Astra and Enggros Community Drive Coastal Restoration and Empowerment of Papuan Traditional Village

JAYAPURA, PAPUA: Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros, the oldest traditional village on the Youtefa Bay coast, has long been a vital support system for its fishing community. However, as the estuary for four major rivers, Enggros frequently receives a deluge of waste, which accumulates on the coast, reducing fishermen’s catches by over 40% and damaging the mangrove areas that serve as a food source for the community.

Since 2017, Astra, through its Kampung Berseri Astra program, has been assisting the community to strengthen Enggros through four pillars of social contribution: Health, Education, Environment, and Entrepreneurship. This support is directed at helping residents build a foundation for healthier families, restore the village ecosystem, improve children’s access to education, and empower the economy based on local potential.

“Kampung Berseri Astra focuses on supporting and nurturing Indonesia’s strengths from the points closest to community life. Every village possesses local wisdom, resilience, and hope that, if given space, will grow into an energy for progress. This program is expected to deliver increasingly widespread benefits for the social and economic life of the villages, both for today and for the future of Indonesia,” stated Astra President Director Djony Bunarto Tjondro.

The Transformation of Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros

Working together with the Kampung Berseri Astra program since 2017, tangible changes have begun to emerge in Enggros. The support provided is not merely physical aid but also involves building the capacity of residents to lead change within their own village.

One symbol of this transformation is Petronela Merauje, a local champion of Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros. Petronela’s small movement has since expanded into a broader initiative, impacting various aspects of community life in Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros.

1. Environmental Pillar: Restoring Mangrove Forests, Safeguarding Youtefa Bay 

The community focused its efforts on restoring the Women’s Forest, a traditional mangrove forest spanning over 20 hectares that had been damaged by accumulating waste and logging. Residents have now planted over 8,000 mangrove seedlings, which are cared for over 5 to 7 months before being replanted. Routine beach cleanup activities have reduced the volume of waste accumulating in the coastal area by about 30%. This has directly impacted the availability of clams and crabs, which have increased again and now serve as a renewed source of food and daily income for families.

2. Education Pillar: Better Access to Learning for Enggros Children 

Previously, learning facilities for preschool and elementary school in Enggros were severely limited. Over 70 preschool and elementary school children lacked access to books, proper learning equipment, or routine literacy activities. Through the support of the Kampung Berseri Astra program, educational facilities, learning supplies, reading books, and structured literacy programs are now available, helping to improve the quality of education, including the renovation of the preschool.

3. Entrepreneurship Pillar: Economic Empowerment

Women in Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros have begun developing businesses based on processed mangrove products and recycled handicrafts. Before receiving the support from Astra, most residents’ businesses only provided minimal daily income. Support in the form of production tools and training has allowed these small businesses to grow more stable, with the average daily production of handicrafts and processed mangrove goods increasing two to three times compared to before. The income of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has also been recorded as increasing by up to 60% after the support. One family even successfully developed their business into the first drinking water depot in Enggros, which now serves over 100 customers and has become the family’s main source of income.

4. Health Pillar: A Foundation for Healthier Families

Before 2017, access to basic healthcare services was highly limited. Now, health programs in Kampung Berseri Astra Enggros run more regularly, including the provision of supplementary food for toddlers and the elderly, periodic nutritional monitoring carried out by health cadres, and education on clean and healthy living, which helps reduce the risk of environment-related diseases. A total of 50 toddlers now receive Posyandu (Integrated Health Post) services as part of the improved basic healthcare in the village.

Kampung Berseri Astra does not merely introduce programs; it ensures that the community acts as the main agent of change. Enggros, once threatened by waste and mangrove degradation, is now moving toward ecological recovery, strengthened family health, and better children’s education.

Astra’s commitment to supporting national development through the Kampung Berseri Astra program, which is spread across the country, aligns with Astra’s mission to Prosper with the Nation and supports the achievement of Indonesia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

For further information, please contact:

Windy Riswantyo
Head of Corporate Communications
PT Astra International Tbk
Telp. 021-508-43-888

 

About Astra

Astra is one of Indonesia’s largest public companies, comprising 301 subsidiaries, joint ventures, and associate companies, supported by more than 190,000 employees. The company’s diversified business model creates synergies and opportunities across industry sectors including automotive & mobility, financial services, heavy equipment, mining construction & energy, agribusiness, infrastructure, information technology, and property. The company has a new sustainability framework which includes Astra’s 2030 Sustainability Aspirations. It will guide Astra in the transition journey to be a more sustainable business by 2030 and beyond. Astra wishes to contribute to the strength and resilience of the Indonesian economy while supporting an inclusive and prosperous society.

Astra has a strong record of public and social contributions through four pillars, which consist of health, education, environment, and entrepreneurship as well as nine foundations to contribute to the growth of the Indonesian economy while encouraging a more inclusive and prosperous society. Established in 2010, Astra’s Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Awards program, has recognised the contribution of 726 young Indonesians at the national and provincial level across the nation. The SATU Indonesia Awards program is integrated with Astra’s wide range of community activities through more than 1,500 Desa Sejahtera Astra and Kampung Berseri Astra in 35 provinces throughout Indonesia.

For more about Astra, visit astra.co.id, and follow us on Instagram @satu_indonesia, TikTok @satu_indonesia, YouTube SATU Indonesia, X (Twitter) @satu_indonesia, LinkedIn PT Astra International Tbk, and Facebook Semangat Astra Terpadu.