Bi Teguh is a leading light in the fight to restore the Hutan Harapan rainforest on the island of Sumatra, the ancestral land where she lives with her family. In the face of increasing encroachment by palm oil plantations, she has worked to highlight the threats faced by the Batin Sembilan indigenous group she is part of – even addressing an international environment conference in Jakarta in 2018. Teguh, 44, is now part of a project between Pirelli, BMW Group and the non-governmental organisation BirdLife International, and is working to help stop illegal encroachment and support her fellow women to learn new skills.
What threats do you face, living in the rainforest?
Hutan Harapan is very important for our community, especially for us women. It is our home and we look for much of what we need in the forest. Ever since the palm oil companies set up, we have been disturbed and the forest has been damaged. There have been forest fires, the weather has become unpredictable, and fruit and other products have decreased.
What are the goals of the BirdLife/Pirelli/BMW project?
We hope that this project will help our future and hopefully our children's future will be even better because there is assistance for plantations such as rubber and fruits of all kinds – but not palm oil.
Why did you get involved?
We are really passionate about protecting the forest because we need it to live. I have three children and three grandchildren. I'm getting older and I will need less and less, but the needs of my children and grandchildren are growing. In my opinion it is my responsibility to protect the forest and conserve it.
We can't protect all areas of the forest because there are more encroachers than us, but what can we do? The important thing is that we have tried. Of course, we don't just let it go. We put our efforts in together with our husbands, children and all those supporting us.
Why is involving women so important in protecting the region?
The men only go to certain places in the forest, but the women use it more. Every day we fish, collect firewood, all kinds of things, so we want to protect the forest. We still collect damar [a resin used in varnish] and rattan, although finding rattan is a bit difficult now because the forest has been burned.
What's your role in the project?
I lead a group of mothers and children. I direct them when we go into the forest and decide what we should do if we meet encroachers or find a new clearance or an illegal hut. I lead joint activities such as gardening and planting and inform them about any training activities. I'm from a big family and although I'm still young I'm old in terms of my family. So, I'm always the leader, the elder.
You spoke to an international audience in 2018 about the need to protect Hutan Harapan from encroachers. How did this come about?
I was invited to Jakarta [by PT REKI, the group that manages the area of Hutan Harapan as a designated “ecosystem restoration concession”]. I was a little bit shaken as I have never done that before, talking in front of that many people. I asked what I should talk about and they said I should just tell them what matters to me. At that time there were issues with coal roads about to enter our forest and that's what I asked the ministers and the President in particular. I said he needed to pay attention not only to ants, flora and fauna, but also to humans – because many people need the forest. I was given seven minutes, but I talked for less because I wasn't that brave!
Did you ever think you'd be an international advocate?
I never imagined it. It never crossed my mind. I only visit [the local city of] Jambi once or twice a year, let alone Jakarta. I was afraid of getting on the plane, but for the sake of the forest, my friends, my children and grandchildren, I had to do it. Our future is in the forest and I will continue to fight for what remains. Without us representing ourselves, outsiders won't know what's going on here and how we feel. If we don't talk directly to people, they won't believe what is happening here.
Why do the women in Hutan Harapan need new skills?
Many of us don't know how to read or write and we don't know lots of other things. But with training, that will change. We are learning health skills – hygiene. It's never too late to learn. The important thing is we try.
We are training in cultivation, how to plant for the best results. For rubber, it's the distance between plants, the depth of planting, how to maintain the plant. This project has helped us and our hope is that it is not limited. We work hard with what we are given. We plant the seeds, nurture them, take care of them. We attend the courses and learn. We do this because the forest is our future.
Has enough been done to save the forest?
I think there is still enough forest. If we can stop here. But we can't know that it will stop this time or at any time. We must keep on working to stop the encroachers. God willing, there is still enough forest to meet our needs – rattan, resin and the other things we need are still there. In my opinion, there is sufficient for us and our community. My hope is that it meets the needs of our children and grandchildren. We hope that those who have helped us don't stop. We are very grateful.
