Kalimantan: community
Community development is an integral part of our methodology. In Kalimantan, we make sure communities – who often resent NGOs because they perceive them to be more interested in wildlife – know that we care about them. We teach them how they can benefit when they look after the environment and wildlife.
The people of Sekonyer village
Our main focus is the village of Tanjung Harapan, also known as Sekonyer village, across the river from Tanjung Puting National Park. The village is near our Pesalat and Beguruh reforestation sites and is where most of our employees come from. It’s home to more than 500 people, who come from many different areas, including Malay, Bugis, Madura and Java.
The village has been gradually losing its forest and its main economic resources, so conflict often arises between villagers and park authorities about forest protection.
After centuries of nomadic farming, hunting, fishing, and wood collection, only about 20% of the forest that once belonged to the village remains. Sekonyer River, which flows next to the village, was once their main source of clean water. But pollution from the illegal mining upstream has contaminated the water and its ecosystem. At the same time, wide expanses of open swamps have critically been left to oil palm plantations and mining companies.
How we help
- Farmer’s group. With our guidance, a group of village farmers have committed themselves to protect the remaining forest and implementing reforestation projects in the surrounding area.
- Education scholarships. Thanks to our scholarships, girls from the village have finished high school for the first time. Previously, parents only sent boys to high school but because of our program this is changing.
- Conservation education. We teach school students about conservation through lectures and field trips to the park. The trips give students practical, hands-on experience in protecting wildlife and their habitats.
- Livestock program. We donated cows to farmers and taught them livestock management skills. The farmers had tried rear cows before but hadn’t had any success. A cow can provide a family with a regular milk supply and manure for their land.
- Agroforestry and mixed, organic farming. We’re helping farmers move away from traditional slash-and-burn farming: which damages the environment and can cause uncontrollable fires that spread to the park. Agroforestry and mixed, organic farming, which is better for wildlife and the environment, provide people with alternative income sources that are higher and more sustainable.
- Ecotourism. Park tourism has been growing for decades but the village has seen few benefits. We teach people how to run camping and trekking tours and have also donated tents and camp cooking utensils and built a camping spot. We secured exclusive rights from park authorities for the village to run camping tours, so they don’t need to compete with established tour operators. Now they meet tourists who come from all over the world to visit this beautiful, renowned park and they understand its importance and the need to protect it.
- Preservation of arts and culture. We’ve helped revitalize traditional Malay arts by organizing classes that give the older generation a chance to teach the younger generation about dance, music, sports and more. We promote these arts to tourists and organized the village’s first-ever arts festival.