115 / Bandarbaru, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra
Mrs. Novita has been running an Education Center in Bandarbaru village for 4 years now. She is also teaching the English class for local children.
There are English classes twice a week. Additionally, every friday is dedicated to environmental education. The kids are being taught about environmental hygiene and animal conservation, in particular about the slow loris.
Bandarbaru village is located in the highlands near Mount Sibayak. The mindsets of the villagers are still very narrow. Information and knowledge about the environment is taboo.
The center is trying to teach the children to throw their waste into the bins, but the children are being lazy and refuse to do it, because they see their parents throwing the garbage everywhere as well. The local adults are difficult to work with and lack awareness about the environment.
Due to the location of the village, Bandarbaru is the main resource of water for Medan, Indonesia’s third largest city. During the rainy season, the polluted rivers do not only bring water, but also the village’s waste into the city of Medan.
The endangered wildlife in the rainforests is in demand for attention as well. The local people hunt the animals for food or to sell them on the black market in Aceh and Medan. Due to the volcanic eruptions, the wildlife is forced to move closer and closer to the village area, where they are exposed to the threats of humankind.
Mrs. Novita wants to teach the children to consume cattle animals instead of bush meat. She says: “We want them to fall in love with the animals and the wildlife, because a sustainable environment is a place where animals, wildlife and humans can live happily.”