Indigenous workers from Central Papua carrying out harvest operation in oil palm plantation area owned by Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE Group) in Papua recently. (Photo: TSE For Cepos)
BOVEN DIGOEL – Almost every day, Afra Yame (26 years old) had to go to the forest to find something to eat. He spent hours with so much energy. “You have to work so hard to be able to eat,” said the local resident of Getentiri, Boven Digoel, Papua.
Now, Afra’s burden has eased. Since working at PT Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE), a company part of the TSE Group, Afra has been able to buy the food he needs.
With the regular income he receives from TSE Group, Afra no longer needs to spend much time in the forest hunting for animals or looking for vegetables to put food on his table. “I feel comfortable now, I can buy whatever we want,” he said.
Afra continued by saying that not only income, the existence of TSE Group also provided many benefits to his life. Various assistance programs provided by the company have made it easier for him to carry out his daily life, from transportation, scholarships, to food provision.
Due to the various assistance programs, Afra felt that the provision of vehicles was the most helpful. Before, he had to walk to get to a location given the unavailability of public transportation such as taxis. The terrain, which is mostly still covered by soil, is a big challenge for him.
With the help of vehicles provided by TSE Group, Afra no longer needs to work hard for movement. Long trips feel closer now. The many benefits provided by TSE Group created a new hope for Afra. “My hope that TSE can stand the test of time because we receive so much help with its presence,” he explained.
Afra is not the only person with that hope. Petrus Boryemu (51 years old) also wishes the same. The man, who has worked for 22 years at TSE Group, hopes that the company can continue to carry out economic activities in Papua, so that community empowerment activities can be carried out regularly.
Petrus, a resident of Asiki, Boven Digoel, currently serves as the section head of public relations department of PT Berkat Cipta Abadi (BCA), which is also part of TSE Group. Prior to his career at the company, it was very difficult for him to buy food. In fact, he had to hunt first to make ends meet every single day. Since working at TSE, Peter’s financial state has gradually improved and now he is quite prosperous. “My family has a fulfilled life now and it’s not like what it used to be,” he said.
In the future, Petrus hopes that TSE Group can be even more active in community empowerment. Especially for the indigenous Papuan children through training programs that can improve their skills, so that they would be able to compete in the job market. (Gin)
