Jakarta – Between towering karst cliffs and calm rivers, Rammang-Rammang Hamlet, South Sulawesi, has now developed from an isolated area into a tourism village based on nature conservation. This change opens up economic opportunities, expands access to health services, and increases citizens’ awareness of protecting the environment and facing disaster risks. Through a community-based approach, Astra is here to assist the residents of Rammang Rammang through the Kampung Berseri Astra program to preserve natural heritage while developing it as a sustainable tourist village. This effort encourages local communities to become not only guardians of the karst landscape, which now has UNESCO Global Geopark status, but also the main players in development that is in harmony with nature and their livelihoods. President Director of Astra, Djony Bunarto Tjondro said, Astra always strengthens sustainable social contribution programs that can create prosperity for the nation, especially for rural areas. Scroll to continue content “We made it happen by developing Kampung Berseri Astra which was carried out through cooperation and strengthening the role of the younger generation, in line with the four pillars of Astra’s social contribution, namely Health, Education, Environment and Entrepreneurship to encourage community welfare for today and the future of Indonesia,” he said in a written statement, (2225/1). The journey of change in Kampung Berseri Astra Rammang-Rammang cannot be separated from the role of Zainal Abidin, the driving force behind Kampung Berseri Astra Rammang Rammang, who is known as the Guardian of the Rammang-Rammang Karst Natural Fortress. As the first local boy to study up to doctoral level, Zainal invited residents to see the potential of his hometown as a source of sustainable livelihood. Through a simple initiative to introduce the natural beauty of karst through social media, he paved the way for Rammang-Rammang to become more widely known, without abandoning its conservation value. As tourism activities grow, the Rammang-Rammang community is also helped to maintain its natural ecosystem. One of them is through the production of environmentally friendly organic fertilizers obtained from bat droppings in karst areas. This initiative not only helps to maintain environmental fertility but also opens up business opportunities based on local potential that is in harmony with nature by collaborating with the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis). Previously, the average income for tourist attractions was around IDR 12 million per month. Through the development of tourist villages and sustainable use of local potential, income from tourist attractions has now increased to approximately IDR 32 million per month, along with the increase in foreign and domestic tourists. In the health sector, residents of Kampung Berseri Astra Rammang-Rammang now have access to more monitored services through the Berseri Astra Healthy Community Card Program. This program is a public health control tool equipped with routine screenings, including mobile health services using Jolloro boats to reach residents in water areas. Awareness of the importance of preparedness is also growing through the Safe Resilient Village program. Residents are provided with knowledge on pre-disaster mitigation, disaster management and post-disaster recovery. This education includes steps to deal with potential flooding, preparation of important items and safe evacuation procedures. The full story of Zainal Abidin’s journey to drive change in his hometown with the Kampung Berseri Astra program can be viewed on the SATU Indonesia YouTube channel. Astra is committed to continue to move with the country’s driving forces in various corners of the country in line with Astra’s ideals of Prosperity with the Nation and to support the achievement of Indonesia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (acn/ega)