Kapatcol Village is administratively located in West Misool District, Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua. Waifuna group is a group of village women who manages Sasi (a traditional way of protecting natural resources) to protect their marine area which is part of the Raja Ampat Islands Marine Protected Area.
YKAN has been assisting The Waifuna group since 2011. They are assisted to develop and manage their Sasi to support the conservation program. They determine the schedule for closing and opening the Sasi together. This group of women is committed to creating a sustainable source of livelihood, for their life and at the same time preserving their sea.
Read: “Drones” for Conservation: Monitoring and Evaluation of High Conservation Value Areas
Sasi is a local tradition of marine resource management, similar to the modern concept of sustainability. This tradition prohibits anyone from taking specific marine biota before the Sasi is opened. When the Sasi is opened within a certain period of time, the marine biota may be taken for the residents' needs. After that, the Sasi is closed again for the next period of time. Residents of this village support the activities carried out by the Waifuna group, because they are aware of the importance of sustainable practices that can ensure their lives in the future.
For YKAN, the involvement of local community women's groups such as Waifuna provides important value for the community and the effectiveness of marine conservation areas management.
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