It all started when I had to research on several fieldtrip locations around greater Jakarta for Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. A good friend of mine, mbak Lita introduced me to Ciliwung River Community.
I was so excited to meet the community activists in their headquarter which was located on the lusciously green Ciliwung river bank in Condet, East Jakarta. Pak Sudirman Asun, Mbak Fitria Dewi, and Pak Kodir gave us a warm welcome. They eagerly shared about Ciliwung river, the community, and their eco activism. The 119 km river that passes through the capital of Indonesia is renowned for being one of the most polluted rivers in the world. So what they do is very important.
Before this visit, I didn´t know that almost 100 species of fish lived in Ciliwung river. I also didn´t know that Condet was declared as a nature reserve since the 60´s which goal was to conserve native fruits such as salak, duku, and kecapi.