Meet Ramona Sari: Winner of the Gerbang Barito REDD+ Project's First Writing Competition

In July 2025, the Gerbang Barito REDD+ Project in Central Kalimantan held its first writing competition “Akar dan Kata” (Roots and Words). The goal was simple but meaningful, to create space for inclusive participation while encouraging local voices to document lived experiences, traditional knowledge, and the ties between people and nature. 

Over the course of a month, participants from two project villages, Batilap and Batampang, sent in their stories. They came from different ages and backgrounds, some still in school, others already adults. From Batilap alone, 13 young writers took part. Among them, 15-year-old Ramona Sari stood out, taking first place over 12 of her peers. 

Her name was announced on August 17, during Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations. Amid flag ceremonies and village festivities, Ramona stepped forward as the winner. She received a prize of one million rupiah (US $60), but for her the real reward was discovering a path where her imagination and care for the environment could meet. 

Crossing the River to School

Ramona’s daily journey to school is anything but ordinary. From her home in Batilap, she must cross the river by klotok, a small wooden boat with a sputtering engine that serves as lifeline transport for villagers. 

“Sometimes six of us squeeze into one klotok, just like hitching a ride together,” she says with a laugh. Facing the current, sudden rain, or a broken motor are part of everyday life. 

For some, such a journey might feel exhausting. For Ramona, it is an invigorating part of growing up. The river, the forest, and the village are more than scenery. They are the backdrop and inspiration for her stories. 

Finding Her Love for Writing

Ramona has loved writing since elementary school. She once entered a poetry contest in the nearby town of Buntok. She didn’t win, but instead of letting the loss discourage her, it deepened her resolve to improve as a writer. 

“I lost, but I still wanted to write,” she recalls. 

Two of her early short stories, Fruit Veg Nation and Pelangi Nusantara (Archipelago Rainbow), show her playful imagination. In the first, a guava with a mean streak and a kindhearted peanut become neighbors with clashing personalities. “I just thought it would be funny if fruit could talk,” she says. 

The second story highlights Indonesia’s cultural diversity, weaving together characters from different islands, with Kalimantan’s forests as the setting. Her writing reflects a deep connection to both nature and culture. 

Much of her learning has been self-taught. “I learned from YouTube how to make paragraphs, use capital letters, periods, and commas. I just taught myself,” she explains. For illustrations, she experimented with AI tools on her phone: “I made pictures to match the stories, helping to bring my stories to life.” 

The Forest as Playground and Guide

For Ramona, the forest has always been more than a distant backdrop. It is where her family fishes during the dry season, catching fish in beje, small floodplain ponds formed by river currents, and roasting them over open fires under the trees. 

But not all memories are light-hearted. She remembers slipping into a steep ditch while walking with friends in third grade. 

“Each time I tried to climb, I slipped again. My friend kept shouting, ‘Come on, you can do it!’ In the end I made it, but I was shaking with fear,” she recalls. Below was a stream, and though she could barely swim, she managed to float until her friends pulled her up. 

Even that frightening memory hasn’t dimmed her affection for the forest. “The forest is home. There are trees, rivers, birds, and animals. All kinds of life are there,” she says firmly.

Writing for the Environment

When asked why protecting the environment matters, Ramona’s answer is straightforward. “What we protect is for ourselves too. If there’s trash everywhere, there will be disease.” 

She believes children have a role to play. Through writing, they can remind others that caring for the forest is not only the responsibility of adults.

Her message is clear:Take care of your environment, because your life depends on it.

Winning the Akar dan Kata competition affirmed her belief that writing can be more than a pastime, it can be a way to make her voice heard. 

Dreams of a Writer and Historian

Though only 15, Ramona already has a clear vision of her future. She dreams of becoming a real writer, publishing books about the natural world she grew up in. At the same time, she hopes to study history at university. 

Her reason is simple but meaningful. “When you ask young people, many don’t know the origin stories of their own villages. But that’s important,” she says.

For her, writing about history and the environment are linked by a common thread. Both help us understand our roots and keep memory of the village, the forest, and people’s connection to nature alive. 

“Writing is like a small bridge I’m building for the future,” she reflects. “It may be simple, but it means something.” 

A Voice from the River’s Edge

The Akar dan Kata contest lasted only a month, with winners announced during Independence Day festivities. Yet its impact is longer lasting. The stories gathered, including Ramona’s, will become part of the shared narrative of the Gerbang Barito REDD+ Project, strengthening community connection to forest conservation. 

For Ramona, writing is a simple way to capture her experiences and her bond with nature. Each day she crosses the river to school. Through her stories, she also crosses into another space, where imagination, memory, and hope meet. 

In her own quiet way, she is keeping the forest alive in words, so it may continue to thrive and inspire others to conserve their shared home.