West Sulawesi Awaits Development

By Barrie | May 8th, 2007 | No Comments

The Pegunungan Harapan mountain range is a rural backwater in North Mamuju regency in West Sulawesi, hardly touched by development. A number of other hamlets are still left behind, such as Purnama Baru, Moi and Siwatta hamlets. Siwatta is the most remote, located more than three kilometers from the border with Central Sulawesi. There is no overland access to the area. Horses are the only means of transportation.

A majority of the residents of Pegunungan Harapan come from the Kaili Inde clan, a native tribe living in a number of areas on the mountain range in Central Sulawesi.

Others come from Kanuna, Penembani district (formerly Marawola district, Donggala regency). People from Kanuna are from the Kaili Da’ra tribe living in the mountainous region in Central Sulawesi.

There are other tribes living there, such as the Bugis, who have intermarried with Da’ra tribespeople. They follow Christianity and there are chapels in each hamlet.

However, their migratory pattern is influenced by the farming tradition handed down from one generation to the other. Some of them have abandoned the nomadic custom, evident from the cacao, coconut, clove and other medium-sized trees lining along the river.

The migratory farming pattern is supervised by a leader, regarded as traditional head who stays in the area, thereby forming a small settlement led by a hamlet chief.

The community depends on the forest for its living. They gather wood, rattan and resin, and hunt for animals, such as deer and the endemic anoa and babi rusa for food.

Residents benefit from the abundant forest resources to meet their daily needs. The forests are also rich in a variety of timber, such as Palapi, Kondonio, Kalakala, Meranti and other first class quality timber.

“But residents who take advantage of most of the timber to supply the construction sector are not equipped with a logging license,” said Amran Djunaid of the Central Sulawesi Civil Society Foundation.

Amran said illegal logging was a serious problem due to high demand for timber from outside the area, especially from areas around the regency capital, for the construction of residential and commercial facilities.

Education is the most concerning problem in Pegunungan Harapan area, with just one elementary school located in Purnama Baru hamlet. With only one school in the area, many children from other hamlets are forced to drop out of school since the place is hard to reach.

The school itself is not in good shape. Its wooden walls are pocked with holes and the chairs and tables look ready to fall apart.

The school, which has a dirt floor, only has two classrooms and has no specific schedule. Students do not come in their red-and-white uniform and they mostly study three times a week.

“The students only attend school about three times a week. Since there’s not many students, we put them on holiday,” said Dedy, a volunteer teacher.

The government did not assign a official teacher to the school, which has two teachers, both volunteers.

North Mamuju Regent Abdullah Rasyid said that as a new regency and the poorest in West Sulawesi, the four-year-old administration could not satisfy all the people.

He said the administration was working hard to develop the regency.

“I admit the regency is still far behind. That’s why I hope for assistance to make development in this region compatible with other places in the country,” Abdullah said.

Ruslan Sangadji