Our Blog Posts
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We will make you aware.....🌺Make every sip an act of kindness to our Earth. Choose The Only Straw and join the eco-friendly revolution. 🌍💙 #SustainableSips #TheOnlyStraw
Focus on the Re-forestation Grid in cooperation with the UTS...:
www.facebook.com/share/p/xWZWs8Qn9zX5gqs7/Some facts about bamboo:
1.Fast Growth: Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. It has been recorded at growing 47.6 inches in 24 hours. Some species can even grow over a meter per day under optimal conditions. A new bamboo shoot reaches its full height in less than a year.
2. Oxygen Release: A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than any other tree out there.
3. Carbon Dioxide Absorption: Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 17 tons per hectare every year. It can act as a valuable carbon sink given how fast the plant grows.
4. No Fertilizer Required: Bamboo doesn’t need fertilizer to grow. It can self-mulch by dropping its leaves and use the nutrients to grow.
5. Drought Resistance: Bamboos are drought-tolerant plants. They can grow in the desert.
6. Wood Replacement: Bamboos can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to the 20-30 years of most softwood trees.
7. Building Material: Bamboo is incredibly strong and sturdy. It has been used as support for concrete as well as scaffolding, bridges, and houses.
8. Soil Stability: Bamboo has a wide network of underground roots and rhizomes that prevent soil erosion.
9. Natural Air Conditioner: Bamboo cools the air surrounding it by up to 8 degrees in the summer.
10. Invasiveness: Some species of bamboo, especially ‘running’ bamboos, can be invasive due to their extensive root systems, which allow them to spread rapidly. However, not all species are invasive, and with proper management, the environmental impact can be minimized.
📸 Organizer Bamboo Nursery
And yes.... we will be working on different continents, on different projects, but one thing will always be very prominent on our minds..... <3
And then, as every time around and fortunately with all Lombok team members - such a shame the Jawa team could not join.... perhaps next year - with the added new participants on the YKS side, as well as the PT Sasak Studio Sejati side; the newcomers of Anak Alam Director (signing MoU), Mas Sandika of Masata, and Ms. Leoni, whose experience in the Pearl branch is well established and will cooperate in the marketing strategy for the branding and promoting of Rosella and PT Sasak Studio Sejati.
Where are you mom
Dat ziet lekker uit.
Cemara – our back garden for Rosella Sabdarifa and our dear neighbours, Pak Prentah and his wife Rowan, It was good to watch the sunset and be at peace with all Cemara had offered so far. Some Rosella harvest to take back and because of Yulia’s brilliant input regarding a touristy slogan, renaming “Cemara pantai hitam” into Cemara Pantai Rosella” and with that setting a pace for the newly branding marketing of the Rosella products “soon to be launched”. This flower will not only bloom on Lombok, but also in Sumbawa and will actually be part of the Reforestation Grid, which will be enhancing the multi-crop teaching of Mohamad Djaeni and stimulate biodiversity…..
Another aspect of the involvement of the YKS with the Anak Alam school is to stimulate the involvement of the local community. “We have to make sure that there is no reason to assume that “Ex-Pat community” and their children are so privileged and removed from the local population, that this gives reason to widen the gap between ‘The haves and have-nots’, rich versus poor and it is of great importance that there will be an harmonization and cooperation is visible and tangible, creating opportunities for all and setting up projects that will stimulate integration in both communities…”. It will be a probable option to get funding for these one-off projects through personal networks, but also through the social media networks that will draw in supporters of the “Unite rather than Divide” mentality that seems to poison our world at this moment in time, and the aim is to unify these two very significant themes – E.CO-living; i.e. Think Green and Peaceful Co-existence, that will be the shared Mission and Vision of our Foundation Kebon Sepatu with the Anak Alam school.
Exactly one week ago, my feet touched the soil of my fatherland, Belanda after one month of traveling around Indonesia, attending the wedding of my dear foster-daughter Yulia and being very much part of her family from Dompu.... What a wonderful experience!
Ten days of solitude on Lake Toba and unexpected excursions to Medan and Bukit Lawang, where I didn't see any Urang Utangs, but plenty of other species of related families, and a very special experience of the superb Durian - definitely not to be missed; North Sumatra will always be special to me, not in the first place because my parents celebrated their honeymoon there, but because I learnt so much from people who take up the challenge to live in harmony with nature and cannot compromise the wellbeing of this planet....
Back on Lombok only for two days; Of course I was under a certain amount of stress when I decided to return to Lombok for just two days, to see my entire team, plus the addition of people I so much wanted to be part of our organisation, but had not taken the opportunity to officially invite them to join.
To trust any airline under the banner of Lion Air seems to be a calculated risk, and was the actual source of my anxiety whether or not I would return on time! Both Batik Air and Super Air Jet decided to alter their departure schedule, leaving me with some limited options to communicate with the hotel/sjopir to pick me up at the airport, but fortunately – and eventually – everything was resolved.
The programme for the 29th was subsequently very cramped, and after a breakfast meeting with Akhsan and Ibu Dewi, both directors of www.anakalam.org/ , we were introduced to their methodology – Mission and Vision – and their request to join forces with Yayasan Kebon Sepatu. Having clarified the overall strategy of our foundation and the limited resources we could offer them, we discussed the common outlooks in relation to educational principles and how YKS could add content to the school’s curriculum in terms of the environmental care aspects and “zero-waste” implementation. This is currently such an important subject for children – no matter how young – to be acquainted with, particularly when it comes to the execution. For example, we grow vegetables to be consumed and by growing them ourselves we know that we should limit, if not exclude, pesticides and fertilisers; no chemicals are used in these processes, and then they will contain valuable nutrients for them to eat! Yayasan Kebon Sepatu will provide their Rosella Sabdarifa as part of a new marketing strategy for the various products we can produce from the calluses, but it will boost the school’s income by teaching both pupils and teachers how to enhance the reputation of the school, for being and Eco-oriented educational entity.
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=907931037805416&set=a.640209124577610Eco Friendly Ideas 💚💚
Visiting Bukit Lawang was quite different from what I expected, because the main reason I wanted to go there was to see my ancestors, the Urang Utans.... However, what I found were a lot of other kind of monkeys, and two very interesting projects.
The first one was run by a wonderful older couple who had been part of the expeditions of Bukit Lawang's Urang Utans sanctuary, and who now run an Eco-Village, together with some 20 volunteers all over the world. The man has been a community leader for decades and his wife who is my age, runs the kitchen with evident success! I feel that it is because this initiative is run locally by people who manage to inspire their community with such love for nature, that it is almost obvious that this vision has become part of their day to day life; be one with nature, eat biological, only use seasonal and local products and never use chemicals to grow your vegetables.... Simple, ain't it!
The other project, The Wings Project, is set up by a German Couple and they built an very impressive compound. The two volunteers of their "zero waste" and "Bank Sampa" projects were both German and staying there for a couple of month to explore and contribute their specific talents. The main difference in the two projects was the source of funding of the first project was purely through their own efforts and community, the Wings project however, was realised and is being realised by funding from the West and needs to lean on the first initiative to gain the trust of the local community.
Like so many projects that are generally funded by Western input, there is always this feeling of ... "We have a great idea, and you are going to do it...", and is an old colonial dogma, in my view.
Needless to say, I learnt a tremendous amount 🙂
Zo wat een bouwwerk zeg
I was given the rare privilege, because my contact from Medan - Augustin - brought me to this location on the other side of Lake Toba, to visit the (guest) house where Soekarno was held in exile by the Dutch army during his Independence struggles....
Even though the Dutch Government is now going through a process of actually ackowledging the fact that - at the time of the VOC - they were the world's most successful slave traders and were quite outstanding as oppressors and colonists, I think it is safe to say that the "business" mentality of the Dutch has not really changed that much, even though there is a more adaptable awareness in as much that they have to acknowledge that the actions of people like Colijn, are now less than acceptable.
The article : www.bpodt.id/pesanggrahan-soekarno-jejak-pendiri-bangsa-pertahankan-kemerdekaan/
(the page has an English language option) mentions the person who was so incredibly kind to allow me to enter this building and gave me a private lecture on the days that Soekarno spent his days in exile befor leaving for Bangka. I felt as though I had a peek into the past of such significant historic period in time and it moved me deeply, because we tend to forget how people suffered and fought to regain their freedom and dignity!
To me, this visit was again, an eyeopener that gave me more clarity about my own heritage.... I have so much to be grateful for....
Twenty years ago I returned to my country of origin for the very first time, and only because my mother had requested me to get some earth (tanah) for my father's ashes to be mixed, then at last his spirit would be apeased....
So, in 2004 I experienced this incredibly strong feeling of returning home; not questioning where I was at home, but knowing that I belonged.... I will never forget that sensation when I looked over the paddy fields in Sukabumi, the place of birth of my father and meeting up with some wonderful people, who I call my mirror images.
It was there that the idea of setting up a foundation for those, who were underprivileged because of the choices their parents had made for them, and circumstances that were not under their locus of control, that I felt convinced that at some stage in your life - when you realise how fortunate you have been to have been able to go to school, university and better yourself by means of a professional career - it is time to return some of that great fortune to others, who never had that opportunity; that was the ground principle of Yayasan Kebon Sepatu.....
Twenty years onward, and we had to say goodbye to some incredibly kind and wonderful contributers in terms of sharing their time and expertise for the welfare of our foundation; Irawansyah Tasriff, Mohammad Djaeni are no longer with us. Strong friendships have evolved like the one I cherish with Karen Tambayong the first President of the YKS, the first secretary Jos Vogelpoel; I will be eternally grateful for their unwavering support and kindness... In the end all efforts and successes are marked by the teamspirit of our foundation.
Sukabumi has always been a very special place in my heart and during my stay with Karen, we visited the beautiful surroundings as a celebration and love for nature and joined the group after her meeting, I also visited my dearly beloved Daance, who was also one of the first members of the West Java branch!
Ik weet nog goed Akke hoe je me vertelde over je eerste bezoek en wat het met je deed. Thuiskomen was het voor je.
Goed bezig
Being on Lombok also gives the opportunity for meeting up with friends and extend the professional network do some "brainstorming" sessions 🙂 , as well as having some great fun with my wonderful kids <3
Prachtig Akke
The main reason of this visit is the wedding of our Office Manager and foster-daughter Ms. Yulia Prayanti on the 8th May 2024 to Mas Rijal Maulana. Needless to say it was a very happy occasion and I was not only delighted, but also honoured to be invited as one of the very extensive family from Dompu.
What was even more of a wonderful surprise was that Pak Zul and Ibu Niken joined us at the reception, that really put a golden shine to the entire day..... I will just give a photographic account, as it reflects how the day was filled with moving and beautiful moments....
Cool!
I feel somewhat recovered from my Padang-food (mis) adventure, and slowly my insides don't make the alarming churning noises the moment I consume something 😉
But what I also wanted to do, is share a little incident that gives hope to all nations.... I had to rebook my fligth Jakarta-Lombok with Lion Air (apparantly it happens quite frequently that Lion Air cancels their flights if the are under-occupied. It is said that they have a monopoly position on Domestic flights), so I had to rebook with Super Air Jet IU 766 CKG-LOP (a subsidary company of Lion Air, as is Batik Air).
It was super busy at the airport and I was glad I was early, because I was a bit worried about my rumbling tummy, and with a bit of a delay, we could board the plain, which seated two rows of three seats alongside the aisle.
My seat was next to a young man, boy actually, hardly twenty I guess, and as I didnt take time to eat at all during the day - also fearing I would release the intake instantly - I was feeling pretty awful and faint. I opened a bag of crisps, and offered him some - as I hate eating all by myself - but he declined with a sweet smile. At last we were taking off, and I felt so tired I started falling asleep, but was soon woken up by an icy cold, the dreaded Airco!
Now I don't know what on earth posesses the Indonesian transport companies - the railway companies are pretty much the same - that they put the airco on such a crazy freezing point, that you need to put on a jumper, a hoody or ear-muffins to keep warm! So, from my half-dazed condition I asked the stewardess if they could give me a fleece blanket. The boy next to me overheard and without hesitation offered me his jacket, which I refused first as I was sure that the airline would be able to provide me with such a regular item they should have on board. However, the stewardess returned and said there was no such blanket, and offered me a waterbottle containing hot water instead. I turned to the young man and said I would take him up on his kind offer, but wanted assurance that he wouldn't go cold without his jacket.... He grinned and said that he was stong and seriously he was of a very slender indeed, and he gave me his jacket with a confident air.
I was so tired, I slept the entire flight, hugging the jacket and the hot waterbottle, until we landed. I am not joking; it saved my life! So, when we had reached the gate and could disembark, I returned the garment, and told him that I was truly grateful for his kindness and that I would never forget this gesture of care and consideration..... and I still was so dazed by the entire experience that I totally forgot his name, and the little information I retrieved was that this was his first visit to Lombok and that his father worked on the island as a Hakim (Judge), to which I replied that he could tell his father from me that he has raised a wonderful son. We said goodbye and I wished him all the kindness that he showed to his fellow human beings twofold, and that I would never forget him.... <3
This is the reason why on several occasions in my life, I do believe in guardian angels; this one saved me from catching pneumonia...
Arriving late on Friday evening and registring my new e-vitas with immigrasi was something of an added challenge. This time my trip was booked with Turkish Airlines, and I can recommend them - safe for the welcome at Schiphol, where the ground-staff were not particularly friendly, and put the living fear in me, as Budget Air registered my surname incorrectly. "This may have consequences in Jakarta on your return flight" they said, and "then you have to buy a new ticket!!!"
I checked the desk at Istabul, and they assured me that this would not be an issue, and that I shouldn't worry.... so let's see what happens next 🙂
Arrival in the FM7 hotel was fine, and a very light night's sleep I felt sufficiently refreshed to make my first visit to Orphanage Pa v.d. Steur, the 37 children and of course their mater familias, Nel de Borst. How wonderful to see her batch of graduated students, who will continue their careers in various parts of Indonesia, taking up a broad variety of topics; very impressive indeed.
Nel asked me to give some input on a play they had written, to celebrate the jubilee of the Orphanage, which I very gladly did, and apart from handing over the "very Dutch" speculaas pop biscuits, it was such a lovely happening <3 ....
It was time to meet my friend Herman Kosasih, and stay with him for a couple of nights in his wonderful home in Jakarta pusat, Cempaka Putih, where I spent so many great visits in Jakarta. We had dinner of course, and the next day I had a meeting with our President, Captain Tresna Yaniza Putri and is wife Rori. Discussing the current situation in Indonesia, the Netherlands in respect of the state of affairs gives a lot to think about, and we agreed that we would keep in closer contact about the developments of our projects for the YKS.
Spending time together with close friends always gives a lot of positive energy, and makes me feel very priviliged indeed.... Now, for the next trip to Lombok and the wedding of our Office Manager and respresentative of Yayasan Kebon Sepatu, Yulia Prayanti <3
I hope you have a safe, successful visit Akke. 🌺
Have fun 🌞
For our dear friends and close relatives celebrating, wherever they are: Eid Mubarak- Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Bathin
🌺
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