Biography.guide
Home › People › Anthropologist › Butet Manurung
Portrait of Butet Manurung

Butet Manurung

b. 1972

Activist, educator, and anthropologist from Indonesia

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Butet Manurung

Born 1972. Butet Manurung is an Indonesian anthropologist and educator, known for Sokola Institute.

Butet Manurung or Saur Marlina Manurung (born in Jakarta, February 21, 1972) is a pioneer of alternative education for indigenous people in isolated and remote areas of Indonesia. Like other young Batak girls, she was called "Butet" - therefore, she is well known as Butet Manurung.

She founded the first pilot school in Orang Rimba society (or Suku Kubu), a tribe native to Bukit Dua Belas National Park, Jambi, Sumatra. The method that she used was partly anthropological - meaning that her teaching of reading, writing and counting was conducted while living with her students for a span of several months. This system was combined with a respect and consideration for the daily behavioral patterns of the society.

Once it had been systematized, she would go on to develop the Sokola Rimba system. The term "Sokola Rimba" was derived from the local language of the Orang Rimba, one of various dialects within the Malayic language subgroup. The Sokola Rimba system is now used in several remote areas across Indonesia, such as in Halmahera and Flores. The Government of Indonesia is planning to adopt this system for the purposes of further development of remote communities in the country.

She married Kelvin James Milne on June 5, 2010, in Canberra, Australia.

In March 2022, Mattel appointed Butet Manurung as the 3rd Barbie role model from Indonesia, after Nyimas Bunga Cinta in 2020, and Anne Avantie in 2021.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Sokola Institute
Education
Padjadjaran University, Australian National University, University of Amsterdam
Awards
Ramon Magsaysay Award; Tatler 500 Indonesia; Asia's Most Influential Indonesia
Also known as
Saur Marlina Br. Manurung

People in Butet Manurung's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Butet Manurung's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Butet Manurung?

activist, educator, and anthropologist from Indonesia

When was Butet Manurung born?

Butet Manurung was born on 21 February 1972 in Jakarta.

What is Butet Manurung's occupation?

Butet Manurung is an anthropologist and educator.

What is Butet Manurung known for?

Butet Manurung is known for Sokola Institute.

What nationality is Butet Manurung?

Butet Manurung is Indonesian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Butet Manurung

· Wikidata: Q5002506

· DBpedia: Butet Manurung

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Butet Manurung. https://biography.guide/butet-manurung/

MLA: "Butet Manurung." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/butet-manurung/.

Chicago: "Butet Manurung." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/butet-manurung/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:24 UTC