Iwin’s Story

Iwin Bahak lives right next to Leuser National Park and has been working on the land for years. It’s a tough and demanding life, and he’s struggled to make ends meet for years. Poverty is widespread unfortunately and the Corona pandemic makes their society even more vulnerable. Hungry orangutans came to Iwin’s plantation and ate his fruit, costing him his harvest…

He didn’t know how his family could survive this blow. Many locals wouldn’t see another way out than plundering the forests for farmland, logging and poaching. Iwin choose not to.

With help from SOS, Iwin has been able to increase and vary his income, through various conservation activities such as growing seedlings and planting the trees. Life as a farmer is still tough. But the extra income gives his family more security so they can live peacefully alongside the wild orangutans.

As Rio Ardi, restoration manager at OIC says, “We don’t just provide the communities with an income; they also understand the importance of recovery and are involved in protecting the forest. Over time, that grows into a love for the area they helped restore.”

This is what  makes us tick. Not falling for old destructive solutions, but looking at how things can be done differently. We are pleased that with the help of all our customers, SOS and OIC were able to help Iwin!