30 March 2009 - Santa Monica, CA .  The Orangutan Caring Club of North Sumatra (CPOI Sumut), an affiliated organization under OUREI Indonesia, opened its operational office in Medan, Sumatra on 1 January 2009. Once opened, CPOI Sumut leader Herman Syputra immediately began the organization's school education program with its all volunteer staff.  Yet, the organization waited to formally inaugurate the new office in a ceremony on 5 March during the visit of OURF President Dr. Gary Shapiro and OUREI Indonesia Chairman Soedomo Mergonoto.  During the ceremony, Mr. Herman presented a summary of CPOI's various activities in 2008 and 2009. The ceremony and further meetings enabled the motivated volunteers to discuss program and coordination issues with OURF leadership.

  

 The new office will provide the space needed for CPOI Sumut to strengthen its programs and capabilities. Previously, the organization met at the Cultural Park in downtown Medan to plan its educational projects.  Now, it has a place to store its assets, a location to meet and work, and rooms to begin filling with office furniture and equipment.  This converted home has a back area that is being used to store saplings for tree planting projects. With an office and physical address, CPOI Sumut is being taken seriously by local government officials.  As a member of the Sumatran Orangutan Education Consortium, CPOI Sumut will benefit from the collegial relationship it enjoys with other organizations in the consortium that have mature education programs. Over time, CPOI Sumut should become capable of consistent program delivery in support of OURF's mission.

CPOI Sumut currently has plans to visit at least 10 schools per month to deliver its program and to appoint Caring Club student ambassadors- a boy and girl at each school- who will serve as a liaison to each school.  Such a network of young people will be valuable in expanding the scope of Orangutan Caring Week.  Additionally, CPOI Sumut developed a program called, "Greening of Wedding" which involves providing trees for Sumatran newlyweds to plant during their wedding ceremony. So far five couples who have taken their vows, have planted trees and learned about orangutans.  The chapter has an even more ambitious program to plant trees. They participated in the November 2008 Indonesian Tree Planting Day and National Tree Planting Month, and have received thousands of trees from the forestry department to distribute and plant in other local and national tree planting ceremonies. The CPOI chapter also will continue with its program to take students to Bukit Lawang for field training and other education programs.   

 

   OURF is committed to work with OUREI Indonesia to provide financial support to CPOI Sumut in the coming years.