Pak Al Fauzi
Pak Al Fauzi is a very proud man, who lives on a small island off the coast of West Kalimantan...
Faces of Indonesia
Mbak Noor and the Love of Her Life
Noor is married to her job. Every morning she sets up shop on her curb, behind the Ministry of Education...
Herman the Baduy Porter
I met Herman on a recent trip to the Kendang Mountains in the province of Banten, 167 km from Jakarta....
Edy and Rachmat, the 3-in-1 Coffee Guys
For Edy and his son Rachmat, coffee is a family affair. This father and son duo have been brewing coffee,...
Pilius, the Dayak Kenyah Elder
Dayak Pilius was born in paradise, in a place called Long Saan, deep in the heart of North Borneo. I...
Lutfi the Law Clerk: Finding Peace at Ramadhan
Sahur, the pre-dawn meal Muslims take before the first call to prayer during Ramadhan is tricky. Most Indonesians wake...
Rut Dini: the River Guardian
Dini is a passionate defender of the rivers of Borneo, which is not surprising, as her memories of growing up...
Parman the Tissue and Face Mask Seller
The idea of being an entrepreneur is quickly trivializing itself, and rightfully so. Over the past five years Indonesia—and the...
An Endless Journey: Reflections of an Indonesian Journalist
One doesn’t plan to live 97 years, but in doing so, it is impossible not to consider how it was...
Inaro the Kerokan Healer
A conversation about world of healing would be incomplete without mentioning the wonderful world of kerokan. Kerokan, synonymous with masuk...
Aini Abdul – The Sailor’ Daughter
Aini Abdul was born in a small village in Southwest Kalimantan to a Dayak Iban father and a Javanese mother....
Abdul the Kopaja Driver
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon along Jalan Sudirman, and Abdul Kodir is taking his time. Abdul is sitting in the...
Linda the Tsunami Survivor
Linda’s story is somewhat of a reflection of Aceh itself, sad but uplifting. Her life was changed forever a little...
Trisno the Mobile Coffee Seller
Trisno was far from surprised when Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman, Megawati Sukarnoputri gave Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo the...
Siti the Dayak Dancer
Siti is an extraordinarily beautiful and determined young woman. Her story is one of courage and determination and a desire...
Laiman the Cigarette-Loving Restaurant Manager
The ash on Laiman’s cigarette curls and turns grey like a witch’s fingernail. It finally falls on his pants. He...
Pak Anden: the Dayak Elder and Village Chief
Pak Anden greeted me by smudging my forehead and cheeks with a white powdered paste. After I received my traditional...
Dewi: A Success Story
Dewi is a bright, young 19-year-old and has a real spark about her. She was so excited to tell me...
Dede the Ojek Payung
For as long as there have been umbrellas, there have been ojek payung. Every time the skies open over the...
Fizal the Jalan Surabaya Shop Apprentice
For the best deals, it?s a good idea to peek back behind the first row of shops and along the...
Made Sudarsana the Topeng Dancer
Made Sudarsana has been dancing since he was seven years old. ?We learn dancing as a child,? Made explained. ?The...