Shita is originally from Java and grew up in Jakarta. She graduated from the Law Faculty of the Catholic University of Parahyangan Bandung, West Java and began her professional career as a volunteer with an organization that afforded support and education for homeless children. She pursued this and other social service and community aid and development work in  Java, Maluku, and Sulawesi before meeting Papua Bird Club founder Kris Tindige in 2005. Shita joined Papua Bird Club initially in the role of legal advisor, and later began to make use of her NGO experience to develop alternative education programmes for indigenous Papuan communities.

 

Under the tutelage of Kris, Shita enhanced her experience of leading wildlife tours in Papua, Sulawesi, Maluku, Bali, and Komodo. When Kris sadly passed away in 2007, Shita chose to continue his work with Papua Bird Club and began leading tours full time. She has since become widely regarded as the premier bird tour leader in Papua and eastern Indonesia. 

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Although most of her time is spent leading tours, she is still able to support the local communities both through employment and income opportunities stemming directly from the tours themselves (as local guides, porters, landowners, cooks, etc.) and through volunteer work offering guidance and training to the local people through her non-profit sister organization to Magnificus Expeditions, Papua Konservasi dan Komunitas, which provides English language, field guide, hosting skills and other trainings. 

 

Because of her commitment to and respect for the indigenous Papuan people, Shita is welcomed by local villages throughout Papua. Some have even recognized her contribution to their lives by giving her name to their new-born daughters.