94 Noble WomenSo, you embarked on a whole
new journey?
I did, yes. I volunteered for a
month-long project on Borneo is-
land in Indonesia, and after that
I literally gave everything up, and
sold everything I owned. I had a
few suitcases and some boxes with
knick-knacks that I’d picked up
from around the world, which ended
up at my brother’s place.How did your family and friends
react to the news?
Oh, I don’t know. My mother
probably would have preferred me to
get married and have a few kids. But
I think they had always known I was
a bit of a wildcard.A rebel?
Yes, the rebel who wanted to do
other things. My father was a sail-
or before I was born and was sent
to Borneo on a ship; he told me
many interesting stories. I certainly
had itchy feet, because as soon as
I finished school, I went off to the
United States. And then I worked in
Greece, Norway, America, and En-
gland. I loved to travel. I loved to be
in different places.In 1998 you founded the Nyaru
Menteng Orangutan Reintroduc-
tion Project and you built a facility
under an agreement with the In-
donesian Ministry of Forestry that
welcomed the first dozen orang-
utans in 1999. After you became an
activist, did you continue travelling?
No. From the time I moved to
Borneo, I travelled very little. First
of all, I didn’t have the money to
travel. Secondly, there wasn’t any-
thing to travel for. I got married to
a local Dayak headhunter. And we
started the Orangutan Project in- There was no time to travel.
There were times when I didn’t even
A LIFE’S CALLINGI volunteered for a
month-long project
on Borneo island in
Indonesia, and after
that I literally gave
everything up, and
sold everything
I owned.
94 Noble WomenSo, you embarked on a whole
new journey?
I did, yes. I volunteered for a
month-long project on Borneo is-
land in Indonesia, and after that
I literally gave everything up, and
sold everything I owned. I had a
few suitcases and some boxes with
knick-knacks that I’d picked up
from around the world, which ended
up at my brother’s place.
How did your family and friends
react to the news?
Oh, I don’t know. My mother
probably would have preferred me to
get married and have a few kids. But
I think they had always known I was
a bit of a wildcard.
A rebel?
Yes, the rebel who wanted to do
other things. My father was a sail-
or before I was born and was sent
to Borneo on a ship; he told me
many interesting stories. I certainly
had itchy feet, because as soon as
I finished school, I went off to the
United States. And then I worked in
Greece, Norway, America, and En-
gland. I loved to travel. I loved to be
in different places.
In 1998 you founded the Nyaru
Menteng Orangutan Reintroduc-
tion Project and you built a facility
under an agreement with the In-
donesian Ministry of Forestry that
welcomed the first dozen orang-
utans in 1999. After you became an
activist, did you continue travelling?
No. From the time I moved to
Borneo, I travelled very little. First
of all, I didn’t have the money to
travel. Secondly, there wasn’t any-
thing to travel for. I got married to
a local Dayak headhunter. And we
started the Orangutan Project in
- There was no time to travel.
There were times when I didn’t even
A LIFE’S CALLING
I volunteered for a
month-long project
on Borneo island in
Indonesia, and after
that I literally gave
everything up, and
sold everything
I owned.