Education brings light to Orang Rimba
Education brings light to Orang Rimba
Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post, Jambi
Bukit nang dekot jelon menuju podo sungoi toruyoh elah ditobong
urang dusun (Villagers are starting to cut down the trees in the
hilly area on the way to Toruyoh river).
That is how Bekinya -- a 13-year-old girl from the Orang Rimba
(literally means the people of the jungle) tribe, the hunter and
gatherers living near Toruyon river, Aekitam in the heart of
Bukit Duabelas National Park in Jambi province -- started her
letter to her former teacher.
She is aware of the destruction caused by illegal logging in
both protected and protected areas, which makes the national
park's status as a biosphere reserve meaningless.
After learning how to read, write and count, Bekinya began to
write letters, although she writes mostly in her native language
with bits of Bahasa Indonesia thrown in.
Bekinya is one of seven female students in the tribe who
learned to read, write and count in Sokola Rimbo -- literally
means a school in the forest, this year.
The school's 48 students are mostly male and aged between six
and 16 years old. There are four students aged between 25 and 40
years old.
The students are from eight small groups of Orang Rimba who
live scattered around the national park area.
"The school means a lot to the younger generation," Temenggung
Tarib, 50, one of the tribe's seven leaders told The Jakarta
Post.
The illiterate man said that the newfound knowledge -- being
able to read, write and count -- helped his people in
transactions with outsiders. Previously, he said, the Orang Rimba
were often tricked in transactions with villagers.
Now, whenever money is involved, such as when he purchased six
hectares of land recently, Tarib is accompanied by his son, 15-
year-old Mandum, who attended Sokola Rimbo last year.
He said that earlier, he was against the school since he
considered it as meroboh halom, changing the ancient customs of
his tribe.
He recalled a school that was set up in 1997 by the government
in Aekitam district, Sarolangun regency. It had taught students
not only about reading, writing and arithmetic but also focused
on religion. "Back then, they even set up homes for us and forced
us to stop eating pork," Tarib said.
Unwilling to change, dozens of Orang Rimba sold the houses and
plantations granted to them by the government. Now, many beg for
a living along the Sumatra Highway and others are involved in
illegal logging.
Sociologist Fery Apriadi of nongovernmental group Warsi said
tribespeople should be educated in stages as, aside from basic
school subjects, they also needed to be introduced to the outside
world.
"Their unreadiness to absorb outside influences could cause
culture shock," he said.
Currently, he said, the organization also taught students
about the importance of conservation.
"Conservation is closely related to ensuring the
sustainability of the forest as their home," Fery said.
In the school, students are taught how to read, write and
count in the first six months while in the next six months, they
are taught other things, such as multiplication and deduction.
"Education hopefully can help them interact with the outside
world," Fery said.
Education for children in the tribe was introduced in 1998 and
as of 2005, 176 children in the tribe, or 15 percent of its
around 1,400 people, are no longer illiterate.