Roundup: Indonesian startups chase profit to survive amid investment crisis*

by Hayati Nupus

 

JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Startup companies in Indonesia now have to change their business strategies to more efficient and profit-oriented ways to survive the "bubble burst."

 

Chairman of the Indonesian Venture Capital and Startup Association Eddi Danusaputro said that investors are currently more selective in disbursing their money amid the global economic crisis that has triggered a lack of liquidity and rising interest rates.

 

"Investors are now only interested in startups that can manage their runaway and have a clear path to profitability, especially the future valuation trend will fluctuate," Danusaputro told Xinhua recently.

 

Indonesia has 40 percent of Southeast Asia's Gross Merchandise Value of 70 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, which is expected to rise to 146 billion dollars in 2025, according to the e-Conomy SEA 2021 report "Roaring 20s: the SEA Digital Decade" researched by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company.

 

This archipelagic nation of 270 million people with a growing middle class has many fields to explore, from financial inclusion, transportation to agriculture, which are very tempting for venture capital firms.

 

But so far, nearly 3,000 technology startups in the country are competing to get the unicorn title with valuation as the main goal and putting aside profit, said Danusaputro.

 

When the "bubble burst" of funding sources comes, efficiency is the only option for those who are not yet profitable to survive, said Danusaputro. These startup companies have to reduce promotions, delay expansion, tighten cash flow, and even cut the number of employees.

 

"This step to reduce the number of employees does not seem good in the short term but it makes the company survive and be profitable in the long term," he said while emphasizing the importance of financial independence rather than having to rely on donor money for healthy startups.

 

If startup companies are healthy, they can maximize their potential and build a strong digital ecosystem in a country to prevent a financial crisis, added Danusaputro.

 

Venture capital firm AC Ventures said two years ago was a golden period for startups amid the pandemic that triggered people to switch their activities to online, but now market expectations have changed a lot due to the economic crisis.

 

Stopping "burning money" and pursuing profit are key strategies, said AC Ventures' Founding Partner Pandu Sjahrir.

 

"Mergers or acquisitions are examples of exciting new opportunities," Sjahrir said.

 

To survive and continue to grow, SIRCLO, a startup company providing services and software for e-commerce, is focusing on cost-conscious business strategies and developing services that drive revenue systems, said founder and CEO of SIRCLO Group Brian Marshal.

 

"The business model we are currently running is oriented towards sustainability and profitability, so even (if) investment is being tightened, we are optimistic that we will be able to grow amidst this challenging situation," said Marshal.

 

Moreover, e-commerce solution services will be needed more in the future, Marshal added, amid technological developments that boost online sales trends.

 

Rather than relying on external funds, startup NoLimit Indonesia, which focuses on monitoring and analyzing online media with big data technology, prefers to maximize its resources as internal capital to build a healthy company.

 

"I think all startups can start running their company with whatever capital they have, as long as they are consistent and tough to face challenges," said CEO of NoLimit Indonesia Aqsath Rasyid. 

 

 

* http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2022-09/02/content_78402490.htm

Feature: Indonesia actively promoting pineapple export to China*

Workers process pineapples on a processing line at the factory department of PT. Great Giant Pineapple, a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples, in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

by Wang Aona, Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At central Lampung province in the southern part of Indonesia's Sumatra island, gloved workers are picking ripe pineapples in the field and throwing them onto a conveyer belt, with a truck waiting at the other end to take the fruit to the canning factory.

With sufficient tropical sunshine and high temperature throughout the year, there are about 2,000,000 sweet pineapples to harvest every single day at the plantation of PT. Great Giant Pineapple (GGP), a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples.

"We divided the plantation, covering over 30,000 hectares of land, into several zones, and harvest all the pineapples in each zone at the same time," said Murdi Suprayitno, a production planning worker of plantation group one.

About 50 percent of the GGP's pineapple production is exported to more than 60 countries and regions. Besides canned pineapple, it also produces fresh pineapple, jam, cubes in cups, juice concentrate, and canned fruit cocktails.

"Right after Indonesian fresh pineapples gained official access to the Chinese market, we started to plant more pineapple trees accordingly to boost our production capability," said Welly Soegiono, the GGP's director of corporate affairs.

In August 2022, the General Administration of Customs of China issued a new protocol, which approved the export of Indonesian fresh pineapples to China if they meet requirements.

"This is what we have been longing for. Since China's domestic production of pineapples is very limited, there has huge potential for imported pineapples," said Soegiono.

Right after the approval, the GGP started to export fresh pineapples to China immediately. Until now, over 42 containers carrying over 580 tons of pineapples have been shipped by cold chain from Lampung to southern China's seaports.

It takes about eight to 10 days to send the pineapples to China, with stops at other countries in between. The temperature needs to be kept under 10 degrees Celsius to protect the fresh fruit from going rotten.

After unloading, the containers will be filled with fruits like apples, oranges, and pears, which grow in abundance in China but not so in Indonesia, and travel back.

The fruit trade between China and Indonesia has become more and more vigorous in recent years.

"Under the scheme of RCEP as well as the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), the company is able to export pineapple products to China duty-free. With fast customs clearance, Indonesian pineapples thus reach customers fast, with good prices," said Cindyanto Kristian, CEO of fresh fruit and GTM (Go to Market) of PT. Sewu Segar Nusantara, a company in charge of the distribution and marketing of fresh fruits in collaboration with the GGP.

"Therefore, all these have helped our products gain more competitiveness," he added.

Previous market investigation has shown that Chinese customers are willing to pay more for quality fruits, and they prefer eating fresh over canned ones, Kristian said.

"This drove us to raise local production standards," he said. "Customers can tell the quality of a pineapple right after cutting it open, so we must make sure that pineapples sent to them are fresh with high quality."

Now Kristian needs to fly often between China and Indonesia. He is not only pushing for market expansion from southern China to the north and finding reliable distributors, but also using various international exhibitions held in China to promote Indonesian pineapples.

Using the brand Oriji in China, the GGP started participating in various shopping festivals in China and joined in online live-streaming sales.

"Indonesian pineapples feature strong aroma, bright color, and sweet taste. I believe they will gain preference from Chinese customers soon," said Kristian. ■

 

Cindyanto Kristian, CEO of fresh fruit and GTM (Go to Market) of PT. Sewu Segar Nusantara, talks to Xinhua correspondents at PT. Great Giant Pineapple in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

 

Welly Soegiono, director of corporate affairs of PT. Great Giant Pineapple, a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples, talks to Xinhua correspondents at PT. Great Giant Pineapple in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

 

This photo taken on July 5, 2023 shows a cabinet displaying stock buyers' products at the factory department of PT. Great Giant Pineapple, a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples, in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

 

Workers pack pineapple products at the factory department of PT. Great Giant Pineapple, a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples, in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

 

This aerial photo taken on July 5, 2023 shows people loading pineapples onto a truck at a pineapple planting garden of PT. Great Giant Pineapple, a large private-label manufacturer of canned pineapples, in Terbanggi Besar of Lampung Province, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

 

*https://english.news.cn/asiapacific/20230708/a45a31817ab3455a8bf15c30bb187913/c.html#:~:text=In%20August%202022%2C%20the%20General,China%20if%20they%20meet%20requirements.

Postage stamps show vitality facing challenges of times*

Envelopes showing the travel route from East Asia to Indonesia in the early 20th century were exhibited at the Indonesia 2022 World Stamp Championship & Exhibition in JIEXPO of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Hayati Nupus)

The Indonesia 2022 World Stamp Championship & Exhibition is held in Jakarta, which displayed thousands of stamps belonging to hundreds of philatelists from 61 countries, evoking the precious memories of generations of philatelists. Not outdated in the digital age, the stamps remain as important recorders to reflect the changing times. 

by Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Since getting the first postage stamp in the world of Penny Black in 2002, Arianto Januar, living in Jakarta, feels that he is the happiest person.

The black-and-white stamp with Queen Victoria's image issued by the British government in 1840 is the dream of every philatelist -- a person who studies or collects stamps and related items -- and it was being contested in an online auction in which Januar won it after raising the bid price many times.

His savings for years had to be depleted for that small piece of paper, but Januar didn't mind.

"This is my passion. Not everyone can have a collection like mine," Januar, philatelist since the age of four and has a collection of millions of stamps, told Xinhua recently.

Sometimes this member of the Indonesian Stamp Collector's Community has to fly to various countries, visit international exhibitions, or queue for hours, to get the new pieces he craves.

 

A visitor takes pictures of postage stamps on display at the Indonesia 2022 World Stamp Championship & Exhibition in JIEXPO of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Hayati Nupus)

Meanwhile, Resti Damayanti, a 15-year-old who missed the heyday of philately, said that at first, she wondered why people were willing to sacrifice everything to get a stamp, including her late father.

The confusion drove her to visit the Indonesia 2022 World Stamp Championship & Exhibition in Jakarta, which displayed thousands of stamps belonging to hundreds of philatelists from 61 countries from Aug. 2 to Aug. 9.

She walked through booth after booth, observed the stamps displayed there, and then gained a lot of new insights.

"We can gain new knowledge from a stamp, including the historical fact that in the past people had to travel by sea for six hours from Medan to Singapore. We need much less time by plane now," Damayanti said.

In the past, stamps were affixed to envelopes, postcards, or other postal items as proof of payment of shipping costs, but they are rarely used anymore since the digital era, although they are not completely lost, said the chairman of the Indonesian Philatelic Association, Fadli Zon.

 

Thousands of postage stamps were exhibited at the Indonesia 2022 World Stamp Championship & Exhibition in JIEXPO of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Hayati Nupus)

Philatelists around the world now still gather, discuss and hunt for stamps to enrich their collections, while many institutions still regularly publish their latest editions.

Zon, who has countless stamps in his private library in Jakarta, is still waiting for his luck to get Surakarta military stamps, which were issued in only 40 pieces on an emergency basis during Indonesia's struggle to defend its independence in 1949, which are now worth billions of rupiah (more than 70,000 U.S. dollars).

Now stamps are markers of a nation's history and bridges of diplomacy between countries. "Stamps record the identity of a nation, can also be an object of investment, (and) the price reaches tens of billions of rupiah," Zon said.

Despite limiting the use of stamps, the digital era also makes it easier for philatelists to hunt and get new collections through online sales, Zon added.

The survival power of stamps is also unlikely to be lost, as some countries have issued digital stamps -- physical stamps with a digital touch such as barcode features -- as well as crypto and non-fungible token stamps.

 

* https://english.news.cn/20220813/576cbd48e76843f4939c80a082a138db/c.html

Telemedicine helps contain Indonesia's 3rd wave of COVID-19*

A man wearing a face mask rides a scooter in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia on Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

More than 40 percent of patients in Indonesia now use telemedicine, which can help prevent medical facilities from being overwhelmed amid the third wave of COVID-19.

by Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Lala Yusuf, 29, lives in Semarang on the Indonesian island of Java. She fell sick at the beginning of February and has been self-isolating in her boarding house since. A swab test confirmed that she was infected with COVID-19.

The PCR test results were recorded in PeduliLindungi, the official test-and-trace app, and Yusuf was given access to the Ministry of Health telemedicine. In less than 24 hours, a courier came to deliver a package of medicines consisting of antivirals, multivitamins and paracetamol that had been prescribed by a doctor.

 

Staff members work at isolation rooms in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, Feb. 17, 2022. (Photo by Septianjar/Xinhua)

"The process is quick and easy. The medicine is worth 1 million rupiahs (about 75 U.S. dollars), but was completely free," said Yusuf.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, university lecturer Tya Azhari, 42, is also self-isolated and consulted a doctor via the app. As she sees it, the telemedicine service is a breakthrough in public health. "The quality of the service is bound to improve in time," Azhari said.

 

Commuters wearing face masks arrive at a railway station in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo by Sandika Fadilah/Xinhua)

The Indonesian government wants everyone infected with COVID-19 to receive free medical services through 17 telemedicine providers, especially those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, preventing facilities from being overwhelmed. Those with severe symptoms are still advised to go to the nearest medical center. More than 40 percent of patients now use telemedicine. Most tested positive but without symptoms.

Amid the third wave of COVID-19 in Indonesia, bed occupancy has remained below 40 percent of total capacity, while the daily infection rate peaked at 65,000 on Feb. 16 due to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

 

* https://english.news.cn/20220225/2578fe36cac149ef8ab06d955cd33ef3/c.html

Roundup: China continues investment support in Indonesia's electric vehicle industry*

by Wang Aona, Hayati Nupus

 

JAKARTA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China continues to expand its investment to support the development of Indonesia's electric vehicle industry.

 

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), one of the leading companies among the world's electric vehicle battery manufacturers and supplies to various automakers, including Tesla and Volkswagen, is one of the Chinese companies investing in this Southeast Asian country.

 

A third-tier subsidiary of CATL, Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend Co., Ltd. (CBL), recently signed a 5.97-billion-U.S. dollar investment deal with Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), a holding of state-owned companies including Mining Industry Indonesia (Mind ID), Aneka Tambang (Antam), Pertamina, and state power company PLN.

 

"The realization of this investment will bring the electric vehicle battery industry to Indonesia as well as position Indonesia as a global electric vehicle battery production base," President Director of IBC Toto Nugroho told Xinhua recently.

 

IBC, inaugurated in March last year, was established to develop an integrated electric vehicle battery industry ecosystem, from upstream to downstream, to mining and nickel extraction.

 

With China investors as global players in the development of electric vehicle batteries and Indonesia's rich reserve of battery-making raw materials like nickel, Nugroho believes that the cooperation between the two countries will synergize and strengthen each other.

 

Indonesia is estimated to have deposits of at least 72 million tons of nickel reserves in areas of domestic mining operations, accounting for 52 percent of the world's total reserves of around 139 million tons, according to data from the country's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

 

Nugroho believes that the cooperation between the two countries will support Indonesia's serious intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy.

 

"Besides CATL, many other Chinese companies are now investing in electric battery development in Indonesia. China is one of Indonesia's significant investment partners, we hope this cooperation will continue to increase and cover wider fields, including the development of electric vehicles and renewable energy," he said.

 

As the country with the most consumers in Southeast Asia and supported by the world's largest nickel reserves, Indonesia has a bright opportunity to become a major player in the global electric vehicle sector, said Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO) Yohannes Nangoi.

 

"Moreover, more people will switch to electric vehicles in the future as fossil fuels damage our environment and cannot be renewed," Nangoi added.

 

Currently, the use of electric vehicles is limited within cities and for short trips. In the future, with increasingly developed technology, electric vehicles will be used for longer distances and various types of vehicles, including trucks transporting commodities between provinces or islands.

 

The problem is that electric vehicles currently are more expensive than conventional ones, but Nugroho believes this will be solved if the batteries meet three conditions: charging quickly, storing more power, and being cheaper.

 

"It is just a matter of time, as to how fast the experts or mechanics can achieve these three main things," he said.

 

The support of leading Chinese companies in this field will help Indonesia achieve the goal. "Those Chinese companies dare to invest in large amounts in Indonesia. Cooperation between the two countries has great prospects," Nangoi added. Enditem

 

* http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2022-06/21/content_78282384.htm?f=pad&a=true

Pandas in Indonesia heat up festive mood for Chinese New Year*

Giant panda "Cai Tao" is seen at Taman Safari Bogor of Indonesia, Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Cai Tao and Hu Chun, the two giant pandas that have been living in Indonesia's Taman Safari park since 2017 are heating up the celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Tiger.

by Wang Aona, Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A male panda called Cai Tao is chewing bamboo sticks, and sometimes climbs up a tree or rolls in the grass, while the female panda Hu Chun goes back and forth picking up carrots at the Panda Palace at Taman Safari located at Indonesia's Bogor district, around 75 km south of capital Jakarta.

The two giant pandas that have been living in the safari park since 2017 are heating up the celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Tiger.

"Pandas have always been the main attraction for our visitors, and it's expected that more visitors will come during the celebration of the Chinese New Year," Chief Executive Official of Taman Safari Indonesia Daniel Hartono told Xinhua.

A group of children from the Rumah Ceria Bekasi orphanage were visiting the Panda Palace on their study tour. They cheered excitedly watching Hu Chun waddling and walking, picking up carrots and then sitting on a rock to enjoy the food.

Giant panda "Cai Tao" is seen at Taman Safari Bogor of Indonesia, Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"Pandas are cute, one of my favorite animals. Their fur looks very soft," said 17-year-old Suryana Saputri Wulandari, one of the group members.

Wulandari got to know pandas through cartoons and films, including the animation Kung Fu Panda, which she has watched many times. When she heard of the trip to the Panda Palace, Wulandari felt so excited that she gave much thought to the outfit she was going to wear to look good in the photos with the pandas.

"I really like Cai Tao. He is the funny one of the two," said Wulandari.

Ardyta Widianti, one of the veteriners taking care of the pandas, said that the two pandas differ in character, with Cai Tao more active and always running around, and Hu Chun quieter and calmer.

 

Visitors take photos of giant panda "Cai Tao" at Taman Safari Bogor of Indonesia, Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"They have favorite spots to eat or rest. If they are lazy (and don't want) to meet the visitors, they will hide in their caves," Widianti said. Besides bamboo sticks, their favorite food is the panda cake made of corn, rice, soybeans and eggs.

Siti Aisyah and her husband brought their 3-year-old son to the Panda Palace, and were all amazed by the various elements of the Chinese culture presented there.

"The architecture is Chinese-style with cornices and skylights, and the red couplets and festival decorations really warm up the whole place. We really feel like we are in China," said Aisyah, a lover of lion dances and Chinese films who hopes to visit the country for real one day.

The Panda Palace also provides a mixture of Chinese and Indonesian cuisine on the second floor. The panda-shaped bread is an all-time best seller.

 

Visitors take selfies with giant panda sculptures at Taman Safari Bogor in Indonesia, Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

This year, a tiger-themed photo booth and a children's painting contest will enliven the Panda Palace. Also, a lion dance and a performance with dancers in Chinese costumes will welcome visitors at the entrance of the safari park.

The local Sumatran tigers at the lion and tiger enclosure also echo the Year of the Tiger, and in the zone, goodie bags are prepared for lucky visitors.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the safari park had up to 17,000 visitors on busy weekends, but it was closed temporarily twice when the COVID situation worsened.

Since late last year when the situation eased in the country, the number of visitors coming on weekends was recorded at around 4,000, and even 8,000 at the beginning of this year when people felt freer to travel.

"The Chinese New Year also provides a special moment for many Indonesian people. We hope the new year will bring good fortune to the park and to us all," said Hartono.

 

*https://english.news.cn/20220127/8ce7b19b5da74505bac8e390b47bd564/c.html#:~:text=Pandas%20in%20Indonesia%20heat%20up%20festive%20mood%20for%20Chinese%20New%20Year,-Source%3A%20Xinhua&text=Cai%20Tao%20and%20Hu%20Chun,New%20Year%20of%20the%20Tiger.

Hospitals in Indonesia gear up for surge in Omicron cases*

Hospitals in Indonesia are preparing to deal with cases of the more contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has overwhelmed medical facilities in more than 150 countries and regions.

by Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hospitals in Indonesia are preparing to deal with cases of the more contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has overwhelmed medical facilities in more than 150 countries and regions, Chairperson of the Indonesian Hospital Association Bambang Wibowo said.

Wibowo believes that the Southeast Asian country is able to face the third wave of virus attack as long as the number of patients who must be treated does not exceed the capacity of hospital beds and medical workers.

"We have learned a lot from the first and second waves of the transmission," Wibowo told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Several preventative measures have been taken, including providing tens of thousands of oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment.

There are 83,609 beds in 1,011 hospitals for coronavirus patients, a number that could be more if the spike in cases continues.

The Health Ministry predicted a peak of around 60,000 daily new cases in mid-February, but fewer patients would be hospitalized.

"We changed the strategy. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms will undergo isolation at their homes," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said recently.

The government has partnered with 17 telemedicine platforms, and those with self-isolation at home could consult with doctors and get medicines and vitamins by ordering online.

Medical workers in hospitals will only serve high-risk coronavirus patients who require special cares.

The number of quarantine facilities in areas near the national border is also on the rise. The facilities include those in Batam (Riau Islands) bordering Singapore, and Entikong on the island of Borneo bordering Malaysia, as well as around Juanda Airport in East Java province where many Indonesian migrant workers return to the country.

A total of 400,000 Molnupiravir antiviral tablets were imported from India and have arrived in Indonesia, while a private domestic company will produce the drugs starting April.

"We don't have to panic. We are well prepared, and experience shows that even if the case rises quickly, the Omicron wave will fall quickly as well," Sadikin said.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has repeatedly warned that people should not take vacations by going abroad.

Of the 572 cases of the Omicron variant recorded in the archipelagic country, 80 percent were imported cases, mainly from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Although the transmission of the Omicron variant has milder symptoms than Delta, if there are too many people infected, it will be dangerous too, Pandjaitan said.

 

* https://english.news.cn/20220117/8f470012a08b496291b19a63e45ce137/c.html

Feature: Indonesians show solidarity for Mt. Semeru refugees*

by Hayati Nupus

 

JAKARTA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian people from various regions in the country are working hand in hand to help refugees from the eruption of Mt. Semeru, the highest volcano on Java island.

 

Among them are women of the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, Nadhatul Ulama, who are carrying out trauma healing treatments for children at refugee camps.

 

They started their works last weekend at five camps on the southeastern slope of Semeru in Candipuro sub district, where refugees remember the gloomy afternoon of the dark sky when the mountain spewed gray hot clouds on Saturday, Dec. 4.

 

"They were telling their experiences while crying in fear and shaking their bodies, and said that they wouldn't want to go back to their homes," Camelia Habibah, a member of Nadhatul Ulama, told Xinhua on Monday, describing the traumas of the refugees.

 

At refugee camps, these volunteers have invited them to tell stories, draw and play together, so they can take a breath after the disaster claimed 48 lives, with dozens of others still missing, according to data released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency.

 

As the trauma healing is not an instant process, last weekend's meeting was only the beginning. After returning from the camps, they devised a plan to involve more volunteers and psychologists.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of women belonging to the ethnic Minang people in Dharmasraya district, West Sumatra Province, last Wednesday cooked a ton of "rendang" and donated to the Semeru refugees.

 

Rendang is a side dish typical of the Minang people to complement rice, mostly made from beef with spices that are cooked for hours and last longer.

 

This is not the first time that the Minang people donated food for the refugees, a move they call a reward for people's kindness when West Sumatra encountered an earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people in 2009.

 

"We hope that with this rendang, the immunity of the refugees would be maintained because this dish is good for health," said Dharmasraya district's head Sutan Riska.

 

This form of donation shows mutual cooperation and concern for others, as well as a message to the refugees that they are not alone, Riska added.

 

* http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-12/15/c_1310373775.htm

Villages destroyed, locals traumatized after Semeru eruption in Indonesia*

As of Tuesday, at least 34 people died and over 100 others were injured, mostly from burns. Dozens of miners are still missing.

The eruption also damaged 2,970 houses, 38 school buildings, cut a bridge connecting districts, and forced 3,697 people to evacuate.

by Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Villagers have been left in fears and frustrations by Last Saturday's eruption of Semeru, the highest mountain in Indonesia's Java island, which has seriously destroyed surrounding villages.

Sukarno Adim, aged 55, recalled that he was on his way back home and witnessed thick volcanic ash rising high over his village of Gumukmas, one of the settlements closest to the summit, when the eruption began.

People were running down the mountain in search of safer places while protecting their breaths from the dangerous volcanic ash.

"When Semeru erupted, volcanic ash used to come down to the north, where the rivers are, but this time to the south, to our village," Adim told Xinhua on Monday.

Then he looked for his family and found his wife and younger siblings safe in an evacuation camp.

After the eruption subsided, some people went back to their villages and Adim found the roof of his house covered with ash as thick as five centimeters.

Meanwhile, his relatives who live in Sumbersari, a village where hot clouds passed by, arrived at the evacuation camp in a psychologically shaken condition.

"They lost their hopes as dozens of houses as well as agricultural land and plantations there were buried by ashes," Adim added.

In other villages, people returned to their homes when the eruption has subsided, to secure their belongings and feed their remaining animals, and then went back to the evacuation camp in the afternoon.

The 3,676-meter-high mountain which is in the second-level status, erupted on Saturday at 3:20 p.m. local time.

As of Tuesday, at least 34 people died and over 100 others were injured, mostly from burns, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

Meanwhile, dozens of miners, who were working on the rivers when the eruption occurred, are still missing.

The eruption also damaged 2,970 houses, 38 school buildings, cut a bridge connecting districts, and forced 3,697 people to evacuate, according to the BNPB.

"They fled as their houses were damaged," said BNPB's spokesman Abdul Muhari.

The Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center on Tuesday recorded at least seven avalanches from Semeru's crater.

Authorities advised that people avoid the danger zone, within one kilometer radius from the summit and a distance of five kilometers towards the crater opening in the south-southeast sector, where lava, lahars and hot clouds flowed.

 

* http://www.news.cn/english/2021-12/08/c_1310358226.htm

Uncle Sam's story cycle -- changing narrative of Indonesia's wildlife efforts*

Using shadow puppets made of cardboard waste, Uncle Sam tells the story of the many threats to Indonesia's natural heritage, in particular the animals which may disappear forever without urgent help.

by Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Samsudin, or "Uncle Sam", is a man with a mission. Seven years ago, Sam left his job as a teacher to take to the road and become a full-time storyteller.

Since then, he has travelled all over Indonesia, encouraging children to be more aware of the world around them and to do what they can to protect the nation's rich biodiversity.

Using shadow puppets made of cardboard waste, Uncle Sam tells the story of the many threats to Indonesia's natural heritage, in particular the animals which may disappear forever without urgent help.

"The habitat for wild animals in Indonesia is threatened. Children need to know about it," Samsudin told Xinhua on Monday.

To the children, the stories are funny, or wise, but the real lives of the animal protagonists are in real danger, as human activity drives them from their homes. His main character is a rhinoceros, critically endangered on the islands of Java and Sumatra. Sometimes he takes to the stage in a rhino costume. He also uses other animal characters such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, and orangutans to do the story-telling.

Uncle Sam is unique among storytellers in Indonesia, said Efi Fatary, who regularly invites him to visit a large housing estate in South Jakarta. "He uses simple words that children easily understand," she said.

In 2016, Sam rode a bicycle from Java to Banda Aceh. His five-month odyssey left him in no doubt about the urgency of the situation. The archipelagic country has lost 300,000 square km of tree cover over the last 20 years, an area bigger than the U.S. state of Texas.

When an earthquake struck Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province in 2018, Sam came to tell stories to children at evacuation camps. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued to tell stories via social media. Now Sam wants to share his message with the world.

"Children's voices must be heard in global efforts to save forests and other habitats," Uncle Sam said.

 

* http://www.news.cn/english/2021-11/17/c_1310315787.htm

Excitement meets worry as Indonesians yearn for "revenge travel" amid pandemic *

With relaxed restrictions on public activities in parts of Java and Bali in Indonesia, intercity travels for leisure become possible. The tourism sector is urged to prepare for the upcoming "revenge travel," and remain vigilant and apply strict and disciplined health protocols.

by Xinhua writers Wang Aona, Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The recent downward trend in COVID-19 cases and relaxed restrictions on public activities, locally known as PPKM, have brought some fresh air for many Indonesians.

"Based on our research, Indonesians were eagerly waiting for the opening of tourist destinations. They really want to travel," Nunung Rusmiati, secretary-general of the Association of Indonesian Tourism Industries (GIPI), told Xinhua.

The Indonesian government has imposed PPKM policy since early July, following the surge in coronavirus cases, fueled by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Entering August, positive signs started to show. With cases dropping and the vaccination rate rising, more and more places therefore lowered the restrictions from the strictest Level 4 in Java and Bali.

Some tourist attractions in cities with PPKM Level 3 were allowed to reopen with limited capacity to people already vaccinated. Intercity travels for leisure became possible.

It is certainly exciting, yet worrying.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno mentioned on several occasions recently that the tourism sector must prepare for the upcoming "revenge travel", especially areas near Jakarta.

"We welcome the relaxation of PPKM in parts of Java and Bali, but we must remain vigilant and apply strict and disciplined health protocols," Uno told a press conference last Monday.

The issue of safety and expense worried Edi Yamin, head of a backpacker community in Jakarta, a lot.

"I think the possibility of getting infected remains high at the moment. Traveling during the pandemic is more expensive as well. To fly on an airplane, we have to do a PCR or antigen test first, the price of which is much higher outside Java," said Yamin.

Yamin remembered clearly his last trip to the islands of Nusa Tenggara in July last year. "My friends and I departed from Jakarta in good health, but when it was time to go back, several of us tested positive and stuck there for a long time," he said.

"Many cluster infections of COVID-19 stem from traveling, like those happened in Italy and Spain last summer. Tourists came home from vacation carrying the virus," Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist of Griffith University, said in a recent press conference given by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

For tourism-related businesses, mixed feelings are more obvious.

"We are happy that the government is easing restrictions, and as entrepreneurs, we must seize this opportunity. But we are worried too because sometimes tourists are too happy to be careful," said Asnawi Bahar, owner of a travel agency in Bali. "If cluster infections happen, we'll certainly be blamed by the public. We can't let that happen."

Preparing for the smooth landing of the travel binge thus became the major concern of travel agencies.

Rusmiati said that to minimize the risk of transmission, the key is to keep tourists closely monitored. "For example, we have asked agencies to adopt strict health protocols, to prioritize family consumers and groups no more than 25 people, and to collaborate with airlines for the sake of faster tracing."

Meanwhile, a test-and-trace app, named PeduliLindungi, has been regarded by many as a useful tool to screen out potentially dangerous travelers as it records one's vaccination status and whereabouts.

"The implementation of digital-based health protocols via PeduliLindungi is key to preventing a recurrence of the difficult times we faced in July," Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in early September.

As of Sept. 5, its users reached nearly 21 million, out of which 761,000 people are in the red category, meaning that they are not allowed to enter public places such as shopping centers, factories and sports facilities.

Budiman believed that PeduliLindungi is one of the promising factors for the recovery of tourism, although it still has some limitations. It's hoped that this app would perform the function of risk analysis.

"Every country should have a roadmap for recovery. We can't wait until the pandemic is over to do everything," said Budiman. "An important lesson is that in the future the tourism industry must be better at crisis management. We must establish a system that can respond fast to future threats, including pandemics and natural disasters."

*http://www.news.cn/english/2021-09/09/c_1310176882.htm

Bersama Fahri

Kami berbagi cerita. Ia dari Jogja dan saya pernah delapan tahun tinggal di sana. Kami bertemu di sebuah klub bola voli di Sentul, Jawa Barat, pekan kedua September.

Bersama timnas voli, ia sedang bersiap untuk Asian Games di Hangzhou China pertengahan bulan ini. Ia menjadi satu-satunya atlet Indonesia yang akan bertanding di Eropa dalam waktu dekat.

Meski menjadi atlet voli yang paling digilai para perempuan, ia tetap rendah hati dan, menurut coachnya, ia pekerja keras dan pantang menyerah.

Selebihnya adalah harapan kita semua orang Indonesia agar ia dan timnas memboyong medali terbaik di kompetisi nanti. Ia adalah, Fahri Septian Putratama.