24 – 28 November 2009
The leatherback conservation efforts in Kei is implemented by WWF-Indonesia through a local, community-based NGO (SIRaN) since 2003. In July this year, a one-man all around staff from WWF, Marthen Leuna aka Ateng, started his full time work here.
There is much conservation work to do in Kei. We got a visit from Dewi Satriani, communications manager of the marine programme of WWF Indonesia Jakarta office. This was her first visit to Kei and together with a SIRaN staff Flavi, they gave a turtle lecture to a group of kids by the beach of the village.
We all visited another Pulau Mas live reef fish trade (LRFT) floating cage from Kei. In the hour we were there fishermen came to the facility to sell quite big sized groupers.
On the 28th was Eid al-Adha or Lebaran Hajj or Hari Raya Haji “Hajj celebration day”.
Eid al-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conducted Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide. Dewi has been to Mecca and is a Hajj or Hajjah. Our visit to the Mosque of Danar was made all the more interesting with Dewi telling us the significance of this day Hari Raya Hajj.
There are 23 kings in Kei and yes, the Kerajaan Danar has a king — Bapak Raja Danar H. Muhamad Hanubun. He welcomed us to his village to take pictures of their prayers and the slaughter of a cow afterwards — an offering of a richer man to seven people. Here are some images from that morning and we’ve decided to keep all the blood out of this entry. Let’s have prayers end our entry for Kei Island.