Pak Anden - photo by David Metcalf
Pak Anden welcomed me by smudging my forehead and cheeks with a white powder paste. After receiving my Dayak traditional blessing, we talked about the problems facing his village Kanarakan, located on the Rungan river in Central Kalimantan, two hours by boat from the modern city of Palangkaraya, the capital of this great province.
A quiet and gentle man, Pak Anden was born in 1942 and has seen huge changes in his 70 years and older, good and less good. In recent years in particular have seen enormous changes in her village and the local environment and considers the greatest challenges to the pollution of the river Kahayan illegal gold mining, destruction of the environment many palm oil plantations in the area, lack of educational opportunities for children and how to educate farmers switching to sustainable farming methods.
Pak Anden conveyed his concerns to me that we talked about in the porch of his simple home. "It's hard to get people in the village to understand that we need to consider future generations when we use the land and rivers. Without them we are nothing. The village people grew up with abundant food and fish, but things are changing and unless we change our ways, our village will not survive and we will go to the city. I fear for the future of our culture if this were to happen. "
Pak Anden is a visionary and sees the educational solutions and part of that is welcoming visitors outside. "We have had recent visits of Prince Henrik of Denmark, Australian and Norwegian ambassador and former Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen Great."
"I hope they can help us with education and support for our health program," he said, "We want many visitors to come and stay in our village. We have a home stay program and love to express our Dayak culture, telling stories and expressing our culture through music that was transmitted by our ancestors. "
The daughter of Anden Firiasi is the first person in the village to complete a higher education. She received her midwifery degree in 1993 and returned to the village in 2003. Lia is also a nurse and is responsible for health services in the village, including education of health, not only for Kanarakan but neighboring villages.
As Anden tell me goodbye, I felt the people of his village were in very safe hands that this man has a huge passion and love for his village, despite the many challenges ahead.