What We Do
We are an Indigenous woman-led effort in Sumatra to decolonize and indigenize the conservation space in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Our Mission
We are an Indigenous women-led initiative based in Sumatra that helps Indigenous women, queer communities and other under representative people to engage in forest conservation safely. Our heritage is the forest. We believe it is our obligation and our mission as Indigenous women to live in reciprocity with our relatives who are the forest, the water, the animals, human beings, the sun, the moon and the soil. We envision an indigenized, inclusive and equal world that values Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous ways of being, and Indigenous guardianship in addressing conservation and climate issues. Through our various programs, we are providing opportunities, experiences, and education that empower Indigenous women to be active participants in conservation, and to help make their own paths and contributions in protecting Mother Earth.
“I believe that conservation is one of the responsibilities that needs to be carried by all humans on earth. As Indigenous woman I am continuing my ancestors’ fight to protect and care for our land. I see myself as a bridge to better solutions. We are a people who lost some of our identity to colonialism, but by keeping the land intact, and rediscovering our roles as humans, we can reclaim our knowledge and our ways of being that make us natural stewards of the land.”
— Nayla Azmi, Founder
About the Founder
Nayla Azmi is a Batak woman born and raised on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nayla is a storyteller, educator, translator and conservationist. She has been active in the conservation space for the past 7 years, mainly in elephant and orangutan conservation. She holds a Master of English literature. She is passionate about reclaiming her Indigenous roots and culture, and about sharing her knowledge with others.
Image by Danielle Khan Da Silva
What We Hope to Achieve
Raise $ to support our Education Centre & Literacy Program
Raise $ to support Monthly Regular Patrol
Raise $ to support our Tree Planting Intiatives
Raise $ to support our Micro-Finance Program
Weekly class in Bukit Lawang, support 75 indigenous children & 6 scholarship for children in need
7-10 days regular patrol on the buffer-zone of Leuser Ecosystem
Supporting domestic violence survivor in the edge of Leuser Ecosystem on their business initiatives.
Planting Native Trees in the buffer-zone of Leuser forest