From the 16th -20th April, we traveled to Bali to partake in The Sustainable Solutions Conference, held at The Green School, an eco-conscious, progressive international school within the jungle in Ubud. The aim of the conference was to unite people with a shared passion for sustainability; through giving and experiencing workshops and presentations, people were able to exchange ideas and solutions in which they had implemented in order to make a positive change.
Lauren, our Executive Director, and Dempta, our Ketua Yayasan, delivered a presentation focusing on the ways in which The Sumba Hospitality Foundation is trying to be sustainably aware. They discussed the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impact we are having on the island of Sumba; they also raised awareness of the island and of the purpose of the foundation. We got a very positive response from the audience; they asked lots of questions and were very interested in coming to visit us. Not only did Lauren and Dempta present about the school, but they were also part of a panel composed of a range of professionals concerned with the topic of sustainability. There were chefs who were revolutionizing plant-based foods and forest gardens, representatives from The World Wildlife Foundation, fashion representatives from Vogue-India; in other words, it was a very varied and exciting panel, encompassing opinions from a variety of fields.
On top of the presentations and workshops, there was a vendor section where organizations could have a stall in order to promote themselves and share and sell products. We were there all week sharing about our school; we sold traditional Sumbanese jewelry, handmade arts and crafts, delicious home- made jam from our culinary students. The best part about it was that our students from last year, who are now employed in Bali, came to help out throughout the week. It was so nice to see all of them and to catch up on their new life.
Earth Day
2 days after the conference, we celebrated Earth Day! On the 22nd of April, all of the students and staff walked to our local beach to do a huge beach clean-up. We walked the length of the beach and the surrounding areas in order to clear the beautiful environment of plastic. Check out these smiling faces!
