By: Syamsidar
Lutfie! That is how this 32 year-old man called, a Community Organizer at WWF-Indonesia Riau Program. As a community organizer, Lutfie spends most of his time in the field, giving assisstance to local communities.
Many community-based works have been established for instance the Association of Tesso Nilo Farmers. This organization aims at building capacity of the farmers in producing good quality of honey as well as facilitatiing market for Tesso Nilo honey.
First time he joined WWF in March 2009, he found difficulties in communicating with local people around Tesso Nilo forest due to language barrier. Lutfie who grew up in Jogjakarta must adapt to strong Malay dialect uttered by local people around Tesso Nilo. However, it did not take long for him to get used to it.
One of Lutfie’s tasks in the community development program is assisting the honey farmers in the Association. The association of tesso nilo farmers was established on 17 January 2010. It aims at promoting the hygienic and sustainable honey processing to all the association members. To date, this association facilitates four groups of honey farmers from three villages around Tesso Nilo forest. This association ensures that its members process and harvest Tesso Nilo honey in hygenic and sustainable way by implementing ICS (Internal Control System) principles referring to standard set up by Alliance of Organics Indonesia in an effort to get certification.
As an inspector in the Association, Lutfie monitors as well as ensures that all members employ the ICS principles, starting from Sialang (honey tree) survey, harvesting, processing to the honey storing process. Tesso Nilo honey farmers are now more motivated as the ICS-based honey processing greatly benefit them. They can get higher price from the honey processed through ICS scheme. Local honey’s price ranges between 15,000-20,000 Rupiah/kg. On the other hand, the association absorbs attains to 33,000 Rupiah/ kg for the ICS-processed honey. The Tesso Nilo honey farmers are now more aware that they have to improve the quality of their product in order to be able to compete with global market. During 2010, this dream has become reality as Tesso Nilo honey entered the Malaysia market.
Lutfie has an unforgettable experience once he was conducting survey for Sialang tree. An eagle suddenly came and grasped the honey hives, making hundred of bees fly off. Lutfie who stood nearby the tree had to run quickly searching for shelter. Fortunately he was safe, none of the bees had a chance to sting him. Something that tears up his heart is when he saw Sialang trees dry up in the middle of clear-cut forest or in dried up accacia plantation. “The trees won’t last long They will gradually die. It means that economic potential for local people will be gone,” Lutfie added.
Before he joined WWF, Lutfie was a drummer of a local band in Jogjakarta who had often partnered with NGOs to produce campaign materials related to humanity issues . His huge concern toward humanity isues had spurred him to go deeply working with community and joined WWF in its community program. His devotion to nature is now doubled. “Intensive interaction with nature has opened my horizon that God bless us with prosperity, it is how we manage the resourceswisely so that we can live in harmony,”he said.
Lutfie expects that government can be more committed to protect ecosystem which also means protect local people subsistence since many of them still depend on forest. Community particularly those who live near Tesso Nilo forest can better perceive the roles of forest as a source for living so that they can actively take part in preserving the forest. Forest are well preserved, Sialang tress can stand still, and community can live better.