Djamin's simple life, green dreams

Djamin's simple life, green dreams

Bambang Bider, Contributor, Pontianak, West Kalimantan

He is exclusive, not because he shuns interviews, but because it
simply is not very easy to find him with free time. One must be
prepared to spend four hours sitting on an old fiber boat
cruising slowly along the Seluas river in Bengkayang regency in
West Kalimantan to spend time with him.

An official at the Seluas District office warned that, "Even
if you get there, you may not be able to see him at home."

He was right. When The Jakarta Post arrived at his house in
Tadan village, Pak Djamin was out. His eldest child said he was
staying in a ladang, a plot of land for unirrigated farming. So,
our longboat began another trip up the Biang River to see him.

Thousands of belian or ironwood trees (Eusderoxylon Zwageri T.
& B) lined the right bank of the river. They were planted on Pak
Djamin's initiative.

For Djamin this has not been the case, though. Born 63 years
ago in Darit, Landak regency, Djamin chose to plant the trees.

He began to plant ironwood trees back in 1993. He went out in
search of the seeds and then he planted them on his land along
the banks of the Biang River.

His sons, Kaling and Inson, have now planted some 2,400
ironwood trees. Some of the trees are now 12 meters high with
diameters of between 7 centimeters (cm) and 20 cm. These trees
are planted between tengkawang (Shorea spp) trees. Djamin said
that he had planted, in total, some 5,000 belian trees.

Pak Djamin became interested in cultivating them after a visit
to a number of places in East Java, where he saw only acacia and
teak trees but no ironwood trees.

In its original habitat in Kalimantan, ironwood are facing
extinction. "People chop them down, but have never thought of
replanting," he told The Post while sitting in his modest hut.

Returning from his visit to East Java, Djamin, a father of
ten, decided to plant ironwood systematically on his land. "As
most of the ironwood had been cut, I had to go deep into the
forest to find seeds. Sometimes I had to buy them from someone
else."

Given what he has planted, many may think that he is quite
well-off. However, he is just a modest elderly man, who lives in
an old, barely furnished hut.

Unbeknownst to many, somewhere in the house Pak Djamin keeps
his Kalpataru trophy, a national award for environmentalists. He
received the award in 2003. In addition to the trophy, he also
received Rp 5 million in cash. "I've deposited the money at Bank
Rakyat Indonesia (BRI)," he said.

"Some day I will let the government have my belian plantation
in exchange for Rp 2 billion. It is up to the government what to
make of it later. It is better for the government to take this
plantation rather than spending all the money they on projects
without any clear goals," he said.

While massive illegal logging is rampant in West Kalimantan,
there are still some people like Pak Djamin. They are concerned
with the well-being of future generations.

Pak Djamin is a migrant that has lived in Tadan village,
Seluas, Bengkayang regency for decades. "I've been living in
Tadan since I was 24 and got married with a local. My first wife
died and with my second wife Moe, we've got 10 children," he
said, his face beaming with joy.

His planting method is very simple. He collects the seeds that
fall on the ground and then the shell from which the offshoots
would sprout was thinned with a short machete to ensure that the
stem would sprout easily.

Then the seeds were protected in a plastic bag containing
soil. The seed should not be put too deep into the soil while the
thinned part must face upwards.

"Actually, belian trees grow easily. They do not need special
treatment and you don't have to fork out a bunch of money for
fertilizer. From one belian seed, you can have three stems.

Ironwood trees usually grow in a clump. Only when the stems
come to a height of 15 cm can you take them away and then sow the
seeds back where they belong," Pak Djamin said.

With his gray hair and 15 grandchildren, Pak Djamin is a
typical Dayak many with a forward-looking vision. "If belian
becomes extinct, what can we tell our future generations? The
forest is not only for a few people but it is for everybody.
Unfortunately, people usually destroy the forest rather than
looking after it," he lamented.

Pak Djamin added that it was getting a bit too late in life
for him to start planting more trees. But encouraged others to
cultivate the tree and not wait until they are his age to start
cultivating ironwood. "I no longer can expect to enjoy the fruit
of my hard work. I will be satisfied to be able to prepare for my
children's and grandchildren's future," he said, with sincerity.

Living without a great deal of money does not make Djamin
reserved or inferior. A patriot, he fought for his country was in
skirmishes with neighboring Malaysia (1963-1965). No medals nor
stipend were given for his efforts.

"I'm disappointed because I need not only the money but also
recognition. It's for my grandchildren. I have gone through all
the requirements to get allowance as a war veteran but it never
shows up," he said.