On 14 February, IAR’s partners YIARI in Indonesia celebrated their 15 year partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Life and Forestry (KLHK.) To mark the event, YIARI held celebrations at the Sir Michael Uren Learning Centre in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan and held a variety of activities for the local community. These included, for children, drawing and colouring competitions; a dance competition with the theme of flora and fauna; and a chopsticks contest. For elementary school students and the general public there were a number of competitions, including photography competitions. The highlight of the event was held in the cultural area where there were various exhibitions of art, music and dance. Among the guests, as partners of YIARI, were representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Life and Forestry (KLHK), West Kalimantan Provincial Government, the Regional Government of Ketapang, DPRD, TNI AL, the Police and a number of other institutions, as well as society and celebrity figures including national boxer Daud Yordan.
The celebration is held every year and on this occasion YIARI also held an event in Bogor, West Java. This was a banquet for partners and employees which took place at Hotel Mirah on Friday 17 February 2023. YIARI also organised various competitions and celebrations for residents living near its primate rehabilitation centre in Bogor, West Java on 18 February 2023.
“We are very thankful for the success of the events we have held this year. Everything has gone smoothly and been very well received, with active involvement from the public as well as support from the government. We are particularly grateful for all YIARI’s employees who have supported us for 15 years with genuine passion and energy at all our sites, in West Kalimantan, Bogor and Lampung. Without their dedication and integrity we could never have come this far,” said Karmele Llano Sanchez, Director of YIARI.
YIARI General Chairman Silverius Oscar Unggul expressed appreciation for all parties involved in the celebration this 15th year. “The foundation for our programme activities is to work with institutions, the government and society in the field of conservation. Such partnerships are vital. Collaboration and synergy are the key to success, while working to protect nature is only part of the solution. Over the past 15 years, YIARI has moved on from only rescuing protected wildlife to taking a more holistic approach through social empowerment, education and awareness,” he observed.
YIARI’s journey began when Karmele Llano Sanchez and Argitoe Ranting were carrying out the translocation of macaque monkeys to Batutegi, Lampung in 2006 with support from International Animal Rescue (IAR). The release operation was a success and this encouraged IAR to give more support to Karmele and Argitoe and the team which enabled them to build a rehabilitation centre for slow lorises and macaques in Ciapus, Bogor, West Java in 2007. A year later, on 14 February 2008, YIARI was officially registered at the Ministry of Law. At the same time, YIARI became IAR’s division in Indonesia, engaged in animal rescue and rehabilitation with the objective of saving and caring for animals that have been victims of the wildlife trade.
YIARI’s development took another step forward when Karmele met captive orangutan JoJo and carried out his rescue in Pontianak in 2009. In the same year, YIARI set up an orangutan rescue programme in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, with full support and encouragement from the current West Kalimantan BKSDA, led by Edy Sutiyarto, who saw that there was no rehabilitation centre for orangutans in the region at that time. And so the orangutan rehabilitation centre was built in Sei Awan, Ketapang in 2012.
The challenges of wildlife conservation can’t be overcome with rescue, rehabilitation and release alone. There needs to be a holistic approach that involves the public. YIARI now works in partnership with various parties to deliver community empowerment programmes, education, campaigning, law enforcement for crimes against protected wildlife, conflict mitigation between humans and animals, as well as the protection and restoration of habitats.
Now, in 2023, YIARI has taken a 15 year journey in Indonesia, as a partner for the Ministry of Environment, Life and Forestry and other departments of the Indonesian government, as well as partnering with the public and private sectors, to fulfil the Vision of “A world where humans and animals live side by side in healthy ecosystems” and the Mission of “Building awareness and concern in order to protect animals and their hábitats.”
And so, this year, YIARI is promoting the slogan: “Working Together Towards Harmony in Nature to Protect the Earth’s Future.”