In spring of 2022, I had the opportunity to visit Indonesia with two friends and filmmakers, Flo & Davey, to meet Willie Smits and get to see his important work in animal and environmental preservation.
Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil globally, which has a huge impact on their natural ecosystems and comes with many problems. Huge areas of rainforest are destroyed to make room for more plantations leading to animals losing their habitat and the loss of biodiversity. Local communities are losing their homes and being displaced. There is an intense environmental pollution due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improper waste management leading to water pollution and contaminated rivers. The list of problems goes on and on but to keep it short and comprehensive I only want to name a few.
The animals shown in cages behind bars are living in an animal rescue center, where they are being cared about and where their health is restored with the goal to release them back into the wild!
Please read more about it in the texts below!
Who is Willie Smits?
Willie has dedicated his life to protecting and preserving orangutans, who are one of the main sufferers of the problems mentioned. He has been working on orangutan conservation for more than 30 years and has gained worldwide recognition for his actions. In 1991, he founded the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), which has emerged as the largest foundation worldwide, committed to the conservation and welfare of orangutans.
Willie showed us around several of the environmental and animal rescue projects he has spearheaded. His work involves not only saving individual orangutans but also rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, including reforestation efforts, sustainable land use practices, and alternative livelihood programs for local communities.
Meeting Willie Smits in Indonesia was an amazing experience. He is an inspiration for individuals and societies worldwide and I am absolutely stunned by his work and above all, his dedication for what he's doing.
Our mission:
We are aware that we cannot really stop what is happening in Indonesia. But what we can do, is to give our best by showing what is really happening, making people aware of the whole situation, making it more tangible and understandable and accessible for a larger audience.
If you are asking yourself what you can do to make a small impact, try to be aware of what you are consuming. Have you checked if your food contains palm oil? You will be shocked about how many products do.
The projects that Willie and his team are working on live from donations and sponsors.
So if you really want to help, check out these links for more information and ways to donate:
Masarang Foundation (More about Masarang in Part 5)
Or contact me if you want any other image from the project!
100% of the profit from print sales will be donated.
The Sintang Orangutan Center: A sanctuary for Orangutans
The Sintang Orangutan Center (SOC) is located in the lush rainforests of West Kalimantan in Borneo, Indonesia. It was established with the vision of rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned orangutans and provide them with a second chance at life in their natural habitat. To achieve that, their main goal is to provide the animals with everything they need and get them back on their feet to release them back into the wild once they are ready for it.
It was really impressive to see the dedication and passion of the team, caring for the orangutans with so much love and providing a temporary home.
A good friend and partner of Willie is Pastor Jacques Maessen.
He is a dutch pastor living in Indonesia and working together with Willie on various conservation and community development projects. He lives in Sintang and is involved in the Sintang Orangutan Center that we also visited and he was kind enough to let us stay at his house for the first five nights. In addition to his hospitality, he had incredibly interesting stories to share from his time in Borneo together with Willie.
Exploring Sintang
Sintang is situated on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is surrounded by lush rainforests, rivers and diverse wildlife and is known for its natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Besides our time in the jungle, we also went exploring the city and meeting the locals. Here are some more random shots I took in Sintang.
The projects that Willie is working on live from donations and sponsors.
So if you really want to help, check out these links for more information and ways to donate:
Masarang Foundation (More about Masarang in Part 5)
Or contact me if you want any other image from the project!
100% of the profit from print sales will be donated.
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