Anak Raja Ampat

One of my favourite turns-of-phrase here in Raja Ampat, Paua, is when people (adults and children alike) refer to themselves as “anak raja ampat”, or ‘a child of Raja Ampat’. It just has such a beautiful connotation, and envelopes the idea of community here… children are not just children of two parents, but of a community, and of the natural environment that sustains that community.

The phrase implies the belonging, and ownership and dedication that all people feel over/to Raja Ampat, and also the close connection that they still feel with their homeland. Traditionally people here live in harmony with their natural surroundings.

It's one of the reasons I have great confidence in the conservation efforts in Raja Ampat - the essence of conservation is at the core of their very being.