Advertisement
Published: April 21st 2009
Edit Blog Post
Today Om Anis took me on the back of his motorbike to go around the villages and landscapes around Sumba.
We stopped by at three points to see the potential area for the next office we’re going to build. The last one was the most likely it’s gonna be. Biggest and closer to every other institutions who are working with us.
There’s a catholic cave behind it, They painted Mother Mary and Jesus in front of it. Not the best paintings, but I’m sure they try their best.
Sumbanese put the family tombs in the middle of family houses complex. On the 3 hours ride on the bike I see so many various tombs everywhere, it so megalithic.
We stopped by at some places to watch and take pictures of some birds. The scenery was green and beautiful. It’s impressive every kid we passed by on the road would say “Hello! Good morning!”. That’s how their teacher told them to say when they meet anyone on the road.
We stopped to take a rest and eat some snacks we’ve bought for the trip.
It was the time when kids were going home from school. They were so excited when they saw
us. Om Anis shared some snacks and candies and it turned out into a little chaos until they finished everything. After we hang out a while with them and do some chit chat.
“What birds have you seen around?” Om Anis asked, measuring the awareness programs he’s been doing.
“Parrots! Cockatoos! ” some of them screamed.
“What color?”
“White with orange a bit on its head” That’s good enough.
Then Om Anis told me that sometimes when he goes to villages the kids will recognize him because they’ve seen his on the awareness video he’s been spreading. And people around here don’t get to watch any screen.
“How do you watch football match then?” I asked the kids.
“We went to village head’s house to watch it.” A kid answered.
“So when world cup is happening his house will be filled by people every night?”
“What’s world cup?” They asked back. Then I translated world cup in their language then they just couldn’t stop talking about it.
These kids are pure and sincere. Some of them cant afford to buy shoes to go to school, one kid has to sell cookies his mom made everyday to school. But they go
to school without complains and that’s the thing they’re excited about.
They look so happy and enjoy their life. Would you be sad if you don’t even know what you couldn’t have? I guess happiness and wealthy sometimes are just the matter of points of view.
When we were about to continue our trip then suddenly I realized that my shoes was broken. I guess that’s what you get if you keep 10$ shoes for more than 3 years. They’d just be dead at the most unexpected time. I packed it to my bag and then Om Anis took me to the closest stall to get flip flop.
We had lunch in a small market then continue the ride to Manurara Village. It was about half an hour to get there. Om Anis first took me to the peak point where we could see all the view of National Park of Tanameru Mandepeu. So green. So beautiful. He showed some areas we’re working at and which villages has signed the protected area borders agreement.
Then we went to Manurara village. The Bapak Desa (village’s head) is Om Dom’s dad. He has been in the position for 8 years. He was
out when we were there. So we sat and waited for him. Mas Fahrul took some good pictures around. Pigs, ducks, horses, chickens. Reminds me of Orson’s farm.
Then Bapak Desa got home. He welcomed me again and started to tell stories about the villages, National Parks, illegal loggings and how traditional laws adjusts with government’s laws.
This is the main lines about deforestation in Sumba.
Since ages the traditions rules its people to respect most weddings and funerals and price it with cattle. So the biggest thing to do around are growing buffaloes and horses. The most efficient way to grow feeding grass area for the cattle is by burning down the old area so they’d fasten the growth of its grass. This is one of the reasons why Sumba deforestation increased 400% since 1800.
Birdlife Indonesia then went in first to make agreements between villages, governments, for the protected areas and wildlife habitats in Sumba. Then to keep the areas protected there are awareness programs where they go to small villages and schools to give awareness about forests, wildlife, climate change and how to keep safe the habitats.
Om Athen and Om Anis told me about how hard
to reach those villages and schools. When there’s no road access to some villages, they had to carry the equipments like speakers and screen because they need them to attract the people. They changed village everyday, doing awareness at schools at daylight, and play awareness video and some movies for the villages families to gather at night.
Then after the agreement made and signed, they will go around the island, forests, beaches, to put temporary borders. After checked and reviewed, they will go all over again to build the permanent borders. These people I work with, they’re working with their heart.
Talking with Bapak Desa was really impressive. He is really a smart guy and he could see from so many points of views. The way he explained things was very clear and he knows what he fights for.
He build the Forests Care Community which is exist to help government watch the illegal loggings and illegal wildlife hunting.
I didn’t realize it was already late. So we ride back to Waikabubak.
I spent the next days working their displays and daily chats with other staff. Bang Budi walked me to the market and we checked some of the
Sumba clothes. Bang Budi really fancy traditional clothes. He said Sumba’s has the best quality for its complicacy to make it. In that small traditional market, they do sell clothes and blankets with prices over 200-500$!!
I bought cheap ones to give to close people, around 2$.. they will never know.
My last day in Sumba, Om Anis meant to do a small farewell party for me and he promised to make his special barbeque grilled fish. So he did. IT WAS SOOO GOOD. After dinner I tried to chew my first beetle nuts.
“Chew. Good. Spit. Good. Here, more chalk. Spit. Don’t swallow, you’ll get dizzy..spit. That’s really red! you’re good.”
It felt like a total numb inside my mouth. Very weird. Then my teeth felt sooooo clean. At this point they seemed noticed and they all laughed at me.
“This is very addictive you see, people here rather not eating than not chewing this.”
New diet, I thought. With the risk of having throat cancer. But probably with their way living peace of life, that’s not a thing they concern the most. I do like chewing beetle nut, its just a different kind of high.
I do
like Sumba, so many things I’ve learned here and yet there are even more things to learn here.
The most important thing I see is no matter what is around you or how it will turn to be, as long as you work with your heart, then you’ll give yourself something to be proud of.
They took me to the airport the next morning. I transit at Bali to meet Cathy, had breakfast at Zanzibar, stopped by to talk with Sony at the beach then back to airport to fly home
Advertisement
Tot: 0.096s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 10; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0559s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
scott erler
non-member comment
WANT TO GET SOME
WHERE CAN I BUY SOME BEETLE NUTS, OR GET SOME SEEDS.