The ASRI Community: Dedicated to Saving The Forest, Saving Lives, and Inspiring All
The world is full of incredible places. Yet, only some places can give you experiences that will influence you for the rest of your life. Before even coming to ASRI, I knew my time in Sukadana would impact the course of my life.
The night me and my friends, Kate and Leah, arrived at ASRI we were immediately welcomed into the ASRI family. Our first full day in Sukadana was spent with some of the ASRI staff on an adventure to Juante island. The day was full of beautiful views, swimming, singing, eating amazing food, and meeting those that would become good friends. This day is one of those days that I will remember forever.
The work being done at ASRI endlessly fascinates and inspires me. ASRI embodies the spirit of systems thinking, so instead of viewing complex systems as separate parts, ASRI emphasizes the interconnectedness of the health of the forests and the health of the people. ASRI has a clinic to improve access to healthcare in the local community, complete with many programs to reach more rural areas with less access to healthcare. On the other hand, ASRI also works on the reforestation of many sites in the Gunung Palung National Park, in addition to other conservation projects, research, and monitoring. Due to the interconnected relationship between the forest and humans, ASRI has many programs that connect these two areas as well. This is the mindset that leads to truly healthy communities.
Community inclusion is also a fundamental aspect of ASRI’s work. Almost every program at ASRI involves members of the local community. When visiting ASRI nurseries, forest guardians, ex-loggers, widows, eco-polybag weavers, organic farmers, ASRI teens, etc. the network of people we got the opportunity to meet was astonishing. ASRI works to provide for the needs of the community, and in turn the community is an integral aspect of the success of these projects. For example, limiting the illegal logging would not be possible without the Forest Guardians monitoring system set in place through the community.
When asked why they work for ASRI, most community members answer that their passion for the environment is why they do what they do. Passion truly drives change in a community and ASRI successfully harnesses the passion of the community to see a tremendous positive impact. There are also programs like organic farming training that extend beyond ASRI to create an entirely new community of organic farmers that is constantly expanding. Outside of people we met on ASRI visits, locals had fond views about ASRI. Regardless of how much they knew about the programs, they were appreciative of the work being done and having access to a clinic in Sukadana.
The education programs at ASRI are also extensive and receive a certain excitement from the community that I haven’t seen before. In my experiences in higher level education in Switzerland and the US, the inclusion of sustainability is not always welcomed warmly. This was not the case in Sukadana. Everyone at the schools from headmasters, to teachers, to students, everyone was excited to learn about the environment and work with ASRI. This has led to the huge successes of ASRI’s numerous programs focused on planetary health education from a young age.
One of my favorite parts of my time at ASRI was attending morning meetings. Morning meetings are the way ASRI staff keep each other updated with the multitude of projects and general business. It was always super interesting to hear what everyone was working on and hear what challenges came up and how these were being overcome. But perhaps the best part of morning meetings was when everyone was making jokes and laughing. While we had absolutely no idea what was going on, watching everyone smile and laugh was the best way to start each day.
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of ASRI, in my opinion, is the variety of backgrounds of the staff. There is an excitement of learning about planetary health among all staff members regardless of what areas of knowledge their job specifically focuses on. Seeing so many people with such different interests, all wanting to learn more about planetary health, inspires me deeply. ASRI truly is a special place full of lifelong learners.
As a University student always confronted with the question of what I’m going to do with my life, my time at ASRI has shown me that having such a profound positive impact on the community and the environment is possible. The achievements of ASRI go beyond their incredible programs, but are certainly a result of an atmosphere of dedication, passion, and love. I cannot describe how thankful I am to have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most inspiring people I have ever met. A huge terima kasih to the ASRI staff for making Sukadana truly feel like home these past 6 weeks and for showing me how beautiful the world can be!
