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Sarmin’s family is larger than most. Not only does he have nine children, but some of them weigh over four tons each.
Sarmin works as a mahout in APRIL’s Elephant Flying Squad, taking care of the elephants he considers to be a part of his family. For more than a decade Sarmin, his wife and three children have called Ukui Estate in Sumatra’s Riau province home, and the six elephants part of their extended family.
"Basically the elephant has feelings, just like humans,” he explains. “So I have to treat her like I treat my children. The elephant is sometimes very sensitive, so I have to make the elephant feel comfortable.”
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Pelawan Regency is rich in natural resources, helping APRIL to grow the local economy. But it is rich in human resources too, and it was with that in mind that APRIL subsidiary RAPP set up the Future Athlete Training Center (PPLAMD).
Launched in 2007 with the support of the then-Mayor, PPLAMD provides training to promising young athletes from the local community. It focuses on three sports chosen for their popularity in the area: karate, badminton and tennis.
Sundari Berlian, Community Development Manager at RAPP, praised the dedication of the 140 students, who have to combine training with their schooling. In the first half of 2017 they won a total of 40 domestic medals, including 19 golds, and five international medals, two of which were gold.
Read more: Supporting the next generation of Indonesian athletes
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2010 was a big year for Izwan, a native of Tanjung Padang Village, Meranti Island District, Riau. Along with some other Tanjung Padang residents, he established Karya Bersama Cooperative in order to help develop the local community. Karya Bersama Cooperative then became a partner of APRIL subsidiary PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP).
The cooperative initially provided two canal boats to support RAPP’s operations but, as the company grew, nine more were added in 2015. “We also bought a water tanker and Colt diesel truck to support PT RAPP’s activities in Pulau Padang,” said Izwan.
Izwan’s business continued to grow and, after being contracted to manage a nursery for PT RAPP, was employing 50 members of the local community.
Read more: APRIL Partners Cooperative Creating Local Employment Opportunities
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Quality education is vitally important for each and every human being, and is number four in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
It’s for this reason that APRIL subsidiary RAPP provides scholarships to promising students from local communities.
Resi Wilinsih comes from Gunung Sahilan, Kampar Regency, Riau, and was determined to earn a higher education in order to improve her family’s economic situation. Her father is a smallholder who earns around Rp1.5 million (approximately US$112) a month, while her mother is a housewife.