Indigenous Elders Admit Low Interest In Baduy Vaccines: They Believe In Water, 20 Leaves And Spells For Healing

A Baduy elder who is also the Head of Kanekes Village, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Jaro Saija Regency (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Baduy elder who is also the Head of Kanekes Village, Leuwidamar Sub-district, Lebak Regency, Jaro Saija, invites his residents to follow the vaccination program because of its benefits in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.

Jaro admits that socialization continues to be given to Baduy residents but there are still few who are interested. "We have tried to convey an invitation to vaccinate, but the residents do not want to be vaccinated," said Jaro Saija in Lebak, Antara, Wednesday, August 18.

The Baduy community is not yet willing to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations because they still believe they can anticipate the COVID-19 pandemic through water treatment and 20 leaves.

The treatment, he said, has been carried out since the ancestors by performing spells for the healing abilities of certain water and leaves.

"We hope that people will be vaccinated to prevent the corona virus," said Jaro.

According to him, he has participated in two vaccinations at the Cisimeut Health Center to support the government's program to prevent the spread of the corona virus.

The Baduy community with a population of around 11,600 people spread across 68 villages is expected to receive vaccinations so that Indonesia is free from corona.

Currently, village government officials continue to disseminate information to their residents. "We hope that its citizens can receive vaccinations, but if they don't want to, they won't be forced to," he explained.

The head of the Cisimeut Community Health Center (Puskesmas) in Lebak Regency, Dr. Maytri Nurmaningsih, said that his party had scheduled vaccinations in Bedouin residential areas centered at the local Kanekes Village Office.

The vaccinator has targeted the vaccination target for the Bedouin as many as 180 people. However, he said, it turned out that none of the Bedouin residents came to the village office to take part in the vaccination.

"We are currently approaching the elders and traditional institutions so that the Bedouin people receive vaccinations," he explained.