Indonesia’s government was slow to lock down, so its people took charge

A veteran organiser, Diani took matters into her own hands. “I had trouble convincing people in my neighbourhood at first. People still thought we were untouchable because of the weather or prayers or whatever else. I had to convince them one by one, through WhatsApp and in person, that we needed to change our lifestyle because of COVID-19,” she said. “Eventually they understood.” By early March, Diani had mobilised a task force of volunteers to effectively close off her neighbourhood, persuade residents to stop working and stay at home when possible, and propagate hygiene practices such as handwashing. The volunteers even started making their own hand sanitiser, and initiated a neighbourhood-level “self-quarantine” on March 10— ten days before the Jakarta governor declared a state of emergency, Diani noted, proudly.