Cut “Itjut” Meurah Intan is a Rare Campaign Manager running her Pride Campaign at Seulawah Ecosystem Area in Aceh, Indonesia in partnership with the Mapayah Foundation.

“GaLesto” consists of Restu, Erwin, Agus, Azmi, Nita, Nidia, Ola, Imel, Tia, and Srie – who are all high school students in Lembah Seulawah and Kota Jantho sub-district. These 8 students formed a group and composed 4 songs to support the Rare Pride Campaign for saving the forest within the Seulawah Ecosystem Area. These 4 songs were recorded and will be distributed to the community.

GaLesto composing their songs

The forest condition within their home areas inspired GaLesto to compose all of the songs about preserving their forests. GaLesto hopes their songs will be able to bring community spirit into conserving the forest, as they all know that the forest provided their daily needs. Srie Aprilia, one of the group member hopes, “these song can make the listener understand, that destroying the forest is the same as destroying our own lives”. All the songs inspire people to understand the important role of the forest to their own lives.

The first single “Hutanku Hutanmu Jua, Selamatkan Dia” (My Forest, Your Forest, Let’s Save it Together) was released through radio station within the area. Listen to GaLesto’s single here.

GaLesto performing at a Pride campaign cooking contest

The recording took place at the Information & Communication Department studio. GaLesto could not believe themselves- that they were going to record their songs in a professional studio. It was just like a dream!  It was such a memorable experience for the whole group. Restu, Erwin, Agus, Azmi, Nita, Nidia, Ola, Imel, Tia, and Srie were laughing and feeling very happy during two days of recording sessions. “I will not forget this moment”, said Agus and Erwin.

Srie, from GaLesto, recording in the studio