Regenerating Rainforests

As a part of Health In Harmony’s Conservation Stimulus Package to address the pandemic, we are ramping up efforts to buy back chainsaws. This package provides former loggers with financial support to create or grow their own sustainable businesses.

In Pangkalan Jihing, three loggers recently participated in our Chainsaw Buyback program: Pak Syamsir (logging since 2015), Pak Sariman (logging since 2012), and Pak Asri (logging since 2003). These community members had already started transitioning away from logging, but they were still occasionally renting their chainsaws to friends who wanted to log in Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP). The ASRI Medical Center's Forest Guardians and a park ranger approached them and told them about our Chainsaw Buyback program.

In the wake of COVID-19, these loggers decided to participate so they could receive additional support for their businesses: a coffee shop, animal husbandry business, and agroforestry business (fruit trees and vegetables).

In Pelerang, former logger Pak Idris decided to participate after a national park officer found him logging inside GPNP. The officer took the time to educate Idris on the impact that logging could have on his health at age 62, as well as how detrimental it is to the forest and the communities that live around it.

After thoughtful consideration and support from his wife, he decided to participate in our microenterprise program as the 56th participant and received 10 million rupiah in exchange for his chainsaw. With these funds, he will a start a new business. Idris has decided to open a small shop, with help from ASRI’s Chainsaw Buyback Coordinator in purchasing materials and items he would like to sell.

In Rantau Panjang, former logger Abdulah had been logging since he was 15 years old, in order to financially support his family. However, working with a chainsaw for the past 25 years has negatively impacted his health and posture: he cannot stand up straight due to constant back pain.

Abdulah was approached by the ASRI Forest Guardians with an opportunity to give up logging and still support his family through an alternative livelihood. At first, he was unsure due to so many orders for timber from outside sources. However, Abdulah finally decided to participate in the Chainsaw Buyback program and begin working in a new industry.

We are incredibly grateful for Mahardika Putra, ASRI Conservation Director, for sharing these stories from now-former loggers who live in and around Gunung Palung National Park.

We also appreciate our many donors, supporters, and followers who contributed to our COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which enabled us to make emergency healthcare and conservation programs like this one reality!

Links:

• Meet Pak Hasanudin, the 151st former logger to participate!

Dr. Alvi is a doctor at ASRI, Health In Harmony’s cornerstone partner in Indonesia. He recently participated in a four-month professional exchange program at Yale University where he learned more about internal medicine and shared his knowledge of the connections between human health and the health of rainforests. His journey is a great example of partnership and planetary health in action. We hope this interview with Dr. Alvi inspires other physicians and institutions to see their practice in a new light.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE MEDICINE?

I was inspired by my mom, a midwife, who dedicated herself to caring for people in an underserved area in West Java. Once, while performing a complicated delivery, her patient was diagnosed with eclampsia (life threatening hypertension in pregnancy). My mom struggled to find help due to a lack of human resources and tools. Thanks to her diligence, she was able to give the patient the correct initial management and then transfer her, in time, to a bigger facility. After that, I decided to pursue medicine, hoping to do my part to improve health regulations and make healthcare more accessible for all.

WHAT ARE THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS YOU LEARNED AS A PHYSICIAN AT ASRI?

At ASRI, I discovered that human health and environmental health greatly impact each other. I also learned how to pilot a rural medicine project by working at ASRI’s second site near Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park – processes like surveying, Radical Listening, hiring, training, and more.

HOW CAN THESE LESSONS FURTHER THE PLANETARY HEALTH MOVEMENT AND MEDICAL FIELD?

Doctors and other medical professionals have an important role in influencing and making change in society. By helping more professionals realize how much climate change impacts patient health, they will start to make a positive environmental and societal impact.

WHAT ARE THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS YOU LEARNED AS A STUDENT AT YALE?

I participated in many studies and advanced procedures, including some new ones. The term “medical mystery” seems impossible to use in the U.S. because of the advanced testing available to diagnose patients. The opportunity to observe physicians performing diagnostic studies sharpened my clinical sense, since medical histories and physical exams are always confirmed by advanced testing. These experiences will help me establish a better standard of care now that I am back at ASRI.

WHY IS HEALTH IN HARMONY’S PARTNERSHIP WITH YALE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

This partnership has great potential. Many students at Yale were interested in learning about the methods that ASRI and Health In Harmony use, like Radical Listening, and our central approach – to address healthcare and conservation simultaneously. Doctors at ASRI now have full access to Yale’s medical library, some of the best resources for medical information and updates. Plus, physicians at Yale continue to share their medical knowledge with ASRI in unique ways – for example, an emergency medicine attendant recently video-chatted with ASRI doctors to discuss ultrasounds.

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN THE U.S.?

Did you face any challenges?

At the start of the exchange, it was challenging to master the differences in the U.S. medical record system compared to Indonesia’s. In the U.S., all medical information is processed within an electronic system; in Indonesia the system is paper-based. It was also challenging to understand American jokes and expressions, sometimes. Over time I adapted to these differences.

Are there any successes you are especially proud of?

I spoke about planetary health and climate change at the VA Hospital of Connecticut to physicians and residents. They were very interested in to learn about climate change and planetary health.

Do you have a favorite American food yet?

I tried some American food, such as New Haven pizza, deep dish Chicago style pizza, Philadelphia cheese steak – they are okay.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?

Now that I have returned to ASRI, I will maintain my relationship with Yale and continue to collaborate with them – especially in research and publications related to planetary and public health. Yale is a great place to study and I would like the chance to visit again the future.

Links:

• Read more stories of success on our blog