This story excerpt was translated from bahasa Indonesia. To read the original story in full, visit CNN Indonesia. You may also view the original story on the Rainforest Journalism Fund website here. Our RJF website is available in English, Spanish, bahasa Indonesia, French, and Portuguese.
A total of 371 villages in four provinces in the TNKS area are directly adjacent to the national park. Many residents work on the area because they depend on forest sources for their living. Tensions and conflicts with patrol officers often occur. Thousands of encroachers are now being fostered to become conservation partners.
CNN Indonesia team's expedition ended in Bengkulu Province, in the southern part of the Kerinci Seblat National Park. We visited the villages of Karang Jaya and Sumber Bening, Rejang Lebong Regency. The two villages became the milestones for the establishment of women's farmer groups, former encroachers.
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The women in the village struggled for five years to achieve gender justice in terms of land use. They managed to get management rights and formed two women's farmer groups with more than 80 members.
Check out the full story in the following video: