I had no idea...
This journey revealed to me the disastrous effect of corruption but also the beauty of the human spirit. We are capable of so much destruction, but also so much good. This last idea gives me all the strength and determination necessary to contribute towards a positive change in the heart of Borneo.
Of course I was aware of the deforestation happening, how the rights of the local people are not respected and how corruption rules, how the wildlife is disappearing inexorably. But like many of us, I had very little idea of the true 'reality'. I don't think it is something someone can fully understand without seeing it for themselves but I will try my best to share with you what I experienced, felt and saw during this very personal soul-nourishing 20 day journey in the heart of Borneo.
The sight of infinite palm oil plantations, rivers destroyed by gold-mining, wildlife in cages and the resignation in the eyes of the local communities made me realise how close we are to destroying our beautiful planet Earth, but I know for sure that I can no longer remain passive and will do everything I can to make a difference.
The Eco-Warriors
I have had the honour and privilege to share twenty days with 14 amazing and passionate souls; Kody, Paul, Anne-Sophie, Shadrak, Yvette, Tom, Mark, Steve, Emily, Liza, Chai Chin, Fa', Ben and Perry. They come from Kenya, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, USA, France, Holland and the UK. We are all citizens of the world wanting to make a positive change and we have united in this fight for the right of the Dayak people, the forest and its wildlife. Despite our very different characters, backgrounds, experiences and cultures, everybody without exception has made the personal choice to offer their passion, positive energy and determination to make a positive change in Borneo.
It was an overwhelming feeling to meet them for the first time after many online interactions. Intense experiences and 20 life-changing days definitely brings people together. I personally feel a very deep emotional connection with each of the Eco-Warriors. The total support and understanding of the group was a huge help during this learning experience that provided incredible highs and lows.
When I think about the Eco-warriors and the people supporting the Deforestaction project, it makes me smile and strengthens my belief in our own power to make a difference.
We had the amazing privilege to work with Willie Smits as our guide and mentor, one of the most incredible conservationists of our time. He has dedicated his life to fighting for the environment, the people and the wildlife of Borneo. The most important lesson he taught us is that everything is linked; by helping the people, we help the environment and the animals. Willie, you have a beautiful soul and I'm honoured to work with you!
The Dayaks
During our trip we had the chance to stop and appreciate the community life of the Dayaks by spending time in villages along the Melawai River and inland of the Sintang district. Everywhere we visited we were greeted with smiles and laughter. I was not expecting such a warm welcome. Even living through such difficult times, they all opened their hearts.
A smile on a child's face warms the soul and it hit me a number of times that they might not have a future if their forest keeps being cut down to make space for ever-expanding palm oil plantations. With each smile, I knew that my priorities where changing; that there was important work to be done to give these kids the future they deserve - a peaceful and harmonious future that many generations before them had enjoyed and is now under threat.
This beautiful little girl sleeping in the common area of one of the last longhouses, the traditional habitation of the Dayak people, is the daughter of Pak Sembai, the chief of the longhouse in the small village of Ensaid Penjang. She's at peace, she doesn't know yet but her parents fear for her future. The Dayaks want nothing more than to live a peaceful and simple life in harmony with nature and tradition.
Not long ago, they were surrounded by lush rainforest, providing enough food, medicinal plants and timber for construction. Today not much forest is left and this same remaining forest is currently being threatened by approaching palm oil companies. At the time of our stay in the longhouse, a new sign has been placed only a few kilometres away by a palm oil company as an indication that they were planning on coming to steal the forest of the people. The Dayaks don't want to give up their land but wealthy, greedy companies and widespread government corruption make their fight extremely difficult. The local people are desperate for help and feel betrayed by their own government, which doesn't seem to care about their own people. Without their forest, there is no future for this little girl and the dozens of other happy, smiling kids of the longhouse.
As eco-warriors we have the infinite privilege to be able to give our time and energy to support these communities in need of a voice. Humbly accepting their trust, we all resolved to fight for their rights and stop the abuse. By listening to their stories and sharing knowledge and feelings we are building a strong, sincere emotional connection; a bridge between them and the rest of the world. They now know they are not alone. We are giving them hope - hope that there is a future for their family.
The forest
I was conducting some investigative work one morning around the area of Ensaid Penjang when I saw two excavators eating the nearby Peatforest alive. I came back later that day with Anne-Sophie and the camera crew to take close-up footage of the destruction happening right in front of our eyes. In the space of a few hours they had cleared a few hundred metres. Instead of the forest, there were rows of freshly cut trees and gutted land. It was a tragic sight. I saw a large butterfly with badly damaged wings trying to escape what was, until that moment, its home. While I shall never know how many living beings perished that day, how many tons of carbon were released as a consequence or how many people lost their forest - what I know is that this is WRONG.
In every village we visited the people shared the same frustrating story - how palm oil companies trick them by making false promises, by intimidating people or just taking their land away without any consultation. Palm oil companies stink. Not only environmentally but also financially and ethically. They take everything from the people; their forest, their future and their soul. It makes me angry and sad. While it is incredibly frustrating to see, I'm harnessing these feelings to create a effective action plan with my fellow eco-warriors that will bring positive change.
The wildlife
I saw orangutans for the first time during this journey. On our first day, we stopped four hours from Sintang to see two young orangutans in a small cage. They were sick and living in their own faeces. It was a heartbreaking moment and I will always remember the desperation and sadness in their eyes. These intelligent beings have been locked in their tiny prison for years for the sake of entertainment. Happily, these two orangutans will be rescued and join the Sintang Rescue Centre. They will be well cared for and rehabilitated until they are ready to be released into the wild.
It hurts to know that hundreds of other wild animals - including other orangutans, gibbon and sun bears - are living in similar conditions, sometimes even worse (as we witnessed during the 20 days). Fighting the illegal wildlife trade, due to greed, lack of law enforcement, corruption and lack of education, is one of the key objectives of the Deforestaction project.
The Earthwatchers team
I am the team leader of the Earthwatchers Team with Emily Hunter, Chai Chin, Fa' Empel.
The Earthwatchers team has been assembled to tackle the problem of deforestation caused by illegal logging and illegal operation from unscrupulous companies, especially in the palm oil industry. This is one of the most challenging fights of our generation. Along with the support of young people from all around the world, we are planning to take direct and indirect actions, with the goal of exposing the companies involved and providing local communities with the tools to protect their livelihood with the support of the international community.
The strength of the Earthwatchers team is our diversity, our experience and the drive and determination to walk the talk. Such diversity will allow us to combine investigative work, media exposure, local dialogue and support and technical work to succeed.
Our first objective is delaying and stopping the expansion of palm oil companies by applying pressure on all stakeholders involved. To achieve this objective, we will use investigative methods to gather intelligence on all the financing channels from investors, banks, buyers and companies. Coupled with strong media campaigns and technical evidence gathered using mapping technologies, we will expose these practices and the different parties involved. Meanwhile, we will develop protocols to fight deforestation at the local level and give local communities tools to be better prepared when pressure is applied by the palm oil companies.
The second objective will demonstrate the power and effectiveness of international collaborative work through the Earthwatchers program in fighting illegal logging over a pilot area in the Sintang district. With the support of the local authorities we will go out in the field and investigate the disturbances identified by school children by the use of satellite images and social media. This collaborative work between the team on the ground, the local authorities and the school children involved will hopefully demonstrate the operational efficiency of this system and attract media attention. We will work with local communities to give them alternatives solutions.
What's next?
Our time in Borneo filled us with motivation and a powerful positive energy. Now it is time to give this energy back to the world. With the support of school children we are laying the foundations of this innovative project. We are powerful beings and there is a lot of potential to do some good. Every one can add a brick, we just need to decide to do it.
It has been an emotional roller coaster; from total frustration and helplessness to joy, love and hope. I think the secret to moving forward is to use these strong feelings, good and bad, as the fuel to make the positive change I believe in.
I'm really hoping from the bottom of my heart that, through the different stories we are sharing, people will start thinking about how the choices they make in their life can impact on the environment and the life of other communities.
We have so much luxury and convenience in western society, but it comes with a price. Most of us are unaware of the suffering and destruction we are causing in other parts of the world. Will individual ignorance lead to the destruction of our planet? The answer is a definite 'no' because collective action and education will prevent it.
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