Get to know our Staff - Novi Hematang as Head of Manokwari Office

September 2017, was the first time I got to know EcoNusa. At that time I was at the stage of preparing a thesis result seminar and researching related to the dynamics of forest destruction in Sorong Regency and Sorong City. To increase my knowledge related to the thesis, I had the opportunity to join an NGO forum where discussions was related to the spatial planning of the West Papua Province and the facilitator of the forum is a senior activist who is currently the CEO of EcoNusa, Bustar Maitar. Then, I was appointed as an accelerator of the NGO Coalition that cares about Spatial Planning and became a staff at EcoNusa to work on spatial planning advocacy, which at that time had the momentum for the revision of the Provincial Spatial Planning (RTRW).

In 2018, West Papua Province hosted the International Biodiversity Ecotourism and Economic Creative Conference (ICBE). EcoNusa was also involved in preparing that big event. I gave a hand for the preparation and promotion processes including promoting ICBE at the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum in Norway in July 2018 with the Governor and several OPD leaders.

It was my first time abroad which certainly gave me a memorable and valuable experience!! I met various institutions working on forest and Indigenous people issues. In the same year, I also had the opportunity to participate in the COP24 in Katowice, Poland. In the large forum where many parties discussed climate change, I met and had discussions among youth from various countries and even governments.

As time went on, a new challenge was given to me when in 2019, EcoNusa also entrusted me to be involved in evaluating the licensing of oil palm plantations in West Papua Province together with the Food Crops, Horticulture and Plantation Office. As of February 2020, the evaluation has been completed and in the same year, 350,000 hectares of oil palm plantation concessions were revoked. This is a big achievement EcoNusa has made together with the Regional Government.?

Another challenge and journey came to me as since 2021, I have been entrusted as the Head of the EcoNusa Manokwari Office in charge of collaborating with the West Papua Provincial government and advocating to the Government regarding forest protection initiatives.