PROGRES Sulawesi

PROGRES Sulawesi are dedicated to building a network of empowered communities to protect Sulawesi wildlife, so that nature and the Sulawesi youth can thrive.

Founded in 2018, PROGRES Sulawesi aims to empower local people to protect the region’s biodiversity, viewing communities and nature as intertwined and nourishing each other.

Led by two Sulawesi women Sheherazade and Asnim Alyoihana Lanusi, they combine the power of people-oriented and science-based approaches to build just conservation strategies for people and planet.

They prioritise threatened yet overlooked wildlife, often species that have received zero to little research and conservation attention, while nurturing the sense of pride and affection for Sulawesi’s unique biodiversity.

Key programmes help to conserve the exceptional flora and fauna that can only be found on this island, such as: the Sulawesi Flying fox, crucial for pollination and seed dispersal in tropical rainforests; Forsten’s Tortoise, one of two turtles native to the Sulawesi forest; the Talaud Cuscus, which plays an important role in the health of the archipelago’s forest; and, as part of their more recent Fish Program, PROGRES Sulawesi have partnered with Shoal to protect the Poso Lake fish.

Internal capacity building sessions help to train and empower staff. Image © PROGRES Sulawesi

Collaboration is integral to their mission, so PROGRES includes village government, nature groups and youth organisations in the region to ensure programs are tailored to the local context and the community’s needs. Their conservation work is underpinned by preserving an understanding of the local values, histories and Sulawesi stories.

They also partner with researchers, local organisations and the university closest to the villages where their target species are found, aiming to fill knowledge gaps and increase the capacity of the scientist-community networks to conduct and lead conservation programs.

They believe that everyone has the right to access opportunities to grow regardless of their educational and social background, and pride themselves on building a diverse team which includes Sulawesi youth and people without formal training.

Education is key part of their conservation work. There is a focus on awareness campaigns in the schools and rural villages of Sulawesi, where they rely on printed resources due to limited electricity.

This includes creating fun, engaging and accessible educational materials, like books and posters, for a broader impact beyond PROGES Sulawesi’s active areas. By sharing and promoting the intrinsic value of nature, they hope to ensure wildlife is protected for future generations.