On Wednesday this week I had an opportunity to travel to the Malaysian town of Limbang to meet with a group of Penan residing there. I went with a group of JIS students who are doing some comminuty work with the Penan as part of their activity week. The JIS community has this year been raising funds - the Penan make unique baskets and JIS has been helping them sell these - and collecting food for this particular Penan community. My nephew Hazim was part of this group so myself and his mum Hanna decided to check it out for ourselves.
The Penan are one of the few remaining nomadic tribes of the rainforest and I think the only nomadic hunter gatherer people of Borneo. Most of the communities are within the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Very sadly the Sarawak rainforest in the last 20 years has diminished through intensive state backed logging. The majority of the Penan communities have lost their traditional way of lives and have been forced into settlements. I don't know enough about the communities but I can only assume that some are better off than others.
The group of people we met in Limbang are from various longhouses around the Limbang area. The local authorities have provided them with a what I can best describe as a dilapidated house that houses up to 100 men, women and children. The house serves as a half-way house for the Penan whilst they are seeking medical care from the local hospital. Hanna had gone a day ahead of me and had described the place but when I got there the state of their living conditions shocked and saddened me.
This is the front 0f the house and there are two big rooms and a smaller one in the side.
This is the inside of one of the bigger rooms. Up to ten families live in here. They eat, sleep and cook in the same area. I did not take pictures of the back of the house which has open air rooms with a basic roof and canvas sheets as walls. Plus there is one bathroom between them. Why all so appalling? It's all very political because of the Penans' constant resistance to deforestation and as a result they are marginalized by the Malaysian government and often denied of their basic rights.
So how could JIS help? Basically the kids were taken there to see how they could improve their living conditions. With the B$700 they raised the kids bought lino, mattresses, improved the "open air" rooms by fixing the canvas using wooden frames giving them better security in their temporary shelter. We had also brought food, clothing and toys. On my arrival I as taken aside by an elder gentleman (actually the man with the fantastic bangles) that they are from different longhouses and when bringing food it is important to divide it up. He said on ocassions food has not been distributed properly and taken by one group. I suppose it is naive for us to assume that they are one people and will divide the charity. It is only human nature to look out for oneself. Which brings me to the topic of handouts. It is clear that the people residing here were used to handouts. Some of the men do casual labour and the more older women make baskets to sell (and Hanna and I bought some beautiful ones) but it was clear that the younger ones relied on charity. I hope that this was only because they are marooned in a town where they are not particularly welcome and that back "home" they are able to live off the land. (The roads to the lognhouses - logging roads - are currently closed due to the rainy reason and many are unable to go home).
For more information on the Penan, check out the following websites.
