Community Empowerment

The Satucita Foundation or called Yayasan Satucita Lestari Indonesia in Bahasa Indonesia believes that the conservation of wildlife and nature must be coherent with and support the welfare of the local people who live in the area or habitat. It is our principle.

Therefore, the empowerment of local people around the habitat of wildlife must be taken into the process and result in wildlife and nature conservation. By empowering the local people sustainably, they will have the resources to meet their needs and realize their potential and talents sustainably.

We have some programs to achieve our vision, they are:

  • Currently, we are developing educational mangrove tourism or mangrove ecotourism in the District of Aceh Tamiang. We have found and facilitated two community groups in Painted Terrapin nesting sites in 2013. The members of the groups are youth, the future generation. These groups have been trained in tourism and Painted Terrapin conservation by us, the government, and other institutions. We also provide assistance to these groups in developing educational tourism. Even though educational tourism is developing slowly, the site has been known well by local people as a center of learning about Painted Terrapin and mangrove conservation.
Situation of Pusung Cium
Nesting Beach Pusung Cium
Painted Terrapin Information Center
Female Terrapin Nesting on the Beach
Student in Camping Ground
Camping Ground
Situation in Camping Ground
Nesting Beach Pusung Putus
Visitors at Camping Ground
Students Learning About Hatchery
Students Learning in Camping Ground
Students Beafore Boating to the Beach
The situation of points of interest in Ujung Tamiang educational tourism, such as nesting beaches, camping ground, Painted Terrapin Information Center. (Photo: Joko/Nurul/Farhan/Galih/Afrizal)
  • Sustainable fisheries. In collaboration with fishermen who have abandoned ponds, we are trying to support them in the development of shrimp and fish natural ponds.

Our community empowerment program must be based on the principles as follows:

  1. Must be sustainable. It means that the program developed must meet current needs and ensure that future generations will be able to meet their needs too. So, the resources are not depleted or overexploited, just to meet and develop current needs.
  2. Local-based. It does not only involve local people, but must be based on local context, local-lead. We are just an initiator, facilitators, and partners in the process of developing the local’s welfare. So, a different site will need a different approach or program.
  3. Welfare means not only in materialistic or money terms. We define welfare in holistic and balance terms: increasing income (money), increasing capacity (knowledge and skills), increasing opportunities, equality, and fairness. So, rather than try to achieve a maximum result, the program will try to achieve the optimum result.
  4. The program must be a solution to overcome the threats faced by wildlife and nature.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need further information about our program. We will be happy to answer it!