Annual Reports

Key points 2023-2025

Achieving sustainable waste management that fits the context of small islands remains our primary objective. We strive for integrated solutions that align with the culture, traditions, norms, and values ​​of the inhabitants, while preserving their own identity. We are revitalizing the Moluccan "Masohi" philosophy: of each other, for each other, and by each other. We are transparent, honest, and consistent in everything we do. We do this purposefully, systematically, persistently, and increasingly professionally.

Started spontaneously and naively in 2014 and have since become wiser through experience.

By mid-2024, the organization aims to be recognized by the Central Bureau for Fundraising as a charitable foundation and to post the certificate on its website. The ambition is high, which explains the expected increase in revenue. These funds are needed to finance the investment in a small-scale plastic recycling workshop for Triple Benefit, the drinking water project, composting of organic waste, and the import of litter traps from Clear Rivers.

Our ambition is to seek these resources not only in Europe but also within Indonesia itself. We are appealing to national programs that also include financial support. We will also rely on national regulations regarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which all large companies and industries are bound by. We strive for corporatization and, therefore, financial independence. 

We will be adjusting our financial reporting starting in 2023. The specification of financial reserves will comply with the CBF standard. 

The organization

The boards of TML and HGI want to further strengthen both organizations by expanding their staff and facilities. An application process for recognition of Happy Green Islands by the Central Bureau for Fundraising began in December 2023. This will allow us to become more effective and sustain the foundations' activities for the long term.

In February 2024, Patricia Kaihena was appointed as an independent confidential counselor to also implement the integrity policy in accordance with the CBF standards. The complaints procedure is now divided into two sections:

1. Organizational complaints.

2. Complaints regarding integrity.

In March 2024, the Happy Green Islands board expanded from 3 to 5 people.

In April 2024, two people were appointed as supervisors. They will also serve as audit committee members.

Review of policy plans 2020-2023

Happy Green Islands entered a difficult phase in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. A significant positive development was the establishment of our partner organization, Toma Majo Lease, which was registered by a notary in Ambon in June 2021.

The pandemic set back other plans, and we lost some of our decisiveness. Donations ground to a halt, and the website had to be rebuilt.

The Community Center opened in 2022 and was renamed Paparisa TML. The desire to spun off the partner organization resulted in a concrete plan in 2023, following a funding application from the Iris Fund. This application was accompanied by a fundraising course provided by Partin.

On November 4, 2023, Dave Amahorseya, a key driving force behind the TML organization, passed away in a tragic accident. He was a man of great significance to his community. Dave rests in peace. We assume so. We will continue what we were doing together, but we miss him terribly. At the end of 2023, a crowdfunding campaign for his family was successfully completed. His wife and children can now move forward without immediate financial worries. Dave's two sons are now taking an online web design course offered by one of our board members. They have begun it with great enthusiasm. If they persevere, they will receive an internationally recognized certificate. His daughter can continue her studies as planned. His wife received the funds to start a small shop from home. It's also wonderful to report that both his sons want to take over their father's responsibilities within the foundation. They are being supported in this by the board in the Netherlands.

 

Multi-year policy 2024-2026

Sustainable waste management for small islands

  1. Finding funding for the realisation of a plastic recycling workshop in collaboration with Triple Benefit. 

  2. Setting up a recycling workshop. Importing machinery for small-scale recycling. Industrial shredder available. Mobile shredder and extruder available.

  3. Training the recycling team. (Train the trainer)

  4. Expand the "eco-gardening" and "composting" plan to at least three projects in Saparua, Haruku, and Nusalaut. GPM Klasis is successfully active in Negeri Mahu. Share and transfer this experience.

  5. Establishing Bank Sampah. Designing waste logistics with local governments and communities. (TML)

  6. Creating storage and transhipment capacity (TML)

  7. New products made from waste plastic (building materials, composting boxes). Experience was gained in Haria. Ultimately, they opted for manual production of small objects (crucifix and turtle).

Environmental education and information

  1. Establishing an executive team for environmental education and information, in collaboration with End Plastic Soup and Happy Green World. A request for a 1-FTE capacity expansion for three years was submitted to the Iris Fund at the end of 2023. Unfortunately, that application was rejected in February 2024. We will learn from this and do better next time. Happy Green Islands will submit a proposal for additional funding in early 2024, in collaboration with partners. (SDG 17)

  2. Implement the Adiwiyata school program at schools in Saparua, Haruku, and Nusalaut. The target is to have 25% of schools certified by the end of 2026. Roll out the online environmental education plan to all Lease schools in collaboration with UPTD Pendidikan.

  3. Funding for transporting school classes to the city center is sought by appointing a fundraiser for Happy Green Islands.

  4. Create an information and training center for Haruku (2025) and Nusalaut (2026)

Independence of partner organization TML

  1. Further equip the Paparisa TML with all necessary facilities by the end of 2025.

  2. The independence of partner organization TML will be a fact by the end of 2026. 

  3. Establishing a SALT team to strengthen communities in collaboration with The Constellation (IndoCompetence team) and Rotary Indonesia (SDG 17).

Healthy drinking water

  1. Implementing a "healthy drinking water" project at the Air Raja water source in Haria-Porto (Gaia and Daan recommendation 2023) in collaboration with Clear Rivers. Reintroducing the "Bring Your Own Bottle" project (2017) as part of the drinking water project.

  2. Happy Green Islands will make a joint proposal in early 2024 (SDG 17)

Littertraps

  1. Follow up on recommendations for the maintenance and management of Littertraps. Responsibility for this has been transferred from the church to the government by the end of 2024.

  2. Implementing the recommendation 'survey' (Menno van Driel 2018) by students of Moluccan universities. 

  3. Expanding the Littertraps project. Adopting recommendations from water management students at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (2023) in collaboration with Clear Rivers.

Outcomes

  1. Monitoring success criteria. Is Saparua really improving? How do we measure that?

    • How much waste has been collected and disposed of/processed?

    • Is soil/drinking water quality really improving?

    • Does it really improve well-being? Parameters?

    • Will other islands copy the successes?

    • Are floods decreasing in Kota Saparua?

    • Are malaria and dengue becoming less common?

  2. Implementing recommendations from Saxion students (2019)

  3. Follow-up research into the nature and extent of the litter problem in collaboration with Indonesian universities (Nila Patty et al. 2018)

  4. Follow-up recommendations by Water Management interns at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (Gaia de Koning, Thom van der Lely and Daan Orbons 2023)

Cooperation

  1. Recruit volunteers (activities) and students from the Netherlands (or elsewhere if they are English-speaking) and Indonesia (follow-up research)

  2. Involve small and medium-sized businesses (packaging, logistics)

  3. Fundraising based on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy within Indonesia is in collaboration with IDN, IWP, Rotary and local government.

  4. Applying for fundraising and national subsidies in collaboration with local governments. Working towards funding from Indonesia. (Compliance with Paris Agreements and national laws and regulations)

Find our previous annual reports here:

  • From March 2024, plans were significantly revised thanks to strong collaboration with Indonesian foundations Coral Triangle Center, Bintari, and SatuNama. We shifted to local ownership via experienced waste-project leads in Indonesia, funded by UK Ocean, and capacity building funded by Wilde Ganzen (NL). The Safe Drinking Water for Haria and Porto project was also adjusted. The Haria village government committed to long-term cooperation. We are keeping spending tight until all stakeholders agree on a joint, sustainable plan. See annual accounts.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rMBYv2jXjZbTSpzst-0_g-OfmTQ30Dho/view

  • Through Q2, electricity, water, and community-building management costs were privately covered by board members due to a lack of donations. A laptop for the Toma Majo Lease secretary was donated by Joop Burgerhout; in May, Johan Latupeirissa (Latuconga) donated another laptop. Support from Djoprissa enabled further completion of the building. With tourists returning, donations resumed—great news. In July, a fundraising campaign began to establish a Bank Sampah, continue outreach and education, and manage Paparisa TML (the foundation’s building). In November, a crowdfunding effort was launched for the family of Dave Amahorseya, who tragically passed away. May he rest in peace. See annual accounts.

    The full report can be find here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lXhqFbDWNb68eb_tRUnXQ7JY_bRo_dXx/view

  • End Plastic Soup donated 1,000 Bye Bye Plastic Bags booklets. HGI & TML are distributing them to schools (process ongoing). Donations largely dried up in 2022; no fundraising campaign was launched. Building maintenance and activities related to booklet distribution were funded by the HGI board. Outreach sessions resumed after the pandemic. See annual accounts.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/19x2jULXAXgZWvd1I_znScPzykwkIgxDt/view

  • The local foundation Toma Majo was established with donations from the Netherlands. See annual accounts.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/15IRLZy2_PkYJtU_oD9aTMZw54aHbp1F1/view

  • The pandemic caused delays across the board. See annual accounts.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HTtEJndBoehjd5ZkDemYL7cIVFSLk7z_/view

  • Renovation of the community building involved substantial costs (water supply, electrical installation, painting, roof repairs). The badminton court was funded by Bram Birahy. An eco-library was acquired and a toy-lending library set up. Construction of a Walang Innovation and Education facility in the former GPM Klasis pp Lease office was funded by HGI, as was an education center at the same site. See annual accounts.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NIJm8vRbA28GmAkemsZr61mDAncumHHJ/view

  • Travel and accommodation costs were paid privately, except for the study trip to Surabaya and Bali. Visits included several foundations, a Bank Sampah, the Green School (Bali), Dinas Kebersihan, and the recycling industry in Surabaya. Accommodation and transport in Saparua City were provided by Mega Tops supermarket. Meals and leisure were privately funded. We still apply the lessons learned. The film Waste Time was produced with funding from The Constellation. Research was conducted: Nila Patty independently; Ide Opdam and Menno van Driel with support from Clear Rivers (NL); Unpatti with support from GPM Klasis pp Lease. While no comprehensive overview report was published, all expenditures were properly accounted for and audited.

    Find the detailed report here (Dutch only): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11a2STLAfKIe_GaWVZsFYgGETR5RwLnM8

  • Donations funded cleanups and the purchase of Happy Green World booklets. Teachers Go Abroad also contributed in exchange for free accommodation. See financial report.

    Find the education program flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X-hBqCHFVca9AAEAoBDRxxn7UX8Pi9AW/view

  • The large cleanup at Waisisil Beach was funded by an initial €250 donation from Ada Lilipaly-de Voogt. See financial report.

    Find the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1THZnkV9SWAPiGOB48YjKi2O01xv3t0yo/view?usp=sharing

  • Teachers Go Abroad came to the Moluccas and carried out the first major cleanup in Haria in exchange for free accommodation. The action was organized by Green Moluccas (Netherlands).

  • From the outset, all expenses were privately covered. Since HGI’s founding, the board and volunteers have worked unpaid and receive no reimbursement of expenses. HGI has no office and keeps overhead as low as possible.