The Inspirational

Story Through Photos

2013-06-19T04:06:00.001-07:00

“A picture is worth a thousand words” That is the motto of a photojournalist. It is their objective to produce direct, truthful and bold images that tell the stories for those who have no voice.

According to Mark M. Hancock, a professional photojournalist, “is a visual reporter of facts. The public places trust in its reporters to tell the truth. The same trust is extended to photojournalists as visual reporters.This responsibility is paramount to a photojournalist. At all times, we have many thousands of people seeing through our eyes and expecting to see the truth. Most people immediately understand an image”

Photojournalists are doing really a great job over the world for humanity, they are working for peace, for human rights, for raising humanity problems and issues, for pointing out the people living below the bottom line of poverty, for raising awareness about educational and child labor issues and much more.

Access to Safe Drinking Water

2012-04-07T07:49:00.001-07:00

One of the most important elements to establishing world peace and good health is making sure that all people have access to safe drinking water. The World Health Organization defines access to safe drinking water as a person’s having a source of clean, harmless water for drinking, cooking and hygiene that is located less than a kilometer away from that person’s home. Access also means that each person living in a household gets at least twenty liters of safe drinking water every day. Tragically, around the world at least 880 million people do not have access to safe drinking water–and some experts would put that number at over a billion. And so 1.6 million people die every year of diarrhea-causing diseases, and nine out of ten of those victims are children under five years old.

Hundreds of millions of other people who drink dirty water suffer from all kinds of illnesses, including infections of the throat and intestines, blindness, and diseases caused by parasites like hookworms.

The World Health Organization is currently working to get the percentage of human beings with access to safe drinking water up to at least 88.5.Reaching this goal would mean taking great strides towards other WHO goals, including eliminating hunger, reducing child mortality rates across the globe, improving the health of mothers and their children in developing nations, improving the environment, increasing genderequality worldwide, and even increasing global literacy rates. Access to safe drinking water is also a top priority of governments all over the world, of the United Nations, and of countless private health and philanthropic organizations.

The project was named "Ciliwung Recovery Program"

2011-11-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Indonesia through its young generation took a proud achievement in the international world. They managed to become the 2nd champion of Skyscraper Competition in 2010. The competition was to get the best and brilliant ideas in the field of architecture associated with nature and environmental development. It was organized by eVolo Magazine which is an architecture and design magazine based in the United States. The event was the fourth time competition they held.

Architect Team Indonesia who followed the competition was four young alumni of Gajah Mada University namely Erwin Setiawan, Rezza Rahdian, Ayu Diah Shanti, and Leonardus Chrisnantyo. They created a design project that aims to purify and improve habitat Ciliwung River. The project was named "Ciliwung Recovery Program". It is a building that is designed to be able to collect garbage, purify water, and provide housing for thousands of people living in slums along the river of Ciliwung.

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, was originally designed as a water city where thirteen rivers that crossed the city utilized completely as source of livelihood by the citizens. Ciliwung river as the largest river that cuts right along the center of the city is the main river that supports the citizens’ life. unfortunately, today the river had become disaster for the citizens, because surge of water flooded the city, and the number of slums along the riverbanks adds a new problem, namely the pollution of watershed’s surrounding.

Ciliwung Recovery Program (CRP) is a project which aims to purify the Ciliwung river’s environment to its original form. Through the new system in the building, CRP is expected to be able to repair and become the sustainability generator for Jakarta.

There are three main lines in the process of purifying the Ciliwung river. First line is the flow of the polluted river water into the building through pipes by utilizing capillary vessel systems, into the filtrating section. At this stage, the river water is separated from garbage, the organic garbage then used as raw materials to fertilize the soil around the river basin, while garbage-free water proceeded to the next stage or channeled back into the river.

The second line is the phase of river water purification through elimination of dangerous contaminants, and addition of various good minerals to the water. Thus, it is safe for daily needs of CRP building occupants, who previously lived in the slums along Ciliwung river. Removal of riverbank dwellers into the CRP building aims to open and expand Ciliwung watersheds which will be prepared to be the new open spaces for more 'green' Jakarta and to secure the flood plane.

The third line is the re-processing of household waste products into water which is safe to be returned to the Ciliwung river. Some of processed water are being distributed to lands around Ciliwung river in two ways. Firstly, through capillary pipes under the ground. This way is not only bring water, but also fertilizer produced in the first line. Capillary tubings are connected to generator towers around the damaged lands, and create a new environment that’s usable for agriculture. Secondly, by spraying processed water through the skin of the building. Spraying water from height raises the humidity in the lower part of the building that triggers the growth of pioneer plants. They will contribute to the creation of a new ecosystem. CRP’s ecosystems will create a good micro climate for Jakarta, as well as a response to the lost of many open green spaces around the world that leads to global warming.

CRP buildings generate energy for itself, including the use of passive technology systems in the building. The skin of the building is designed with many layers, where the outer layer of the skin receives large amount of wind that used as a wind power generator. For solar power generator, there is a gigantic solar reactor at the top. The elevator of CRP building uses Archimedes principle of vessels. It will move up and down by accommodating its specific gravity. The excess energy generated from CRP system will be distributed to buildings around the Ciliwung river.

Amazing "Cheonggyecheon" Revolutionary ( a shift from slum, dirty river into a clean and beautiful one)

2011-11-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Ciliwung river

Since the last five years, Seoul City residents have an attractive place to relax. During the spare time and in order to release them from their daily activities, they are no longer just visited shopping malls or cafes, but simply pay a visit to a clean river and walk around there at no charge.

The river is named as the Cheonggyecheon stream. Located in the heart of the city, the river was also able to attract local and foreign tourists. Cheonggyecheon actually offers its own charm.

The atmosphere is quite calm even in passing upon a variety of motor vehicles. There are a special lane for pedestrians the left and right side of the river, so they can feel the cool air directly at the same time listening to the refreshing streams of water. Although not undrinkable, but the water in the river is very clear.

On November 5 to 14, the Lantern Festival took place at Cheonggyecheon stream. At that night, the people really enjoyed the atmosphere in the river. The flame coloured lantern lights along the river beautifully.

Nearly 6 km along the river was used to be very slummy. It was even a latrine and trash the place for many people. According to the Seoul government, after the Korean War (1950-1953), Cheonggyecheon became the location of the settlement of immigrants who want to try their fortune in the capital.

In the decade of the 1970s, the Cheonggyecheon changed into a symbol of "modernization"

South Korea

's. The river was built a lot of piling and concrete for the construction of the overpass.

Cheonggyecheon - Foto: Google

However, in 2003, then Seoul mayor, Lee Myung-bak made a revolutionary change. Lee, who now becomes president of

South Korea

's success due to his vision of an environmentally friendly, wanted Cheonggyecheon back to its original status as “a small river that flows in the heart of the capital”.

Many roads over the river was removed, as well as piles and concretes. Two years later, Cheonggyecheon was "reborn" as a real river. Eventhough Seoul is now a modern capital but it concerns towards its environment sustainability. The river is one of Seoul’s pride.

Cheonggyecheon Lantern Festival - Foto: Google

Cheonggyecheon Stream Park - Foto: Google

According to the Seoul government, the reborn of the river was even helped reducing air pollution levels and thus more cool air in the middle of town are produced.

Map of Cheonggyecheon. Source:Kampoo.com

Cheonggyecheon Stream Park - Foto: Google

The reborn of Cheonggyecheon is very inspirational and it could be carried out everywhere anytime accros the world. The key to make the changes into realize is by working them seriously. So…let’s the spirit keep alive!

Telaga Warna, Upstream of Ciliwung River

2011-11-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

Telaga Warna - Foto: Henry Adam

Telaga Warna 1.378 - 1.831 m dpl, approximately 80 km or 1,5 hour drive from Jakarta through Cisarua; 1.45 hour drive from Bandung; and 10 minutes from Puncak Pass on foot to the entry gate. Telaga Warna is an upstream Ciliwung River and is an part of the buffer zone of Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park. The Lake is surrounded by tea plantation.

History

On a sunny day, the lake will have a beautifull and amazing colour. Actually, the colour is a reflection of canopy forest, plants, flowers and the sky surrounding the lake. But, the local people believes that the colour is sparkling from a neclace of a Princess living in the Lake, and the water of the Lake is the tears of the Princess.

Flora

Type of Vegetation are mountain rain forest, flora made up of diverse species of trees are Puspa (Schima walichii), Saninten (Castanopsis argentea) and others.

Fauna

Type of wildlife which can be found in this area are birds such as turtledoves (Strepto chinensis), qual (Turnix Susciator), Kadanca (Ducula sp), Swallow (Collocalia vulvanorum) and others.

Visitor Activity
Visitors come to enjoy the beauty of the lake mostly at the weekend. Taking, pictures, tea walk, bycicle, bird watching, paragliding watching are other activities that can be done by visitors.

Paragliding Watching - Foto: Henry Adam

Paragliders- Foto: Henry Adam

I wish the lake and its surrounding can be mantained in a sustainable way so that they can still be enjoyed by our future generation.

The Ciliwung Green Canyon

2011-11-10T01:31:00.000-08:00

Ciliwung Green Canyon - Foto: Henry Adam

Driving away around 41 Km outside Jakarta to Bogor, you can find a beautiful relic of ancient river, Ciliwung Green Canyon. The name of Green Canyon was given by Sudirman Asun, a volunteer for Save Ciliwung Movement.

You will not believe if this picture was taken from Ciliwung a river which flows from Bogor to Jakarta. The picture here was not resulted from digital imagge processing, it is real as it is. If you don't believe it, just take a short trip from Jakarta on your weekend to Katulampa village. You can proof it by your self, it is fake or true. Just prepare your camera and ... Welcome to Ciliwung Green Canyon!