30/05/2026
āOur small struggle began from nothing, sustained only by belief and determination. We may not have great financial resources, but we continue striving to ensure that future generations can still enjoy the same blessings and resources.ā
ā Mastupang Somoi, Kg. Sungai Eloi, Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia.
Mastupang Somoi is part of the Indigenous Tombonuo community of Kg. Sungai Eloi in Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia, where Indigenous Communities have been defending their mangrove territories, customary lands, and Indigenous Knowledge systems for many years. Together with the Gabungan 6 Kampung (G6) and wider community networks, they have resisted the expansion of commercial shrimp ponds that threatened the mangrove ecosystem and the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.
Despite limited financial resources, the community continues to take practical local action. These efforts include restoring and replanting mangrove forests, protecting traditional food sources such as lokan (mangrove clams), documenting and mapping their customary territories, developing community protocols for conservation, and passing on traditional ecological knowledge to younger generations.
Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders-IPHRDs Network, Asia Asia Indigenous Youth Platform - AIYP Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples of Asia-IKPA Network Of Indigenous Women In Asia - NIWA
