Indonesia

2023 EE 30 Under 30 Changemaker Grant Project
DiverSEAS (30x30 Indonesia)

DiverSEAS is a project planned by 30x30 Indonesia to document ocean ecosystems in a 360-degree virtual reality diving experience. This footage will be used as learning material for students under 25 via ocean literacy workshops. The aim is to provide insights and inspire students to love and protect the ocean, raising awareness of restoration efforts, potential career opportunities in conservation, and the critical need to protect these ecosystems. This grant also supports 30x30 Indonesia’s mission to inspire intergenerational action through education, policy advocacy, and habitat restoration.

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EE 30 Under 30 Biography

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact.

I am using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities by providing opportunities for people of all ages to collaborate and discover their personal relationships with nature. I founded 30x30 Indonesia – a volunteer-run movement igniting community engagement to advance marine protected areas in Indonesia and support the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. Ever since its launch in 2021, I have shared my work and story on world stages like the United Nations Ocean Conference and organized unique opportunities to bridge knowledge gaps in marine literacy. I strive to provide non-traditional learning opportunities for the community through coral transplantation in Bali, mangrove planting in Jakarta, and water quality testing. I also host both online and in-person ocean literacy events reaching over 1,500 people across 90 locations in 15 countries. In 2022, I hosted the inaugural 30x30 Youth Ocean Conference which took place in Bali and Jakarta, and virtually engaged +130 people from +40 institutions.

Currently serving on the education committee of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council, I co-create resources to assist young people in ocean advocacy. My mission is to leverage diverse community efforts through education, policy advocacy, and habitat restoration to inspire people of all generations to take action for ocean protection. See more of what I’m up to here!

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like?

My passion for the ocean stems from my relationship with its majestic blue waters. As a toddler whose first successful steps were on the shores of Bali, I grew up sharing memorable moments in, on, and around the ocean. Growing up as a competitive swimmer, I was very comfortable in the water, leading me to enjoy kayaking, snorkeling, and scuba diving. This fueled my love for the ocean and influenced me to continue exploring marine ecosystems. 

One of the most influential moments that inspired me to take action was during my first visit to a marine protected area. I was enchanted by the coral reefs buzzing with life - vibrant, loud, and thriving. Never before had I seen such a beautiful reef. The difference between a protected and non-protected area became immediately clear to me. At that moment, I knew I had to take action. 

Upon taking on various volunteer roles, I was selected to serve in the OceanEcho 30x30 fellowship with EarthEcho in 2021 where I launched 30x30 Indonesia - a movement that still continues to grow today. Fast forward two years later, I have been recognized as a National Geographic Young Explorer and a winner of the Ocean Awards’ Young Initiative Award.

A Little More About Me

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?

Recognize your passion, identify your superpowers, and use these to better the world in which we live. While doing so, never let go of your hopes, dreams, and visions for the future.

What is your superpower?

My superpower is the visionary optimism I have in building a better world.

How do you recharge?

I take time off the screens to reconnect with nature.

Would you rather live underwater or in the sky?

Definitely underwater! I would love to wake up to the view of a beautiful coral reef

Cimahi, Indonesia
Age: 21

Steven is a waste management enthusiast who empowers waste pickers and youth through environmental education and an organic waste management start-up.

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? 

My environmental education approach has always been driven by community needs. Through eLarvae, I educate the waste pickers community about how to recycle organic waste using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) waste management. Waste pickers, in the status quo, don’t want to collect and recycle organic waste because it is worthless, as compared to inorganic waste. I also use an economic approach through Baramoeda Berbagi, a program to educate local women in Bandung on how to recycle patchwork into reusable masks that can be sold.

Additionally, I use a partnership approach to ensure my environmental education initiatives are inclusive. eLarvae has been recognized and promoted by Tanoto Foundation and as a result of that recognition, I have had the chance to educate 2,000 young people in Indonesia, Thailand, and the USA about organic waste management. Also, Baramoeda’s partnership with Pertamina Foundation has raised $5,000 for organic farming and a postharvest product development project in Ciburial Village in Indonesia.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. 

On February 21st, 2005, almost 150 people from my hometown, Cimahi, died from a waste landslide from Leuwigajah Landfill. In the same year, I got pneumonia from air pollution, which is worsened by waste burning activities. Since that incident, I decided that I needed to do something to develop sustainable and inclusive waste management. I decided to focus my high school studies on science and entered as a biology major at the Bandung Institute of Technology. In 2019, my co-founder and I decided to establish eLarvae after seeing waste pickers refuse to collect organic waste. Later that year, four of my friends and I decided to join the Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Crisis and established Baramoeda. My inner circle in eLarvae and Baramoeda has helped me to grow and increase my impact in environmental education, especially in waste management initiatives.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?

You cannot neglect or leave behind the environment, whoever you are or whatever you are doing, right now or in the future. We need to realize that we cannot live without environmental sustainability, but Mother Earth herself can live without our interventions. Past generations have failed to take the responsibility to become good citizens of Earth. If you postpone taking the lead and taking action for the environment, I am afraid that further generations will barely survive on Earth and humanity may cease to exist.

The fight to protect the environment will never be easy. There will be times when you decide to give up because no one hears or supports you. If that happens, find a community and an inner circle that has the same concerns as you. We live on the same Earth, so this is our communal responsibility to save our environment.

What keeps you motivated, inspired, and/or hopeful for the future?

I have been privileged to live around ecologically-mindful people in recent years. Not everyone my age has the same access to higher education, supportive communities, and international exposure. I’ve seen with my own eyes that I am not alone in fighting for the environment. I’ve travelled to Thailand and the USA to see that people in other countries are also struggling to fight for the environment. My inner circle is stronger than ever in terms of ecological mindfulness. These things convince me that in the future there will be people to continue my generation’s struggle for the environment.

Furthermore, I do not want people in this and the next generation to feel the consequences of our unsustainable actions before they realize that they need to protect the Earth as the place where we live. If I stop this work, it is possible that future ecological disasters could be more severe than before.

If you could be any animal or plant, what would you be and why?

I want to be a Black Soldier Fly (BSF) because of the unseen honorable actions that this species does for the Earth. When it is still a larvae, BSF will eat virtually any organic material because as an adult they can’t eat at all. That is why BSF is becoming widely used as a primary bioconversion agent. Furthermore, BSF is a social creature from larvae until adulthood. The parallel here is that our fight to save the environment is not an individual strife, but a collective strife. Finally, BSF solves environmental problems that seem to be dirty jobs, but are not dirty at all. Waste has been perceived as something disgusting among humans, and even among other animals. But if no one solves the waste problem, there will be no decomposition and as a result produce more greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste.

Masohi, Indonesia                                            SEE OTHER BIOS HERE
Age: 20

Winny leads ISEC Indonesia, a national movement to inspire climate action and build future climate education leaders.

Tell us about yourself!

I come from Indonesia, but am currently living in Russia. I am the founder and National Director of International Student Environmental Coalition (ISEC) Indonesia, which is a national movement for climate education and action. With ISEC Indonesia, we are implementing education campaigns across three regions, focusing on climate change and plastic pollution.

My biggest project so far was organizing a three-day eco-camp in Sumarorong, Indonesia, where we had 430 students successfully plante 2,100 trees in one day. We also organized a two-day intensive activism workshop for 50 high school students, where we trained participants on how to lead their own environmental education campaigns. And yes, we can do more! Our 2019 agenda is more focused on plastic pollution, since Indonesia is the world's second largest contributor to the ocean plastic problem!

I’m now a third-year student majoring in Energy Conservation and Resource Saving Processes in Chemical Technology, Biotechnology and Petrochemistry at the Northern Arctic Federal University (NARFU) in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Here in Arkhangelsk, I am also involved with the local environmental group, “42.” I speak five languages (Bahasa Indonesia, English, Russian, German, and Norwegian) and I have traveled a lot in my life, which makes me fall in love even more with this planet!

What inspired you to become a champion for environmental education?

I would say my fear. I am frightened about our planet's condition, and all the emerging problems that are now arising due to the effects of climate change. I live in a society where environmental problems are still a taboo to talk about. For example, when I explained my work to a woman in Indonesia, and we started talking about climate change and the warming planet, she believed that planet has been always hot (we do live by the beach, so, yes, the temperature there is tropical). However, I don’t understand why many people are still unaware, and if they are, they don’t necessarily pay attention to it. Instead, they often focus on other issues, such as our poor economy. But what if money means nothing, when our future is vanishing?

That is how I decided to become a climate change activist, to educate my people about the effects of climate change and other environmental issues. My dream is to help everyone understand that taking care of this planet is one of our most important responsibilities and should be made a priority. This planet will be fine without us, however we need to keep our planet in good shape because it’s our home. We can't go anywhere else – this is the only home we have – and as such we need to take action to preserve our planet.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders that are looking to bring about positive change in their communities through EE?

I remember the first time I tried to persuade my friends in my dormitory to separate their waste. We have a large pipe for general waste on every floor, but to separate waste you have to walk outside, which is less convenient. However, I knew the positive impacts of recycling would be worth it, so I began talking to everyone about the importance of recycling. I started with my roommate. Then, the people in my block. Since separating waste is not a very common practice in Arkhangelsk, Russia, my blockmates that once couldn’t find enough information about recycling could now do it themselves and understood the importance of it. I was once ignorant, as almost all of us were at one point in our lives, but I believe that as human beings we naturally have intentions to do good deeds. Being ignorant is a result of not having enough information. Once we find out what we are facing right now, our natural instinct will guide us.

Just like heroes, when don’t understand how to use our power, we can easily destroy everything we have been blessed with. But after we figure it out, we can save the world. We are all heroes in my eyes. The most important thing is to just get started. Believe me, doing good things is addictive, as you will understand once you get started. Or have you? 

What keeps you motivated, inspired, or hopeful for the future?

My admiration for the beauty of nature itself is what motivates me. This planet has provided us with everything we need, being the best and most beautiful home we could ever ask for. Sometimes I feel tired and exhausted, but since I am fighting for the most precious and essential thing in my life, I can always find the spirit to keep going. The thought that we could soon lose the beauty of this planet, if we remain ignorant, encourages me to do more and more. 

If you had to live in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This place is a complete package with its incredible nature and cultural heritage, with hundreds of ethnic groups and beauty in diversity. My country, Indonesia, has a lot of beaches, but in my opinion East Nusa Tenggara’s are the best. In East Nusa Tenggara, you feel really close to nature. If you love surfing, you can go to the popular Nemberala Rote. If you prefer diving, heaven is in Alor. If you love hiking, you have Mutis Mountain. You can literally do everything here. Not to mention that Nusa Tenggara has one of the “New7Wonders” of the world, Komodo Island!

 

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