Steps Forward

Over the past few months, the Happy Green Islands board has welcomed several new board members and volunteers! The Indonesian Bintari foundation has warmly welcomed us, and part of their team has now settled on Saparua as if it were their home. Another team has departed for Banda. These two islands were chosen for collaboration with UK Ocean and our partner in crime, Toma Majo Lease. This is an opportunity for Happy Green Islands to pause and discover exactly what our strengths are. More information about this can be found in this post!

Local Ownership

Persistence and consistency are starting to pay off. Ownership of the waste project is now in Indonesian hands. This is a significant milestone for HGI. Checked off : Bintari employees have extensive experience with waste management in Indonesia and are now taking over consultations with local and regional governments from Happy Green Islands. They are well-versed in national developments and waste networks and are now leveraging the preparatory work and connections that Happy Green Islands has built. We can now shift our focus. Where we previously raised unsolicited attention to the waste problem, we can now focus on the questions of local stakeholders who come to us. That's where The Clean Planet Project (TCPP) comes in.

The Clean Planet Project

The challenge of organizing sustainable waste management on islands with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and other remote locations along rivers and in mountains has received little scientific research. The Bintari Foundation has already gathered a wealth of data and experience, but is eager to collaborate with our new board members Zaïda and Rintati (The Clean Planet Project) to gain more insights that can be used for islands like Banda and Saparua. This will allow Happy Green Islands to naturally evolve into a more facilitating foundation with a focused focus on island communities. We can now leverage the assessments Bintari is currently conducting. Which communities are truly motivated and open to changes they can shape themselves? That's where our collaboration with IndoCompetence, the Indonesian team of The Constellation, becomes crucial.

The Constellation

We've been working together for years, even across great distances. The philosophy and working methods of The Constellation are the core that unites Happy Green Islands. In the coming months and years, we'd like to firmly establish the well-known  SALT-CLCP  on Saparua.  SALT-CLCP  is a demonstrably effective method for harnessing and strengthening collective power in communities. Read more about it on their  website . The IndoCompetence  team  from Bandung is ready to begin capacity building and strengthening communities. We're looking forward to bringing that team to Saparua and the other Lease islands in the last quarter of this year.

Eco Gardening

Last year, the Toma Majo Lease team took the initiative to create eco-bricks using plastic waste as a raw material. Both children and adults exchanged their plastic waste for fun activities and reading glasses. Volunteers resolutely took on the task of upcycling this plastic waste, resulting in beautiful ceiling lamps. These are wonderful and effective activities that fit perfectly within our environmental education program. In the coming months, we will begin the construction of an eco-garden. The area around Paparisa TML will be designed as an inspiring model garden. How can residents better manage their organic waste? Much of it currently ends up in the sea or is incinerated, while it is perfectly suited for small-scale horticulture. Your donations are also essential for this initiative. We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received so far. It not only allows us to purchase the necessary materials but also gives us the moral support to persevere!

Goal shop

Shop through DoelShop  and support sustainable projects like Happy Green Islands for free. Click on a webshop (such as Bol.com, Coolblue, Booking.com) and make your purchase!