Hotlin Ompusunggu

In her career as a dentist for over 20 years, Hotlin also displayed a passion for community development, providing dental services for residents in impoverished areas. 

This role evolved in 2007 when she went beyond dentistry and became a conservationist – driven by a belief that development is not complete without care and consideration for the environment while ensuring sustainability of life.

That same year, she co-founded Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) and designed the integrated components of its healthcare and conservation projects, achieving great success in reducing illegal logging in West Borneo’s Gunung Palung National Park. 

In 2018, Hotlin returned to Sumatra – her homeland – and achieved conservation success there by continuing to prove that communities and forests can thrive together.