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MASTERS OF OUR OWN LAND

I am at the port. Where are you?

The tourists who come to Raja Ampat
usually stay at the resorts owned by

outside investors, business people.

They (investors) come to Raja Ampat to
make money out of Raja Ampat

and take it away to where they come from.

So, I thought, "as a son of Raja Ampat, I
own the place, I should be like them."

If I may say, Raja Ampat is like a newborn
baby, that has suddenly become a celebrity.

And what people are looking for is its
sexiness.

When the sexiness is gone, what will
Raja Ampat be?

The resorts are owned by investors with
big capital.

They can buy out customary land with
their money and the people

become the victims.

Therefore we don't want any more
resorts here.

I used to go fishing at night and sell my
fish to the resorts.

At what price?

Only enough to buy food for a day.
There was nothing left the next day.

So, I built this homestay to give me
enough income.

I didn't have money. I didn't have anyone
to back me up.

But I had wood, which can be found in
abundance in Raja Ampat.

There's also a lot of rattan rope here.

There's also a lot of natural material for
roofing here.

My ancestors and even my parents use it.

Even God provides the land, ready to use.

So, I built a homestay and the outcome
has been good for me.

Locals have built the homestays in
Raja Ampat.

Before, the young people of Raja Ampat,
especially those from Meosmanswar

and South Waigeo, worked at the resorts.

They learnt about tourism while working
in the resorts.

Once they understood tourism, they decided
to quit and open their own homestays.

Year after year, the number of homestays
has increased.

Today there are 55 homestays.

After two years, an investor came and
asked my staff, "Who owns the homestay?"

They said, "Mr. Matias Mayor owns it."

But perhaps because I didn't look neat
or dashing, he did not believe it.

So he asked again and they answered,
"He owns the homestay - Mr. Matias Mayor."

He then opened his suitcase. I saw red
(100,000 rupiah bills) and blue

(50,000 rupiah bills) money in it.

But I thought to myself, "What is the
value of that money?"

If he pays me 200 million rupiah and I
distribute it to all my family members

the money would be gone in a week.

I want to be an entrepreneur and I want to
be, what we call "Ember", the master of

our own land.

I have a big dream.

In the near future, two or three
years from now

my homestay will be like the resorts.

And I will have many staff from the
villages around here

so we can all work together here
and make a living.