Four water containers full of coins arrived at a real estate agency’s office in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. One weighed so much that two men had to carry it.
The owner was Imam, a martabak seller. Martabak is a thick pancake he makes at his stall. Every day, he set aside the 1.000-rupiah coins he earned from his sales, with one goal in mind: to own a home. He did this for three years without missing a day.
The containers had to be cut open. The coins were spread out on a tarp, and counting them took a full day. The total: 45.980.000 rupiah, about 3.900 dollars—the down payment on his house.
The agent who handled the sale filmed it and posted it on TikTok. One of the videos topped 7 million views. On screen, buying a house by bank transfer was crossed out; paying with coins was approved.