“Office closed”

WCS office in Bandar Lampung will close on January 8. A big 5-year grant ended this past December, thus there is less money, and it was decided that this office would close. This is very unfortunate, both at a personal level (it was extremely convenient, a good internet connection and many helpful friends!) and in the larger scale, involving all of the above mentioned friends..
Waktre should be moved to some other office, maybe Way Kambas, maybe Medan.
Nunik, the heart of the office, is fired.
Iis was offered a position at the central office in Bogor. She has a large family, and the expense of getting a new house there, and school for her children is probably not sustainable. Commuting is also not an option, with three small children.
Edison’s “contract” expires at the end of January. Thus, he will work from home until then, and then look for a new job. He is usually not afraid to express extensively his opinions, but this time he only shows a repressed frustration and higher than usual appreciation for my bitter jokes.
CIMO and its crew are gone too. Cimo is the nickname of a happy green minivan with bright drawings of animals and plants, which used to go around Sumatra raising awareness on the ongoing conservation projects. It employed six people, among which Iyung, vespa fanatic and expert, and Sherly, shy, efficient and Sulawesi-born.

My instinct is to be outraged, especially because although the crisis was expected, until the end people have been left suspended, unaware of their future. In dispensing advice I more or less openly suggested several forms of resistance and protest. But the general reaction was an embarrassed smile, it was out of the question, so I let it go. I also must admit that I do not have all of the information. But it is an ugly situation, and it is heartbreaking to see these ill-treated people putting so much effort into packing everything, transporting and storing it, Nunik still helping and coordinating things from her own home.