Meet Desnawaty Deccy: Program Manager Conservation
Hello everyone!
My name is Desnawaty Deccy H.S, my family sometimes called me Des or Deccy. But due to a mistake by my high school, they did not put Deccy on my graduate certificate, so nowadays I use Desnawaty H.S formally.
I was born in an area surrounded by forests in a small village called Tubang Raeng. When I was a child my father taught me how to read, and those educational experiences allowed me to excel in school and beyond. I have lived in Pontianak since I was a student at TanjungPura University where I received a teaching degree. I am deeply passionate about teaching and the environment.
My interests in environmental and community development work stem from my childhood. When I was just a kid I often worked in the forest around my village and helped my family in the rice fields. My background as a Dayak farmer fuels my passions today.
Looking at Kalimantan over the course of my life I can see an unbelievable amount of change. Even the forests that once surrounded my home village are no longer there.
I love working on environmental issues and finding solutions that benefit humans and the environment. Indonesia is facing challenging environmental and education problems. West Kalimantan is one of the most critical areas to work in due to its rich cultural and biological history.
I am constantly shocked at how the world around me is changing. People are forced to log the forests to create an income, while palm oil companies take what land we have left and turn them into large agricultural plantations. Moreover, many people still lack education and there is little awareness among the people about what issues Indonesia is currently facing. Educating people is central to this problem, as how can we expect locals to mobilize for change without the knowledge of what the issues are?
As a field organizer, I have learned a lot about the life, trials, and tribulations of the people living in small villages.
Combining conservation with community development is of the utmost importance. Conservation needs to be framed in a way where we maintain the potential of natural resources to sustainably meet the demands and necessities of life. Conservation should inspire the next generation based on the positive things we have accomplished together as a community. When Planet Indonesia was formed, the perfect opportunity arrived for me to help those and the world around me.
There are two reasons why I want to work with Planet Indonesia.
First, Planet Indonesia as an institution is dedicated to and has a strong focus on education. There are a few other not-for-profits working on this issue. The few that are, typically, after a short program is completed will not take steps to ensure longevity and impact. However, the team at Planet Indonesia and I are committed to long-term sustainable programs.
Second, Planet Indonesia is an international not-for-profit but is started from grassroots efforts. I think we have a solid foundation by asking communities what they need? I think at PI we have a strong solid team, and we can expect some cool works to come out of this NGO.
I think PI will be an agent for change for the people and the environment on which they rely on, in West Kalimantan, Indonesia and all over the world.
Terima Kasih Banyak,
Deccy