Sagori islanders splash half their income on fresh water
Sagori islanders splash half their income on fresh water
By Rolex Malaha
KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): The inhabitants of isolated Sagori island could live comfortably on an average income of Rp 5,000 a day, except they lack one of life's basic necessities: water.
Despite being surrounded by seawater, the indigenous Bajau are forced to spend a large portion of their income buying freshwater.
"Every day we must spend between Rp 2,100 and Rp 4,200 to buy water. It has been that way for generations," Harbatian, chief of the 200-strong Bajau tribe on Sagori island, Kabaena district, Buton regency here, said.
For the 45 families of ethnic inhabitants, buying fresh water from the island across the way has been going on for more than 100 years.
This small tract of land in the Kabaena group of islands does not have its own water source.
Harbatian said each family needs between 60 liters and 120 liters of water, at a cost of Rp 700 per 20-liter container, every day.
Several Bajau have been entrusted with supplying the community, first buying water from neighboring islands and then selling it locally.
"It is very rare that we fetch the water ourselves," Harbatian said. "We prefer to go to sea because the fishing is good.
"To take clean water from the neighboring islands is rather inconvenient for Bajau on Sagori island because of the great distance. By a boat with an outboard motor it takes five hours to get water from Kabaena island, which is located directly opposite."
Commander of Kendari Navy Base Col. Gito T. Utomo said he once came across a group of wooden boats at sea which were laden with fresh water belonging to the Bajau.
"I was taken aback. When I asked them where they came from they told me they had come from Sumbawa to take fresh water," he said.
"I looked at a map to find out the distance between Sumbawa and Buton islands. I am still unsure why they cover such great distances and spend days only to fetch fresh water."
According to Gito, the ethnic Bajau -- or Bajo or Sama as they are called by their Sulawesi neighbors -- constitute a unique group.
They prefer to live in small groups on small islands along Sulawesi's coastal regions. Some even live in boats for the sake of tranquility and, simply, to be near the sea.
The Bajau on Sagori island could move to a coastal area with freshwater but they prefer to stay put.
Having been acquainted with the Bajau for many years, Gito understands their philosophy. The Bajau care only about peace and proximity to the sea.
"The sea is everything for the Bajau. For their whole life they want to be close to the sea. It is not important whether there is freshwater, rice or other things. That's their outlook on life."
Soekarjoso, head of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Public Works Agency, said some steps have been taken to make life easier for the Bajau.
"Two years ago we built two ships especially to transport clean water and with a capacity for tens of cubic meters of water for the communities living on the Buton islands and gave the ships to the Buton regional administration for operation,"
But the regional water company entrusted to run the ships has admitted that it is experiencing difficulties due to a lack of operational funds, especially to buy fuel.
Sagori, which is located west of the Buton group of islands, has huge potential for tourism.
The island, which measures only two kilometers in length and is a mere 60 meters in width, boasts huge waves and the views are breathtaking.
Centuries-old casuarina trees fill nearly half of the land and the coastline has clean white sand, a drawing card for both domestic and foreign tourists.
Hundreds of foreign tourists have visited the small island on special ships, while local tourists come from the Kabaena islands in motorized boats.
While the lifestyle of this fishing community may seem backward, some inhabitants have satellite dishes and fishing boats.
But seclusion has its disadvantages and education has been neglected.
"The majority among us, mainly the elderly, are illiterate," Harbatian said. "Some of us don't even speak Indonesian.
"We have set up a kind of school and I myself teach children reading and arithmetic."
Gaharuddin, chief of the Kabaena regional office of the education and culture ministry, said an integrated package combining work and study was introduced to Sagori some time ago.
But only a few people participated in the program.
In general they prefer to go to sea.