KUCHING: Amid the lush greenery of Gunung Lesong–Ulu Sebuyau (GLUS), an Iban community is documenting their lives and heritage not with pen and paper, but through photographs.
Through WWF-Malaysia’s Panda CLICK! programme, farmers, housewives and retirees from Langgir Ili, Menangkin Tengah and Menuang Ulu in Sri Aman are now using cameras to tell their own stories and capture their bond with nature.
Launched in June 2023, the programme offers participants basic training in digital photography and encourages them to document their daily lives, local biodiversity and challenges faced by their community.
Though not professional photographers, the 11 participants took to the task with dedication, guided by the belief that their everyday lives hold meaning and stories worth telling.
WWF-Malaysia’s Sarawak Conservation programme head Cynthia Chin said the project is rooted in the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), with continuous engagement held between WWF and the indigenous community throughout the programme.
“Before Panda CLICK! began, we held FPIC sessions to ensure the community understood and voluntarily agreed to participate.
“The process ensures they are part of the project not as subjects, but as partners,” she said.
Throughout the one-year programme, participants used cameras loaned by WWF-Malaysia to capture images, which were later returned, and the most powerful photos were selected and captioned in collaboration with the WWF-Malaysia communications team.
More than just a photography workshop, Chin said the initiative offered participants a fresh perspective of their own lives.
“What may seem ordinary to them becomes extraordinary when seen through the lens. Every photo captures a story — whether it’s inherited rice fields, traditional rituals, or the forest that has sustained them for generations,” she said.
First introduced in Kapit in 2018 with Iban and Kenyah communities, Panda CLICK! returned to Sarawak for a second time through the GLUS edition.
The name ‘Panda CLICK!’ reflects WWF’s commitment to conservation, with ‘CLICK’ standing for Communication Learning towards Innovative Change and Knowledge, aimed at bridging communication between remote communities and the wider world.
WWF-Malaysia said this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Aug 9, themed “Indigenous Peoples and Artificial Intelligence: Defending Rights, Fostering Futures”, resonates with the efforts in GLUS to preserve knowledge, voice and identity through innovation and community empowerment.
Chin revealed that a coffee table book featuring selected photos and stories from GLUS will be published soon as a collaborative effort between WWF-Malaysia and the community.
“We hope Panda CLICK! has empowered the community to share their stories, strengthen their bond with WWF-Malaysia, and preserve the culture and nature that have always shaped their identity.
“This year’s celebration is not just an event. It is a recognition of the deep knowledge, rich culture, and meaningful way of life of indigenous communities. Through Panda CLICK!, we are seeing their world — through their eyes,” she added.
