Sumini feared the forest destruction would cause natural disasters. So, she invited women from three villages to watch over and manage forests.
By
ZULKARNAINI
·5 minutes read
DOKUMENTASI HAKA
Sumini
Sumini, 45, a housewife from the highlands of Gayo, Aceh, was saddened to witness forest damage due to squatting. She feared the forest destruction would cause natural disasters. So, she invited women from three villages to watch over and manage forests.
At the end of 2015, Bener Meriah regency, Aceh, was drenched with downpours for days. Residents living at the foot of Burni Telong volcano in Damaran Baru, Fajar Harapan and Kenine villages, Timang Gajah district, Bener Meriah regency, were feeling wary.
Sumini and her husband, Sujito, couldn’t quiet down either. They sensed something terrible was about to occur. It proved to be true as a rumbling suddenly came from the direction of Mount Burni Telong. Flash floods overwhelmed plantations and settlements. Fortunately, no lives were claimed in the brief flood rush. But over a dozen homes and tens of hectares of coffee crops were ravaged.
“The flash floods occurred because the forests up there were damaged. Many squatters opened plantations in protected forests,” said Sumini when visited on Tuesday (17/11/2020) while consolidating women’s role in guarding natural resources in Bener Meriah. She and 20 other women were discussing the strategy of forest management in Gayo.
The flash floods occurred because the forests up there were damaged.
Damaran Baru and two other villages are at the foot of the active volcano. If the forests on the mountain slope are destroyed, the villages below become highly vulnerable to flash floods or landslides. “We don’t want to see any recurrence of the disaster. That’s why we must act to protect the forests,” added Sumini.
In the wake of the 2015 floods, residents in three villages were deliberating ways to end forest damage. They formed a group tasked with guarding forests from squatting and illegal logging. Sumini, previously active in an environment oriented nongovernmental organization, was named chairperson of the forest protection group.
The majority of the group’s members are women, totaling about 45. They set up a team of woman rangers called Mpu Uteun in the Gayo language. Among the requirements for rangers is being of good health and gaining permission from their husbands in the case of married women.
These women rangers take turns in patrolling forest areas for ten days each month. They walk tens of kilometers into the forests, sometimes having to spend the night and sleep in the open. Besides guarding, while patrolling they also record the diversity of flora and fauna and plant a number of trees.
“Forest protection is not just a man’s job but women in Damaran Baru play a key role in protecting forest zones. For us, guarding forests is the same as guarding life. Forests constitute the breath of our life. If forests are damaged, its greater impact will be borne by women,” explained Sumini.
Their patrols are usually conducted in forest areas most important to support the life of residents, such as those on the fringes of watersheds. When they wish to explore forest zones farther away from villages, they collaborate with a patrol team comprising male members.
Dangerous
As women, Sumini and the other Mpu Uteun also have other decisive roles. They take care of families, plantations and the environment. They have to “acrobatically” manage their time. However, everything they handle has been progressing well for years.
Moreover, the tenacious women also have to face forest squatters and hunters of protected animals when patrolling. This is a dangerous activity. Nonetheless, they have their way of avoiding danger, which is done by talking. “Actually, I’m rather apprehensive about facing squatters, but usually they’re more willing to listen to (the voice of) women,” she said.
DOKUMEN HAKA
A number of women in Damaran Baru Village, Timang Gajah Sub-district, Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh patrols inside the village forest area.
Before 2019, the group of women rangers headed by Sumini still had no official forest management license. Consequently, they could only warn the offenders who entered their forest zones without being able to take action or impose sanctions.
With this problem, Sumini and residents of the three villages, Damaran Baru, Fajar Harapan and Kenine, submitted a request for a village forest management license on 2 February 2019 to the relevant ministry. The license application was assisted by Yayasan Hutan Alam Lingkungan, an Aceh natural forest foundation. The request was granted by the Environment and Forestry Ministry in November 2019.
“We’re very happy, we’ve finally secured the right to protect and manage the resources on our own land,” said Sumini.
The forest zones managed by this group become the only village forestland in Aceh controlled by women. The forest of Damaran Baru village they handle covers an area of around 251 hectares.
After the management license was issued, Sumini planned to manage Damaran Baru’s village forest as a conservation tourism destination. This village forest has a waterfall and river. An open field is being prepared to become a camping ground.
We’re very happy, we’ve finally secured the right to protect and manage the resources on our own land.
In 2020, Damaran Baru village was nominated for Anugerah Pesona Indonesia (API, Indonesian Fascination Award) as a tourism village. The promotion of this tourism village is under way. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many tourists have put off their visits to the village.
Sumini is optimistic the village forest will be a new source of income for residents. But more importantly, the forest will be restored and the risk of disasters will be reduced. “Young people in the village also show greater care for the environment,” concluded Sumini.
Sumini
Born: Timang Gajah, Bener Meriah, 14 April 1975
Husband: Sujito
Children: five
Education: Senior high school
Occupation: Coffee farmer
Activity: Chairperson, Forest Management Institute of Damaran Baru
