Canadian Student Plant the Trees

Savhanna plant the tree in Kilodua, 2011 April.

A college student from Canada, Savhanna Wilson (24), first set foot on Earth Borneo, Indonesia, Sunday (10 /4/11) night. She was on vacation semester of student exchange programs in an international university in Bangkok, and want to fill his vacation by looking at the traditional life of the Dayaks traditional life.

Initially, I was surprised to receive an email a few weeks ago, from someone foreign student. Apparently, he got my email from my old friend, Christian Oesterheld, a German, who now teach at universities in Bangkok.

Christian suggested Savhanna to fill the holiday, with direct experience of community life inland. I am certainly thrilled with that plan, which finally truly realized.

Various plans have been prepared so that Savhanna implement a week-long stay living in my hometown, Balai Berkuak, Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is about 200 kilometers from the city of Pontianak. My younger brother come to pick her up, because Savhanna want to experience riding a motorcycle for a considerable distance away it.

Savhanna who has not speak in bahasa Indonesia yet, certainly can give motivation to young people in rural villages. Therefore, my younger brother who is also a teacher in high school in the village, has prepared a schedule for Savhanna can visit several classes.

“I’m studying the culture of some countries and I am glad to do the field research,” said Savhanna.

She also agreed to my request to plant a few trees in the yard or on land owned by my parents. If the tree was grown and developed, could become a kind of “memorial” on Savhanna first visit to Indonesia, and also as a form of attention outside of traditional life in the township.

My family invited her to visit an kilodua which has now become a young jungle. She plant some fruit trees there.

“I feel so honored to be able to plant trees in the forests here in Borneo.  It makes me feel as if I am able to leave a small part of me in the memories of the jungle and the people that reside here for generations to come,” said Savhanna. 

“The trees I have planted will long outlive myself, and it is a nice feeling to know that I have contributed, even in this small way, to the beauty of the natural environment in Kalimantan.  It will most certainly strengthen my friendship with the people I have met here, as it is a lasting memory of my visit here for both of us, and a connection with this region for the rest of my life.”

Looking for rebong.

Also, she was accompanied by my younger sister, collecting some bamboo sprout (we say rebong in our local language) that they meet along the footpath.

Savhanna very interested in seeing the way that people are able to use the land around them for their daily lives. He called it a “sustainable lifestyle” and nature-based.

“As a Canadian, I am not able to experience regularly because of the climate of my home country. I look forward to enjoying the prepared bamboo shoots for dinner,” said Savhanna.

Savhanna visiting another village, Bengaras, at Sungai Laur Dictric, the next place of Balai Berkuak. There she was welcomed by many residents who were curious about her looks. She’s also has a chance to wear traditional clothes of Dayak, and she looks very beautiful!

She also has a chance to see the baboretn ritual, which was held in the Tahak Village, about 6 kilometers from Balai Berkuak. Ritual baboretn namely shamanism is still believed to cure diseases.

Savhanna impressed with the first experience to see the ritual sacrifice of a pig and two chickens for the magic procession. She saw the dukun (shaman) dancing to the beat the drum, around the “taman” which was established in the middle of the house. “Taman” is a ritual equipment in the form of stem-enforced with ornamental foliage decoration and offerings.

“I did, however, enjoy my very first ritual of animal sacrifice, 2 chickens and a pig. That was so exciting! No need to worry! ” she comments about the ritual. (*)