Kaptiau Village—often called Kapitiau by local residents—is located at the easternmost tip of Sarmi Regency, directly bordering Sawe Suma Village in Unurum Guay District, Jayapura Regency. Although far from the city center, this coastal settlement holds compelling stories of local wisdom and the resilience of its people in navigating life in remote Papua.
Kaptiau is known for its abundant natural resources: large marine fish, coconut trees flourishing along the coast, freshwater clams locally known as bia, and the prized karaka crab. These are blessings passed down through generations by their ancestors. Lining the coastline, rows of coconut trees thrive, forming the primary livelihood of the community. The village possesses not only natural beauty but also considerable economic potential.
Related Article: Pai Island: Shaping the Future Through Copra
Yet behind this abundance, the people of Kaptiau still live modestly. Limited transportation access makes almost everything difficult. The coconut hamlet lies along a coastal area facing the open sea. Although the hamlet is not too far from the village, access depends heavily on the tides. At low tide, residents can cross on foot in a little over an hour. During high tide, they must use paddled boats or motorized canoes. With a motorized boat, the trip takes around 45 minutes, but when the waves are high, it can take more than an hour.
The Coconut Hamlet Across the Estuary
Kaptiau’s coconut hamlet stretches along the beach, separated from the main village by a river that flows into the sea. This is where residents plant, harvest, and process coconuts into copra—a tradition they have upheld since the 1990s. Each family owns between one and 1.5 hectares of coconut land, managed by family or marga (clan) systems.
In the past, one coconut fruit was priced at only Rp1,000. Today the price has doubled to Rp2,000. Copra now sells for Rp13,500 per kilogram when buyers come directly to the village; if buyers collect it from the hamlet using motorboats, the price drops to Rp11,500 per kilogram. This increase has encouraged residents to produce more copra. Twelve families in Kaptiau regularly sell their copra to the Yora Mekhande Cooperative.
Related Article: Improving Financial Literacy Among Copra Farmers in Kampung Takar, Papua
The Copra Barter System
Today, however, residents no longer receive cash from sales. Due to infrequent transportation and high hauling costs, villagers have returned to the old way: barter. Copra is no longer always sold for money but exchanged for food supplies—commonly referred to as Bama—and other basic necessities.
This barter system has proven effective. By exchanging copra directly for rice, sugar, coffee, cooking oil, or soap, villagers no longer need to travel far to Sarmi town or neighboring villages to buy daily necessities—trips that often cost more than the income earned from selling copra.
Related Article: Kaimana Copra Distributed to National Markets
“Before, we had to buy Bama from other villages. The prices were high, and the transport cost was big. Now we can trade directly with copra. It really helps,” said Isak Bwara, a farmer in Kaptiau.
Bartering copra for daily necessities may sound outdated to some, but in Kaptiau it is far more efficient and a practical solution shaped by their environment, transportation limitations, and economic realities.
From the quiet coast of eastern Sarmi, the people of Kaptiau remind us that self-reliance does not always come from money, but from solidarity, hard work, and the ability to carve out a way of life in harmony with the land and sea they cherish.
