One man’s fight to prevent fire
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Riaupos.co has published a story about one man’s efforts to prevent fire as part of APRIL’s Fire Free Village Program (FFVP).
Helmi, from Tolam, Pelalawan, Riau Province, helps educate the community on the risks of fire as part of FFVP, which rewards local populations for preventing burning on their land.
In the past, Helmi would clear land by burning. On one occasion the fire spread to a neighbor’s land and he was forced to sell his wife’s jewelry in order to pay the compensation.
Learning from his experience, Helmi joined APRIL’s FFVP as a crew leader, and has been working to encourage the local community not to start fires around the village.
“I always share my experience with the community: once you burn, you will create problems. Now I have a mandate to share this, and work with the community to prevent fires together,” Helmi said.
FFVP has been credited with a dramatic reduction in fires, and has been expanded to cover 20 villages.
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