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Orangutan Information Centre (OIC)

OIC is dedicated to the conservation of Sumatran orangutans and their habitat. We promote public awareness of the plight and the value of this critically endangered species and its unique habitat through grassroots educational programmes and empower local communities living near the last remaining orangutan habitat to work towards a more sustainable future for their forests.

OIC was founded in 2001 by a group of dedicated Indonesian conservationists in Medan to promote awareness of environmental and orangutan conservation issues amongst local communities living in North Sumatra and Aceh. It is an innovative programme which supports environmental education and orangutan protection through the participation and empowerment of local communities. It is also designed to support sustainable environmental development of the region. This is primarily achieved by raising awareness about orangutans and their environmental significance and by establishing practical community-based projects and educational training programmes.

a. Education and Awareness Division

Conservation School Programme

OIC has established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education in the Deli Serdang region of North Sumatra to pioneer conservation lessons for all state schools in the region.

Our team carries out visits to schools around North Sumatra and Aceh. During these visits we talk to children and teachers about the plight of the orangutan, the current status of Sumatra’s forests and discuss ecological issues of local relevance. We show environmental films, hold discussions to hear what they already know and think about environmental conservation, and offer training in activities such as paper recycling. We have received an overwhelming positive response as most Indonesian schools do not have lessons on the environment.

We have found that students are desperate to learn more, usually requesting that our team returns to their school to hold more talks or that we set up a project for their school to run after the visit is over. The most frequent request is for SOS to set up a tree nursery in the school grounds so that the children can replant the forests around their villages.

The Mobile Awareness Unit (MAU)

Also known as the “Orang-U-Van”, this is a free mobile library and environmental cinema equipped with a number of environmental books and films in the local language. We give presentations on the importance of conservation of orangutans and their habitat, and show conservation-focused documentary films. The children and local community members then provide feedback on what they have read, learned and understood, as well as their thoughts about the future of their environment and orangutan conservation. The programme focuses not only on orangutan conservation, but also on the much-needed environmental programmes that will assist local communities and children in protecting and improving their own environment and surrounding forests.

“Orangutan Friends” Club

We run an “Orangutan Friends” club (Sahabat Orangutan, SOU, in Indonesian), which is designed to instil a sense of pride in young Indonesians about their beautiful environment and its unique inhabitants, especially the orangutan. The club consists of students from every school level, and we currently have over 800 members. Members hold regular meetings at our headquarters to discuss current environmental issues and to plan awareness-raising activities amongst their peers. SOU members also regularly help to run our activities such as the conservation camp and community training days.

University Scholarships

The SOS-OIC, in conjunction with the American NGO Orangutan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI), has established the ‘Care about Orangutans Scholarship Programme’. This was established for university students in North Sumatra to promote research on orangutan populations in the Leuser Ecosystem.

Conservation Camp

Each month we run a 2-day Conservation Camp which is designed to inspire school children to become actively involved in learning about and caring for their environment. During the camp students are given talks on nature and wildlife, on conservation issues and practical conservation techniques. They are given training in some practical aspects of conservation such as paper recycling, composting, correct disposal of rubbish and the application of conservation tools such as GPS units (Global Positioning Systems) and surveying techniques. This is one of our best-loved programmes as students are not offered this kind of education at their schools or universities. The camp also gives teachers the chance to receive training in communicating environmental messages so that the next generation will see the value in protecting their environment.

b. Conservation and Development Division

Tree Nurseries and Replanting Programmes

We distribute seedlings and establish organic forestry centres near degraded forest areas, and provide training so that communities can be self-sufficient in producing their own seedlings for future replanting. We have successfully managed the replanting of over 150,000 tree seedlings in targeted degraded conservation areas in conjunction with local communities.

Creating tree nurseries, planted with fruiting and hardwood seedlings, provides sustainable livelihoods for communities surrounding critical orangutan habitat. This means that these communities no longer need to rely on collecting wood and other forest products from the orangutans’ habitat for an income. Our projects concentrate on teaching local communities about the benefits of reforestation and developing alternative livelihood solutions.

Community Training

We hold regular training days for local communities, students and teachers so that they may learn the practical applications of conservation and better understand the issues we are raising. Training days are held for local people at our project sites and during conservation camps. The training days are particularly valued by communities and educational institutions as these programmes are not readily available to them in Indonesia. Training days are always well attended and participants are always empowered, frequently requesting repeat visits. To date, we have offered training to local communities and schools on creating tree nurseries and seed banks, composting and organic farming techniques and ecological surveying techniques such as orangutan nest surveys (a technique used to assess population numbers and density), forest condition surveys, flora and fauna surveys, how to set up a herbarium for flora samples, boat handling for riverine surveys, nature photography, orangutan behaviour research techniques, writing environmental articles for the media and more. This kind of training is essential for the next generation of Indonesian conservationists if we are to empower Indonesian students, so that they may be capable of working towards a sustainable future for their forests.

The Conservation and Development Division is also involved in orangutan population and habitat surveys, and monitoring of human-orangutan conflict issues.

c. Information Development Division

OIC publishes a quarterly magazine called “Pongo News”. It contains articles on environmental and orangutan conservation topics, as well as reports and updates on the OIC projects in Sumatra. The magazine is produced in Indonesian and distributed free to schools, members of the orangutan friends club, and to communities visited by the Mobile Awareness Unit. The magazine is a great way to circulate environmental news and views on a regular basis and raise awareness of local environmental issues.

The Information Development Division manages the production of all informational and promotional materials for the educational programmes, school visits, campaigns and media, including newsletters, petitions, press releases, and the organisation’s website. This division is also involved in environmental exhibitions, demonstrations and orangutan conservation lobbying in conjunction with other NGO’s and the forestry department.

OIC has also established the “Work Study Programme Scheme”. This is a pioneering approach in which the OIC provides unique opportunities for local university graduates to gain valuable work experience in the field of conservation. The volunteers are supervised by coordinating staff from each division and are invaluable in the implementation of the field projects.

OIC is supported by the international branches of the Sumatran Orangutan Society in the areas of project development, fundraising, campaign development and implementation, and in developing the institutional capacity of the OIC.

Organization Structure


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