Who We Are

YAPPENDA was founded in January 2022. It was born out of the concern for and the love of Papua and her wilderness by Iain and Malcolm (Kobak). Joined by several friends of varied backgrounds, YAPPENDA was finally birthed after years of dreaming and is a conservation and sustainable development focused NGO based in Papua. YAPPENDA (Yayasan Pelayanan Papua Nenda) is a mixture of bahasa Indonesia and bahasa Yali words. Essentially it translates to, "Foundation for the love and service of Papua." We are currently funded by the International Conservation Fund of Canada and are working on expanding our relationship with Re:Wild (for whom we have been involved for several years now).

YAPPENDA is working in two overall project areas. This includes the Heluk valley of Yahukimo Regency and the Cyclops Mountain range of Jayapura Regency. The project is engaged in:

  1. Reforestation of degraded/deforested land, which includes establishing nurseries to grow tree seedlings for planting and establishing community forests for sustainable use.
  2. Creation of a learning centre (combined with the organisation’s office) for educational programs and to support research, including collaboration with both Indonesian and foreign universities.

Our Vision

“To ensure that our grandchildren and their children inherit a land that is environmentally stable, clean and healthy yet provides for their livelihoods”.

"Untuk memastikan bahwa cucu-cucu kita dan anak-anak mereka mewarisi tanah yang stabil secara lingkungan, bersih dan sehat namun dapat menyediakan mata pencaharian mereka”

Our Mission

“Protect, advocate for, sustain and restore the natural environment through economic empowerment of the OAP (Indigenous Papuan)”

“Melindungi, mengadvokasi, melestarikan dan memulihkan lingkungan alam melalui pemberdayaan ekonomi OAP”