Every year on August 31st, the streets burst into life with vibrant parades adorned with intricate floats, featuring schoolchildren and police contingents marching in unity. Across the nation, main roads are temporarily closed to accommodate a grand celebration that proudly showcases Malaysia’s rich culture and heritage. Yet, deep within the tranquil forest, the festivities take […]
Sondang Erika, 27, is a mother of two. Together with her husband, Ayen, the couple are farmers with OA Organik in Kampung OA Melai, Pahang. Sondang worked as a small-scale rubber tapper before becoming a full-time farmer, and at one point, both husband and wife worked as security guards in an oil palm plantation. After […]
The efforts and achievements of Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat (YKPM) and the Jakun community at Kg Ulu Gumum and Kg Melai have recently received international recognition. On May 12, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bestowed YKPM the ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ก ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ award through a virtual award-giving ceremony. โI was so […]
Bern got involved with OA Organik when his dad asked him to come home to help at the farm. Dad Ali was one of the pioneering farmers. Bern found farming interesting, so he quit his job at Kg Sungai Soi. That was in 2017, soon after the OA Organik farm started in Kg Ulu Gumum […]
Zariu and Nor, husband-wife team, have been with the OA Organik farm at Kg Ulu Gumum right from the beginning โ December 2015. They are the new generation of Orang Asli with determination and vision to take on the challenges of globalisation and the market economy. In February 2020, Zariu and Nor invested a huge […]
Currently, there are 48 Orang Asli (OA) farmers at the OA Organik farm, an increase from 36 farmers (at the end of 2019). And the number is growing! In the past, each household earned an average total income of RM500 per month from combined income sources of rubber-tapping, palm oil/forest produce collection, or contract work. […]
Leadership training is conducted regularly for the Orang Asli farmers at Kg Ulu Gumum to empower them to be self-sustaining and to conserve their environment. We now witness maturing leadership amongst the Orang Asli since the OA Organics farm first started in December 2015. This is seen in the way they handle disagreement and navigate […]
We see growing leadership amongst the orang asli farmers at Kg Ulu Gumum. Not only are they sharing their vision with the larger OA community – with Kg Melai, specifically – they are also mentoring those who wish to replicate the current farm model. In May 2019 when Zariu and Nor were invited by the […]