Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Bone – Bone Village

Bone – Bone Village

Bone-bone is a cloistered village that is situated at an altitude of 2.500 meters, on the slope of Mount Latimonjong. 540 inhabitants, or 80 families, inhabit the village and occupy stage houses.

Since 2001, the village‘s inhabitants have not smoked cigarettes anymore. It started when a Muslim priest, from Java Island, who was designated as a village chief at the time. He began to summon his citizens not to smoke by establishing unwritten law banning his people from smoking. As the time goes by, all people settling the village obey the law hence, Bone-bone Village is now famous as an “Anti-nicotine Village.”

Since 2007, Health Promotion Center of South Sulawesi Province fixed the village as a “Healthy Village.” The first time entering the village‘s gateway, you will see a placard saying "Nikmati Indahnya Pemandangan Alam dan Segarnya Udara Dusun Kami” (Enjoy the magnificent nature scenery and fresh air of our village).

Since entering the village‘s gateway, you will be amazed by wonderful scenery of surrounding areas. The village offers the fresh air to everyone since no air pollutions either from gasoline or cigarette smokes. Since 2001, the village‘s local inhabitants have never been smoked cigarettes anymore since the existence of an unwritten law banning them from smoking cigarette at all times.

There is no punishment for those breaking the law but it comes from their self-awareness of smoke‘s bad impacts damaging their health. Amongst them, smoking is considered as taboo as well as discussing sex in the public.

The village‘s inhabitants are well-known as devout Muslims, who strictly ban conducting useless habit such as smoking. Therefore, the village is also famous as an Islamic village. All women wear Islamic costumes at daily lives. And female children are not allowed to play outside of home with male children who are not their mahram (husbands or siblings). When adhan is calling to prayer, they stop from activities for conducting shalat. They are back to their activities after that.

Bone-Bone Location

Bone-Bone Village is administratively located in Baraka Sub-district, Enrekang District, South Sulawesi Province. Bone-bone Village lies about 300 kilometres away from Makassar. It can be reached by taking public transport from Makassar City to Enrekang District spending approximately six hours. Then, you must continue the trip to Baraka Sub-district that is around 50 kilometres away.

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