Klokhuis visits Masarang in West Kalimantan

The famous Dutch TV program “Het Klokhuis” recently visited Masarang in West Borneo for the shooting of two episodes.

In the episodes they will explain about the problems that are caused through the large-scale production of palm oil, such as the conversion of primary rainforest into large monoculture plantations and the massive loss of biodiversity.

Het_Klokhuis
Willie Smits and Klokhuis presentator Nienke de la Rive Box

oliepp3
Where once was magnificent rainforest just a wasteland remains.

They will also show the activities of Masarang and their partners in trying to help the local people with sustainable alternatives such as distributing sugar palm seedlings and the illipe butter (tengkawang) factory, and they follow the activities at the orangutan rescue center in Sintang.

This way they hope to inform the viewers about what kind of impact a choice for a product in the supermarket can have in other parts of the world.

oliepp1
A young oil palm plantation

oliepp20
Nienke together with Alexandra Vosmaer of the Sintang Orangutan Center at a young palm oil plantation.

“Het Klokhuis” is a very popular educational TV program for elementary school children in the Netherlands, and is broadcasted on Dutch television for more than 27 years. The program is broadcasted 5 times a week throughout the year and is watched by an estimated 70% of all children in the age group 7-13 years old. The two episodes filmed in West Borneo will shown on the channel “NPO 3” on the 7th and 8th of May 2015, and the broadcasts start at 18.25h.