A dog guards the bridge to the village forest in Sira-Manggroholo village.
A nokok (sago harvesting area) in the middle of a sago hamlet in Manggroholo-Sira village, Saifi district, South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, September 20, 2023. A sago hamlet is the name for the land where sago is grown, a staple food for the Papuan people. Approximately 120 hectares of sago palms surround Manggroholo-Sira village, supporting food and economic needs.
Mapping of customary forest areas and work plans for the Sira-Manggroholo village community
The atmosphere in Sira-Manggroholo village is quiet, while residents farm in the village forest.
Last September, hundreds of Papuans youth from various regions visited the village of Sira-Manggroholo in South Sorong, Southwest Papua. Their village forest became a comprehensive learning center for the youth, after decades of fighting to protect their customary forest from oligarchs and extractive industries.
Since 2006, Greenpeace has been supporting the Knasaimos tribe from Sira-Manggroholo village in their fight for their customary forest, which was recognized and protected by the South Sorong regional government in 2023. Greenpeace and the Sira-Manggroholo community hope to share this success through the "Forest Defender Camp" educational event, encouraging Papuan youth to also protect their customary forest.
Otovina Kladit, Berselina Sremere, Alex Srefle and Hizkia Dua Srefle were photographed in front of their school in Manggroholo village, September 20, 2023. These 4 3rd grade elementary school students were waiting for their turn to study due to the limited number of teachers.
Dian Wagafere (29), a woman from Sira Village who is also a junior high school teacher and treasurer of the Village Forest Management Institute (LPHD).
Residents of MangSir Village (Manggroholo-Sira) during the Forest Defender Camp (FDC) in the Manggroholo-Sira village forest, Saifi District, South Sorong Regency, September 20, 2023. The FDC was organized by Greenpeace in collaboration with the indigenous youth communities of Knasaimos, Sadir Wet Yifi, and Bentara Papua. Hundreds of indigenous youth from Sorong, Raja Ampat, Merauke, and Jayapura participated in the consolidation and workshop for Papuan forest guards.
Forest Defender Camp participants in the Sira village forest, South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, September 21, 2023.
Forest Defender Camp participants learn to make maps with the NGO Bentara Papua in the Sira village forest, South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, September 21, 2023.
Sira village children after giving a welcoming dance to Forest Defender Camp participants.
bamboo huts are a resting place for Forest Defender Camp participants
Forest Defender Camp participants rest in a bamboo hut in the Sira village forest, South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, September 20, 2023.
Kna women and children return from tending their gardens in the Sira village forest, Manggroholo-Sira sub-district, South Sorong district, Southwest Papua, September 21, 2023
Orpha Novita Yoshua (28), who comes from the Grime Nawa valley traditional area, was present representing the Namblong Traditional Women's Organization (ORPA), Jayapura.
The Kladit family is photographed under a merbau tree in the Kna tribe's village forest in Manggroholo-Sira village, Saifi district, South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, September 22, 2023. Since 1998, Arki and the Sira villagers have successfully defended the forest from illegal logging and palm oil companies in the Knasaimos tribe's customary territory. The merbau tree, known as "ironwood," was threatened with extinction due to illegal logging in the early 2000s.
A number of women from South Sorong were photographed after farming in their customary forest.
This story was commissioned by Project Multatuli in collaboration with Greenpeace Indonesia.
