Lonnie Jalung First Penan Woman to become University Student

If you have previously bought these sets of Penan greeting cards bearing my birds and landscape photographs, consider this post my way of a Thank You on behalf of the Penan Helping Hands for your enormous contribution. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these cards along with additional proceeds from sale of the Penan weaved baskets (I use one for my weekly tamu shopping) go to making a difference to not just one girl’s future but also the future of the nomadic tribe she represents. I had the pleasure of meeting Penan girl Lonnie Jalung in person in my hometown at none other than the legendary Soi Heng coffee shop — she had ordered their delicious sambal fried kway teow by the time I got there! This rendezvous was in May 2011, a year earlier before her recent story and interview in the Borneo Bulletin (see excerpt below).

A Panaga Natural History Presentation: Penan — Lost or Found?

My collection of birds and landscape photographs photographed in and around the Belait district.

From Lowest Hill to Big Hearts: A Brunei Times Story | Penan Ear Rings

Presenting Lonnie my business card, shamelessly interrupting her Soi Heng sambal fried kway teow moment.

Lonnie visits Brunei bearing gifts: I’m holding one of a number of best selling Oriental Pied hornbill photos while Lonnie’s holding two Penan authentically weaved bamboo baskets she has brought along as a token of her appreciation. I love these baskets and they’re proudly displayed in my studio as a reminder.

Meet Violette Tan (left) a driving force of the Penan Helping Hands group, my former English and Sec 4 Form teacher at St John’s School once upon a time. This is one of those rare journeys in life where least likely paths actually cross because of photography.

Click on image below to view larger version.

 

PENAN, LOST OR FOUND?

Click on image to read BT story (~989 KB)

First up, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has bought the Penan greeting cards since they were made available. Your contributions however big or small have made a difference in collective efforts to ensure Penan kids receive the education they deserve. However, raising money from sale of greeting cards is just one of a number of proactive efforts to save the Penans from possible extinction (Penans are South East Asia’s last Nomadic tribe). So, in a continuing effort to create awareness of their plight, the Panaga Natural History Society (PNHS) together with Jacky McLaren and her team of volunteers held a talk entitled “PENAN, LOST OR FOUND” last night at the Panaga Club. Selected photographs from Noah Jackson were also featured in the presentation slides.

Jacky McLaren begins her talk and to her left are authentic Penan craft and an actual blowpipe that used for hunting and self-defence.

Like many indigenous tribes,  the Penans are great with their handicrafts and have produced these wonderful hand made items to purchase. Like the greeting cards, proceeds from sale of these crafts also go to building their future. If you’re interested in buying these items, you may contact Violette (contact details at bottom of post). Among the items available but not shown here are the unique Penan ear rings. Because they’re hand made, no two of them are alike and I’m honoured to have been presented a unique box set by Violette and Shida as token of appreciation.

Most of the Penan craft are made from a complex network of intricately twisted rattan.

Yes, a familiar scene. It all begins with a smile and once contact is made, it’s sold. What I saw last night confirmed a long suspicion about women and bags!

Azri whose ancestral roots connect him to the Penans and a passion for photography takes a close-up photo of a Penan craft with the aid of a Kenko Extension Tube.

Penan crafts can be extremely colourful too evident of this being the hand weaved baskets

Esther demos how to put on a traditional Penan basket.

A wooden container of darts used by the Penans to hunt with the blowpipes.

Violette took over my camera and had me pose with the Penan weapon. Pictured here are (from left): Gavin, Asri and the guy without his choice of weapon :)

A view of the darts and opening of the blowpipe

The tip of the spear that’s strapped to the end of the blowpipe and the darts.

Blowpipe with spear head fitted and tied securely with rattan.

More than one reason to smile about. Besides contributing to help the Penans, the craft makes a great personal collection.

The angels—Shida, Esther, Jacky and Violette—championing the Penan cause to save South East Asia’s last nomadic tribe from extinction.

PLIGHT OF THE PENAN. EDUCATION THE KEY TO SURVIVAL.

Nov 4 2008 Just an update to let you know that the PENAN charity aid Christmas cards are now available and feature a selection of new landscape and bird photographs along with a mix of previous featured pictures. These cards along with a variety of merchandise will be available at the FESTIVE FAYRE bazaar at the Orchid Garden Hotel ballroom tomorrow (Nov 5 2008) from 9.00am to 4.00pm. Entrance fee is $5.00 per person. Proceeds from sales go to charity. These cards are now available at STATION 8 at Manggis Hua Ho Mall as of today.

© Jan Shim Photography

Original post: Oct 15, 2008 at 4:35 pm
The dictionary defines the word tribe as “a social division in a traditional society consisting of linked families or communities with a common culture and dialect.” The PENAN people, Borneo’s nomadic hunter-gatherers, are one of the few remaining tribesmen and tribeswomen whose existence and survival are threatened by modernization. The tropical rainforest in which they dwell is disappearing and I am honoured to have been asked if I could help out in some way. Prior to this, my only association with them was through Geography in school and to think we tend to take education for granted not knowing then and even now just how fragile the Penan people’s future are. I recently met with Violette Tan, one of a number of active volunteers whose efforts and dedication ensures the Penan kids (the tribe’s future) receive EDUCATION—a key ingredient for a nation that aspires growth and development and more importantly sustain it.

© Jan Shim Photography

The timing could not have been better as I have in my archive a growing collection of nature-themed photographs which I feel have the broadest appeal to buyers and happen to be in-line with my personal direction having produced mostly corporate events and commercial images for a few years. So when Violette approached me for my pictures to help raise funds to help the PENAN people, making these pictures available in 3R prints a worthy cause while promoting The Abode of Peace, Brunei Darussalam. Scroll to the bottom of this post for sales and contact information.

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

© Jan Shim Photography

Check out the official blog of PENAN TONG TANA for more information about what’s at stake and what’s being done by the generous contributors who have gone beyond their normal duties to lend a helping hand.

Price of each card with a photo and envelope is B$3.00 and are available at:

BRUNEI CAPITAL
JERUDONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (JIS) BOOKSHOP | RAINFOREST GALLERY (KIULAP) | ALLY FRAMING (KIULAP) | EXPRESSION MUSIC (KIULAP) | STATION 8 SERVICES (HUA HO MANGGIS)

BELAIT DISTRICT
BRITISH GARRISON HIVES | LINDA & LYDIA FLORIST | NAAFI | PANAGA CLUB LIBRARY

CONTACT
For all matters pertaining to the availability and distribution of the cards including how you can contribute to the cause, please contact:

Violette Tan | (673) 8747168 | E-mail: violettetan@NOSPAMgmail.com (remove “NOSPAM”)