Join us on our mission to create a better educational environment for the kids in Lombok, Indonesia! We are helping our Indonesian friend, who teaches local children in her own home, fulfil her dream and create a place to teach these kids English.
Author: BeSea protect ocean
We aim to secure a sufficient study environment for Indonesian children - to repair the building, equip the classroom with furniture, provide necessary study materials, and create a sanitary environment where the children could meet up and study regularly. We will help build a better relationship between local children and the nature surrounding them, teach them to protect their environment and help them understand sustainable fishing and careful waste disposal. Because we believe it is up to them - the future generation.
Photo: Lecture about plastic pollution
Photo: The last day of school with the children we taught every day about ecology and English
The first time we visited Tanjung Luar village in Lombok was four years ago. We travelled there to map the shark market, where shark finning is a regular practice. Fins are then transported to Asia, mainly to China, where it is made into a shark fin soup - a local delicacy. We also educated children and local people about ecology, sustainable fishing and waste disposal management.
Photo: Caught shark on bamboo poles, which is carried to the dock among 100 other sharks
On our last mission, which took place before covid restrictions, we were lucky to meet a wonderful woman - Ivy. We have discovered that Ivy teaches local children in her own home several times a week. She teaches them English, ecology and to appreciate the nature that surrounds them, in her flat consists of two rooms also used for cooking and as a bedroom. Children would learn that the best way to clean the biscuit packaging is not by throwing it into the ocean, that it is better to fish sustainably, not to destroy coral reefs, not to catch baby fish, and even not to fish with dynamite. These topics and many more, such as protecting mangrove forests around the village, throwing rocks, or pouring hot water on street dogs, are not covered at their public schools. There is a severe lack of capable teaching staff at the public schools, and the schools are also missing an English speaking teacher.
In addition, children do not have sufficient facilities to learn. They only have a notebook, a pencil and a floor. Once, as we were sitting by the sea drinking coffee, Ivy confided in me. She has a dream of building a place where children could meet up, learn and create after school. That is why we have decided to turn her dream into reality, and you can help us too!
Photo: Capturing children who are learning with our friend Ivy on the ground, without benches and suitable background for studying
Tanjung Luar village is known for its huge fish market and especially shark market. An average of 60 sharks die at this place every day, about 22,000 each year. Sharks have their fins cut off, which are shipped to China, where they are used for cooking a popular and very expensive shark fin soup that serves as a status symbol in China. The rest of the shark is sold cheaply as unknown fish meat to local warung, and the livers are used to produce oils for improved immunity or cosmetics. At the market, among other fish, you will find coral fish, swordfish, tuna and many other marine species, many of which are endangered or even protected, such as hammerhead and mako shark species. Walking at the market is like walking over a battlefield. We understand that fishing is one of the few livelihoods for the locals, but we have found that they make very little money from shark fishing, and the money goes mainly to traffickers.
Photo: Pregnant females that fall out of their bellies unborn pups
Unfortunately, overfishing is not the only problem in Tanjung Luar village. Plastic pollution and with it lack of education is also a huge problem. In most places in Lombok, there is no waste management as in our country in the Czech Republic. Locals often have only a few options for handling the waste - incinerate the trash, throw it into the ocean or nature. Usually, throwing the garbage in the ocean is the easiest for them. The ocean is just a few steps away from the house.
Photo: Children with sacks full of garbage
At the same time, the village has a huge potential for nature protection. There are extensive mangroves and coral reefs around the village, essential ecosystems for villagers and marine and terrestrial species.
About Be Sea
Be Sea is an organisation focused on the protection of the oceans. We operate in Indonesia, where we fight the shark fin trade, and our goal is to reduce shark fishing. We negotiate with the government, work with locals and focus on children’s education. In the Czech Republic, we try to spread awareness about oceans, sharks and sustainability. We organise lectures at primary and secondary schools, events for the public, art exhibitions, workshops and create educational materials. One of the pillars of our activities is also cooperation with artists and designers.
Photo: A group of volunteers at the market in Tanjung Luar
We believe that building a school is an ideal project for a crowdfunding campaign, as anyone who contributes even a small donation will become part of a large community that will forever be connected to the lives of local children (and nature).
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