Our reforestation effort has taught us the vital role of community involvement in successfully implementing our programs. Therefore we are taking a more proactive approach to engage the entire community instead of just concentrating on smallholder farmers by organizing an event called the “Lightwood Roadshow”.
What sets the Lightwood Roadshow apart from our previous socialization efforts is its efficiency and broader reach. Within just one month, we have visited 14 different villages, targeting a more diverse audience. Our aim is to raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation through reforestation and responsible timber value chains. By focusing on rural areas in Central Kalimantan, we hope to address the lack of awareness about potential threats, such as flooding during the rainy season due to the village locations on the river bays. The urgency of taking action is undeniable. Educating the community about the potential of reforestation for counteracting natural disasters is an important part of the roadshow.
“Public participation requires an educational process, informing people about their environmental threats, reinforcement and opportunities and means to take the best action, and encouraging them to participate fully in environmental protection efforts,” said Destri Ayu Angela, our colleague in charge of the lightwood roadshow.
Our approach for this event is “people to people contact.” By personally visiting each targeted village and holding short but impactful meetings during gatherings and events, we aim to leave a lasting impression. We have integrated these activities in the people’s market and religious and traditional gatherings, fostering a sense of connection and trust with the community. By working closely and getting involved with the people, we believe we can achieve our goals by actively engaging the community in protecting our environment for both the present and the future.
The active involvement of village governments has also been crucial in ensuring the success of this activity. We envision that even after the roadshow concludes, the village governments will continue to educate the community on a larger scale.
And as a result, we received a lot of positive feedback from the people who participated. Hayati Muslimah, one of the attendees from Jalemu Raya village, mentioned how this empowered her to encourage women in her community to actively participate in tree planting, as the awareness of the environmental condition was raised.
We are happy to say that the Lightwood Roadshow has become a success, attracting a total of 921 participants in just one month. The enthusiasm and engagement from the community have been inspiring, reaffirming the importance of our new approach in raising awareness about environmental issues.
