Forestry co. 'helping' East Kalimantan

Nurni Sulaiman ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Nunukan   |  Wed, 03/05/2008 2:15 PM  |  The Archipelago

STAGE HUTS: Poor families in Buong Baru village, East Kalimantan live in elevated houses to avoid being flooded during the rainy season and attacked by wild animals at night. (JP/Nurni Sulaiman)

Poverty is rife in the northern regions of East Kalimantan, especially in areas along the border with East Malaysia, such as districts in Nunukan, Malinau, Tana Tidung and Bulungan regencies, where road conditions are poor and people lack access to electricity and clean water.

In Buong Baru and Selundau villages in Sesayap district of Tana Tidung regency, local people use kerosene lamps at night and rely on the nearby river for cooking and washing.

In parts of Nunukan regency people were also seen forced to get along on very little, such as in Libang village in Limbas district and Mambulu village in Sembakung district. Things are reportedly no better in many of the other villages along the border.

"We are forced to use water from the river for everything, including bathing and washing clothes, despite its quality. If it rains, we catch water for drinking and cooking," said Libang village chief Mogoi B.

The village has only two government facilities -- an elementary school and an auxiliary community health clinic.

In an effort to carry out its corporate social responsibility program, private forestry company (AHL) has provided assistance to a number of villages using community development funds.

The program has five basic components -- welfare, infrastructure, health and environment, education and "people empowerment".

"We maintain the principle of empowering the community, not just providing aid -- like the proverb of giving people a fish net instead of a fish," said AHL managing director Arifin Guntur Marpaung.

In remote villages, the company is responsible for building infrastructure, such as roads, clean water facilities, power lines, houses of worship and village halls.

The firm has also provided medical care by sending company physicians to 52 villages in four regencies -- Malinau, Nunukan, Tana Tidung and Bulungan -- as well as giving out scholarships and teacher honorariums.

In each of the 52 villages, two talented and deserving students will be selected for the education assistance.

AHL community development manager Soeprijadi said he coordinated with local agencies in distributing the funds. Each student in Nunukan chosen for a scholarship would receive Rp 500,000 (US$55) each month, he said.

As of last month, some 95 percent of the AHL workforce were local residents.

Residents in Buong Baru village in Sesayap district, Tana Tidung regency, can now enjoy electricity, thanks to the assistance of a 45 KVA-capacity diesel generator, capable of lighting 100 homes.

All 52 villages belong to the four regencies in "Ring 1", immediately adjacent to the AHL concession.

"We are prioritizing Ring 1 now but we'll empower those in Ring II and surrounding areas in the next stage," said Soeprijadi.

The corporate-backed anti-poverty program was funded to the tune of Rp 1.4 billion last year and AHL has earmarked Rp 3.4 billion this year.

The forestry company has a forest concession area spanning well over 191,000 hectares in four regencies, 60 percent of which is production forest and the rest conservation forest.

"However, we are able to reforest only 85,000 hectares due to forest conversion by local residents. But, we remain committed in preserving its biodiversity and conservation and continue to be concerned with community and environmental empowerment. We have even imposed a zero burning policy, or prevent forest burning for land clearing, as an effort to reduce the impacts of global warming," said Arifin.

H. Pangeran Ismail, a Sebuku district, Dayak chief, said "AHL has involved the community in its operations. We are thankful to the company for creating opportunities for our children and grandchildren."

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