Kalimantan Haze Emergency Appeal

YUM trainers have regularly monitored the tree planting and compost making at the schools where the Fire and Haze educational workshops were delivered. At one of the schools (SMPN 13 Palangka Raya), the kids were very happy because their compost was of very good quality and they were using it to feed the fruit tree which in turn was growing well. 

The YUM trainers talked with the kids and asked them about what it was that they had learned from the previous workshop and here is some of the feedback they gave: 

“Before the workshop we knew that the heavy haze was dangerous but we didn’t care about the annual fires' smoke as we didn’t know about the long term effects to our health. Now we are aware that even when it is “asap biasa” (normal smoke from annual fires) we should wear masks when we are outside of the house, we should drink a lot of water and that people shouldn’t burn garbage everywhere because the smoke lowers the immune system and may cause cancer later. 

When we or our family were sick because of the smoke, our parents had to spend money in medicine and sometimes in doctors. 

We knew from before that trees produced oxygen but we didn’t think it was very important because we have lots of trees around [here in Bukit Batu]. However now we know that trees are important not only to provide oxygen so that all living beings can breathe, but also to help infiltrate water so as to avoid floods during the rainy season and prevent loss of water during the dry season. Trees can withstand winds and protect us from natural disasters.” 

If you or your friends/family would like to help more projects like this one, go to:

• Provide skills for unemployed youths through YUM's Vocational Training Centre in West Java
• Assist Paridi in his university fees
• Help promote good reading habits in Kalimantan
• Help provide quality education for children in Cipanas, West Java