Since 2017, the Chainsaw Buyback program has provided numerous benefits to both people and the environment. According to data collected by the ASRI Chainsaw Buyback team as of April 2025, the program has been joined by 325 individuals, with the 325th participant being Dul Hamid. This 46-year-old man works as a daily laborer building roads and also as an illegal logger. He has been involved in this line of work since he was 21, meaning he has been engaged in illegal logging for 25 years. Inspired by a friend who surrendered his chainsaw a few years ago, Dul Hamid became interested in joining the Chainsaw Buyback program, hoping to find a more sustainable and environmentally friendly job.

Abdul Hamid Hands Over Chainsaw to ASRI Chainsaw Buyback Program Team and Accompanied by Gunung Palung National Park Team

Dul Hamid shared that changing professions after 25 years is not an easy thing to do. With a smile, he recalled that he once earned around 30 million rupiah per month from logging, although that amount was gross and had to be shared with other workers. He admitted the income was decent, but the job was not stable—one month he might earn a lot, and the next month nothing if he couldn’t find the right trees to cut.

From Dul Hamid’s story, we can imagine that this profession was far from easy. He could return home for lunch and rest if he was lucky enough to find logging sites near his home. But if the site was far, he and his team would build a simple camp in the forest, surviving on limited supplies for a month or more. However, Dul Hamid became increasingly aware that his work was illegal, and he was constantly haunted by fear and guilt while cutting down trees. There was always the risk of being caught by the authorities, and the forests were becoming increasingly depleted due to continuous logging. Moreover, there were serious safety risks; many of his colleagues had died after being crushed by falling trees during work.

Dul Hamid Tells About His Experiences While Working as an Illegal Forest Miner

After going through all these experiences, Dul Hamid realized that this job never gave him peace of mind. He decided to change to a more sustainable profession by exchanging his chainsaw with the ASRI team in return for capital to start a fuel (BBM) business in front of his house with his child. He hoped this would provide a more peaceful life and a stable income, even if not large, through the rotation of business capital. Dul Hamid said he felt happy being able to work close to his family, because during his logging days, he often had to leave for months and be far away from them. With this renewed spirit, he hopes to succeed in his business, just like others who have joined ASRI’s Chainsaw Buyback program before him.

Read also: Dulu membabat pohon kini memelihara lebah