays to cleaning the church. I ask God for strength so I can keep working without falling sick. No matter how hard life is, I believe that with patience and faith, everything will turn out well,” she said.
For Joana de Conseição, crushing stones is more than just a job, it is a lifeline, just like farming is for others. Despite her age and physical struggles, she refuses to see them as obstacles. “Life demands hard work. If we don’t work for ourselves, we cannot survive.”
Reporter : Nelfiano
Photo : Nelfiano