July 14, 2015 edition

ADE Setiawan guided his brush with an agile hand, placing white clouds on his canvas: the last touches on the Arabic calligraphy innallah ma'asyabirin which he had drawn earlier. "It means 'God is truly with those who are patient'," he told Tempo at the Calligraphy Studio of Dar el-Qalam, Padang, West Sumatra, three weeks ago.
The calligraphy was drawn in the diwani jali style that came from the Ottoman Kingdom, 16th century Turkey. The Arabic letters painted in white and yellow seem to wind around each other against a dusky copper backdrop.

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More Outreach articles in other editions

July 10, 2015 edition

Broker-'Slaying' Community
People in 54 regions are now practicing logging in an environment-friendly way. Being financially independent through cooperatives, they were once sabotaged by timber financing backers.

THE plantation area at the foothills of Pekandangan village is very similar to a forest. Plots two or three hectares wide are filled with fruit-trees such as durian and jackfruit as well as with commodity shrubs such as coffee, cacao and pepper. The fecund green land stretches for three kilometers. Teakwood trees, mahogany, acacia, and the soaring jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) rise amidst the plants. "Each trunk is our savings for medical treatment and our children's tuition," Margo Widodo said. This resident of Pekandangan accompanied Tempo English on a tour of the area three weeks ago. During the walk, he told Tempo how three years ago, he cut down several trees to finance his son's wedding.

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July 7, 2015 edition

The sound of a Kalimantan string instrument, or sampe, emerged from Shanty's smartphone. It sounded like an Indian sitar, only softer. "When I heard it, I felt like I was in the middle of a jungle," said the female entrepreneur from Samarinda, East Kalimantan. It was a few seconds until the sampe was joined by a full ensemble.

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June 30, 2015 edition

Seventeen street lights shine over Ped village's unpaved roads on Bali's Nusa Penida Island. At 6pm, they light up automatically. Two kilometers away, in Toya Pakeh, the streetlights also turn on, just as the sun begins to set.
Just a year ago, the village was bathed in darkness as dusk gave way to night. "Now, all the lamps in the two villages are powered by an Ocean Wave-Powered Electricity Generator (PLTAL)," one Toya Pakeh resident, Restu, told Tempo. The generator lights the way for about 12 hours a day.

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June 23, 2015 edition

Saving Mandau In West Kalimantan
Craftsman Matius Ala is striving to revive the ancient tradition of mandau-forging in the hamlet of Kecukuh, West Kalimantan.

THE heat was so intense, it seemed to suck all the air out of the room as Tempo English entered the mandau (traditional Kalimantan sword) workshop in Kecukuh hamlet, Melawi regency, West Kalimantan. The heat was pouring in from the furnace, or puput, in the center of the room. Matius Ala turned half a kilogram of iron back and forth in the burning charcoal, using wood pincers to prevent blistering. "I need to wait until the fire turns bright red. It takes about 30 minutes," said the 58-year-old two week ago.

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June 16, 2015 edition

Helping One Another
The Kipas Foundation assists ex-prisoners in Bengkulu Province to re-enter society with job training, counseling and start-up funds. As many as 300 former convicts now run their own businesses.

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June 9, 2015 edition

Oceans Of Seaweed
A researcher devised ways to process seaweed into a cosmetic line with 20 products, empowering 500 farmers nationwide. What is the secret to her success?

THE Seaweed Cooperatives depot stands tall near the coast in Kertasari village, Greater Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara. In the backyard, rows of wrinkled seaweed sit drying under the hot morning sun, as a vaguely putrid smell wafts through the air.

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