Buru, Indonesia Island Stories
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Transcript
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With its rich, tropical landscape, Buru is a far-flung island | 0:00:20 | 0:00:25 | |
hidden within Indonesia's immense Archipelago. | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
The islanders have traditionally survived off the land | 0:00:45 | 0:00:48 | |
on eucalyptus farms and paddy fields. | 0:00:48 | 0:00:51 | |
Four years ago, everything changed. | 0:00:51 | 0:00:54 | |
According to local legend, a woman | 0:00:54 | 0:00:56 | |
dreamt that there was something precious hidden in these mountains. | 0:00:56 | 0:01:00 | |
She immediately began searching this vast landscape, | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
and, amazingly, found what she was looking for. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
Word quickly spread, and thousands followed her to Mount Botak | 0:01:06 | 0:01:09 | |
lured by this life-changing discovery. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:12 | |
Buru was laden with the most precious resource of them all... | 0:01:17 | 0:01:22 | |
gold. | 0:01:22 | 0:01:24 | |
The hillsides were pulled apart and the digging began. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:29 | |
There are workers digging down this mineshaft | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
right now, 40 metres below the surface. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:35 | |
They'll be in there for 12 hours, in the dark. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
There are environmental and safety concerns, | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
but the desire for riches is simply too great. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:45 | |
Mahani was once a eucalyptus farmer, working for just six dollars a day. | 0:01:49 | 0:01:54 | |
As a gold-digger she earns five times that. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:57 | |
-TRANSLATION: -The gold is a gift from God to the people here in Buru. | 0:01:57 | 0:02:02 | |
It changed people's lives. | 0:02:02 | 0:02:04 | |
Some can afford to buy a car. | 0:02:04 | 0:02:06 | |
Some can renovate their houses. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:08 | |
It's dangerous, but people fight for a better life. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:11 | |
At schools across Buru it's a lively start to the day. | 0:02:14 | 0:02:18 | |
LIVELY MUSIC | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
The island's new-found wealth has meant more children can | 0:02:22 | 0:02:26 | |
buy books and clothes. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:28 | |
More of these pupils can afford high school too. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
They say they'd like to be doctors, teachers and policeman. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:36 | |
SCHOOLCHILDREN: Hi! | 0:02:36 | 0:02:38 | |
For some families, daily life hasn't changed at all. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:42 | |
They are just telling me it takes an hour to get home. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
They need to cross a river, climb a hill | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
and then take a boat all by themselves. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:49 | |
Nine-year-olds Seiko and Algin live on their own island. | 0:02:52 | 0:02:55 | |
This rickety commune is run by their guardian, | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
Mama Ronja. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:03 | |
She came here from another island | 0:03:03 | 0:03:05 | |
and belongs to the Bajo tribe. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:07 | |
They are well known for living in houses on stilts. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:11 | |
Mama Ronja's been here for 30 years. | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
-TRANSLATION: -I would love to go to Jakarta to see | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
the lights in the city. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:18 | |
They say there are trains there, and I've never seen a train. | 0:03:18 | 0:03:22 | |
But it is just a dream. I want a different life for the kids. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:27 | |
They should be whatever they want to be, | 0:03:27 | 0:03:29 | |
finish university, | 0:03:29 | 0:03:30 | |
maybe even become president! | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
160,000 Indonesians live here | 0:03:40 | 0:03:44 | |
and it feels like almost everyone hopes to | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
make their fortune in these hills of gold, | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
whatever the risk. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:53 | |
One woman's dream has fundamentally changed Buru and its islanders. | 0:03:56 | 0:04:01 |