This year’s Earth Day at the Island Sustainability Education Center (ISEC) was a day mainly for children to raise awareness about the urgent environmental issues in Bali.
Around 450 kids from local schools from the Bukit followed the invitation to the Family and Kids Open Day Earth Day Event last Saturday.
In interactive games and activities the young visitors could learn about the environment and sustainability by making seedlings, tasting Jamu, playing the Reforestation-Seedball-Game and enjoying free snacks and drinks donated by Conrad Hotel, Alila Villas Uluwatu and Coca Cola Amatil. In addition to the ISEC staff and students, Surfer Girl took care of the kids entertainment and turned the day for the children into a great and fun experience.
“The focus of the whole event was on the kids because as the youngest members of Bali’s society they are the ones who can turn the island of Bali into a more sustainable place.” says Mike O’Leary, founder of ROLE Foundation.
In the week leading up to the Earth Day event school children and staff of enthusiastic hotels in the Nusa Dua/Bukit area were invited to fill in a pledge to Mother Earth – a secret promise how the individual will take care of Mother Earth in the following year. Some of the participants promised to ‘not burn rubbish’, ‘ to compost garbage’, ‘to pay the bills online and use their own bag for shopping’ or ‘to be loyal to Mother Earth because she gives us so much blessing and spiritual guidance to be a good person’.
“It was great to see all the kids from Sawangan coming to the Silly Snail Cafe to hand in their pledges over the last week! I think this campaign really can change their behavior and make the area a cleaner place!” ads O’Leary.
In collaboration with ROLE Foundation another Indonesian Yayasan – the Solemen – went on a 4 day barefoot walk around the Bukit visiting the participating schools and hotels collecting these pledges.
At the Earth Day Open Day ROLE’s president Mangku Made Ariawan offered the 2300 collected pledges to the Gods in presence of the local children who were praying for a cleaner Bali and a sustainable future.
But it was not only a day for children. Raffle tickets with attractive prizes were drawn, the “Urban Sketchers” documented the event by sketching the activities, “Dee Muay Thai” gave a Thai Kick Boxing Demonstration, “Bali Chiropractic” offered free spinal tests, “Mural Art” turned an empty white classroom wall into a piece of art and “Wimpy” entertained the guests with his guitar.
Furthermore Coca Cola Amatil signed the MOU for another year of supporting ROLE’s Bali WISE programs which aims to break the poverty cycle through women’s education.
The organizers of the event are pleased about the great success and thank all the generous sponsors and supporters of both the Earth Day Family and Kids Open Day as well as the Bukit Walk.
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