SURVIVAL UNDER COVID – THE STORY OF SURVIVAL IN 2020

SURVIVAL UNDER COVID

THE STORY OF SURVIVAL IN 2020

2020 has been a year of challenge, global misery, struggle of families to remain intact, economic hardship to many and many other negatives results of the pandemic caused by COVID 19 virus. For our company, there have been opportunities and two stand out

  1. Sustainability of the company into the future under Indonesian management
  2. The formation of a legal conservation section the INDONESIA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION – OUR WORLD (ICFOW) https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation

For Ecolodges Indonesia https://ecolodgesindonesia.com, it has been a year where new opportunities have opened to assist the company survive against all the odds.

Historically 2020 can be divided into two phases

  • Wake up    As Jan 1st 2020 commenced, we were unaware of what was to follow. Most of us had heard the Chinese has a virus problem but assumed, like SARS. It would disappear. There plenty of forward bookings and a normal year was expected. By late February, we knew we had a serious problem when within 10 days all bookings evaporated with cancellations or delated bookings. Cash flow dried up.
  • Action     (a) Communications had to be revised and weekly Zoom meetings for management (Mondays) and Social media (Thursdays) were scheduled between the Head Office senior staff in Bali and the Chairman and his wife in Australia. Regular connections were made (often daily) between Bali and key staff in all lodges which managed by photographic displays of achievements.

(b) Introduction of anti COVID regulations in all lodges and offices was installed resulting in safety for our staff. Up to the present no staff member or visitor anywhere has been infected.

(c) Reduced wages and possible staff reductions became mandatory. International visitors for the whole year have been nil. Local visitors were few and only Kelimutu received government support in a grant and use of the lodge for meetings. All national parks, especially Tanjung Putting, have been closed for long periods as part of lock downs reducing any expats tourism to nil. A slow tightening of the noose has resulted in the current situation of 80% wages reductions, 13 staff of Rimba sent home, and dwindling resources into 2021.

(d) Formation of an alternative source of income to assist the survival of the company was formulated and our Conservation Fund was legalised into an NGO certified by the Government of Indonesia called INDONESIA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION – OUR WORLD (ICFOW) https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation

Programs commenced in all lodges either in Agriculture, income earning activities, and planting, monitoring and protection of replanted trees. Currently fifteen programs, which are described on our website, and are or have been implemented by the help of donors added to income from the company agriculture and development funds.

Cattle production at Kelimutu

 

Breeding herd of goat in Satwa

We are now focused on our largest program “REWILD TANJUNG PUTING” No 3.2 where donors in Australia can obtain tax relief from WORLD RELIEF AUSTRALIA. The link to this program is https://www.wra.org.au/2018conserveourworld


Fire at Tanjung Puting National Park

In summary 2020 has been negotiated with the help of many persons. 2021 will be as tough a year and we will need help continuously. We ask you to continue your support and reach out to others for support. 

Thanks, appreciation are given to Board members and other investors have given regular support in many areas including moral support, technical advice, and financial donations. Their generosity will never be forgotten.

Please pass this information to interested parties on Social media through our links to :

FACEBOOK (www.facebook.com/ecolodgesindonesia),

INSTAGRAM (@Ecolodges_indonesia)

TWITTER (@ecolodges_ID)

For DONATE, Visit our official pages on our website https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation/ with guidelines how to donate.

We need your support to protect this vital group of conservationists around key Indonesian national parks.

BAHASA INDONESIA

PERJALANAN KAMI SELAMA PANDEMI DI TAHUN 2020

Tahun 2020 telah menjadi tahun tantangan, keprihatinan global, perjuangan setiap keluarga untuk tetap bertahan, kesulitan ekonomi bagi banyak orang, dan banyak hal negatif lain sebagai dampak  dari pandemi yang disebabkan oleh virus COVID 19.

Sedangkan bagi perusahaan kami, kami melihat ada dua sisi positif yang telah berjalan,

  1. Keberlanjutan perusahaan di masa depan di bawah manajemen Indonesia
  2. Pembentukan Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia – Bumi Kita https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation

Bagi Ecolodges Indonesia https://ecolodgesindonesia.com ini merupakan tahun di mana peluang baru terbuka untuk membantu perusahaan bertahan dari segala rintangan.

Secara historis, tahun 2020 dapat dibagi menjadi dua fase

(i) Saat 1 Januari 2020 dimulai, kami tidak mengetahui apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya. Sebagian besar dari kita pernah mendengar virus dari Cina dan berasumsi, ini seperti SARS dan akan segera hilang. Ada banyak booking yang sudah masuk, akan tetapi pada akhir Februari, kami mengetahui bahwa kami mengalami masalah serius ketika dalam 10 hari semua booking dibatalkan dan semua kas yang kami miliki perlahan menipis.

(ii) Tindakan

(a) Komunikasi harus disesuaikan melaui Zoom mingguan untuk manajemen (Senin) dan media sosial (Kamis), dijadwalkan antara staf senior Kantor Pusat di Bali dan Ketua Komisaris dan istrinya di Australia. Hubungan secara reguler dilakukan oleh Manajemen kantor pusat di Bali dengan semua staf kunci di semua lodge.

 

(b) Pengenalan peraturan anti COVID di semua pondok dan kantor dipasang yang menghasilkan keselamatan bagi staf kami. Hingga saat ini tidak ada anggota staf atau pengunjung di mana pun yang terinfeksi.

(c) Pengurangan gaji dan kemungkinan pengurangan staf menjadi hal yang harus dilakukan. Wisatawan internasional sepanjang tahun 2020 tidak ada. Wisatawan lokal sedikit dan hanya Kelimutu yang sudah menerima bantuan dari pemerintah dalam bentuk dana hibah dan digunakan untuk renovasi ringan di lodge ini. Semua taman nasional, terutama Tanjung Puting, telah ditutup untuk waktu yang lama sebagai bagian darilock down, sehingga tidak ada wisatawan ekspatriat yang berkunjung. Semua Lodge mengalami pengurangan gaji hamper sebesar 80% dan 13 orang staf Rimba Ecolodge dipulangkan, dan sumber daya yang kita miliki menyusut hingga tahun 2021.

(d) Penggalangan sumber pendapatan alternatif untuk membantu kelangsungan hidup perusahaan melalui pendirian Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia Bumi Kita https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation/

Program dimulai di semua lodge melalui Pertanian, kegiatan menambah pendapatan staff,  penanaman pohon termasuk pemantauan dan perlindungan di taman nasional. Saat ini terdapat 15 program di dalam web page Yayasan kami, semua programada yang sudah dan sedang dijalankan saat ini.

Beternak Sapi di Kelimutu

 

Beternak Kambing di Satwa

Kami ssaat ini sedang fokus pada program terbesar kami yakni  “PENANAMAN POHON DI TANJUNG PUTING” Program No 3.2, di mana para donor di Australia dapat akan memperoleh keringanan pajak dari WORLD RELIEF AUSTRALIA. Tautan ke program ini adalah https://www.wra.org.au/2018conserveourworld


Pemadaman kebakaran di Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting

Singkatnya, selama tahun 2020 telah berhasil kami laui dengan bantuan banyak pihak. 2021 akan menjadi tahun yang berat dan kami akan terus membutuhkan bantuan. Kami meminta  dukungan dari semua pihak untuk tetap mendukung kami sehingga program kami bisa menjangkau pihak yang lebih luas.

Terima kasih dan apresiasi kami sampaikan kepada semua anggota Dewan dan investor yang telah memberikan dukungan rutin di banyak bidang termasuk dukungan moral, nasihat teknis, dan donasi keuangan. Kemurahan hati mereka tidak akan pernah terlupakan.

Harap berikan informasi ini kepada pihak yang berkepentingan di media sosial melalui tautan kami ke:

FACEBOOK (www.facebook.com/ecolodgesindonesia),

INSTAGRAM (@Ecolodges_indonesia)

TWITTER (@ecolodges_ID)

Untuk Donasi, silahkan kunjungi situs web kami https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/conservation-foundation/ dengan pedoman cara berdonasi.

Kami membutuhkan dukungan Anda untuk melindungi kelompok penting konservasionis di sekitar taman nasional utama Indonesia.

Gede Ariandika

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