Lesten Unresolved Area

Gayo Lues is a division of Southeast Aceh Regency in 2002. It has been 16 years since the district stands alone after the separation from the previous district. Even after 16 years, almost 50% of Gayo Lues area is still isolated in Aceh Province. Nearly 80 thousand Gayo Lues residents still find it difficult to access the road. Those who are in Gayo Lues is very difficult to go or travel to neighboring districts or going to North Sumatra Province. Because the province of North Sumatra is very close to Gayo Lues district than to the capital of Aceh province.

Lesten Village Pining District is the most end-of-the-village in Gayo Lues District of Aceh Province and directly adjacent to North Sumatera Province. This is what makes them villagers in Lesten limitations. To access to other sub-districts located in Gayo Lues, the Lesten community modified John Deer as a means of transportation. Whereas before john deer is a grant from the Agricultural Service Gayo Lues for farmers. It's just that John deer is not used for farming. Now john deer switched professions as a means of transfortation of Lesten society.

For one way from the Capital District Pining Gayo Lues District to Lesten Village or vice versa requires more than 60 liters of fuel. Before this modification john deer can only accommodate a maximum of 10 people, but after modification can accommodate more 30 people. The trip from the subdistrict capital to Lesten village can take 7 hours, even if the weather is normal. Even if the rainy weather, can spend more than 7 hours.

The hilly and hollow roads make people have to be patient, because this is where they are escaped the attention of the Government. Whereas the lesten forest is part of the Gunung leuser national park. To buy motorcycles, people in Lesten Village have not been able to buy motorcycles, due to limited costs. Therefore john deer became their mainstay to get in and out of the village. As long as John deer operates only one person can operate it, namely the head of the village of Lesten.

The people who ride john deer are not free, but have to pay 30-50 thousand per adult. That's for operational cost and fuel john deer. The more sad for lighting or new electricity coming into Lesten Village in mid 2015. All these stories are real, and the information and documentation I got from my friends who work in Gayo Lues District.