Rimba Tribespeople Walk Extra Mile To Get Free Medication

Sarolangun, Jambi - A group people from the Kubu, or Rimba indigenous tribe (people of the forest), inhabiting the forest in the Bukit Duabelas National Park (TNBD), left their homes early in the morning to go to the Indonesian Conservation Community`s (KKI) office in the village of Bukit Suban, Air Hitam district, in Sarolangun regency, Jambi.

Most of the men only wore loincloths while the women wore a sarong above their chest and the children were naked.

A young mother in the group was carrying her child who was coughing. A glass of water she gave her child appeared to relieve the cough. The five-year-old girl, Miti, seemed frail.

Her mother brought Miti to see a doctor at the medical facility on the fringe of the forest, hoping her daughter would get better.

Miti`s mother found out from her village chief that a medical team from the Sarolangun health office, the Pematang Kabau community health center and the KKI Warsi were offering free medical treatment.

KKI Warsi is a not-for-profit organizational network established in 1992, consisting of 12 NGOs from four provinces in Sumatra (South Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and Jambi), focusing on biodiversity conservation and community development.

Three days earlier, KKI Warsi health facilitator Rudi Ardiansyah and Rimba tribe counselors visited a number of Rimba tribespeople to inform them about the medical program they were entitled to for free.

Although Miti`s mother did not come with her husband, she still took her sick daughter to be treated.

The Rimba tribespeople were very eager to hear about the free medical services. So far, they have not really benefited from the free health care program because of the distance and their lack of awareness on the various illnesses affecting them.

As a result, KKI Warsi has joined with the Pematang Kabau community health center and the Sarolangun health office to offer medical services, choosing an easy-to-reach location for the Rimba tribespeople and for the medical workers. The health office received various complaints during the medical examination conducted on 60 members of the Rimba tribe who attended the event last week. Jon Afrizal

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
Photo: http://greenpressnetwork.blogspot.com

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