Living in isolation atop a steep hill, 79-year-old Mbah Buya and her blind younger sister, 74-year-old Mbah Misti, survive without any assistance from others. Since birth, Mbah Misti has been visually impaired and fully dependent on Mbah Buya for her daily needs—eating, bathing, and even fetching water from below the hill.

Villagers have tried to help by offering to relocate Mbah Buya and her sister to a safer, flatter area—but the siblings, deeply attached to the only home they’ve ever known, gently declined. Their decision isn’t out of stubbornness, but out of fear and uncertainty—at their age, starting over elsewhere feels overwhelming. In truth, they have no other place to go and no one else to turn to. With no surviving family, Mbah Buya quietly bears the full weight of survival and caregiving, doing her best with what little she has.

To earn a living and care for her sister, Mbah Buya sells vegetables door-to-door—harvested from the small garden around their home. She earns about $0.13 per bundle, and if everything sells, she brings home roughly $1.30 a day—just enough to buy rice and a simple meal. On days when there are no vegetables to sell, she works as a peanut peeler, earning around $0.98 per kilogram.

Every morning, before going out to sell, Mbah Buya cooks, bathes, and feeds her sister. Though the path to the market is 6 km and dangerous, often causing her to fall, she never complains. Her biggest worry while working is leaving Mbah Misti alone—especially since there’s no one nearby to help if she needs anything.

Mbah Misti is the reason Mbah Buya keeps going. She is her only companion in her old age, and she prays every day for continued strength and health so she can keep caring for her. Her love and patience reflect a deep bond that keeps them going despite the hardships.

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