Empower local women. Coral restoration. Marine Conservation.
Dreaming big and believing that everything is possible is what Coral Catch loves to teach their Coral Catch Superwoman. They are the role models for the next generation of female conservationists.
The objectives of this partnership include the following:
Teaching local women how to swim so they can explore the ocean.
Teaching children at the local school how they can care about 'their island.
Encouraging the community to participate in beach and clean-ups.
Teaching local dive guides how to include conservation in dive briefings.
The mission of Coral Catch
Did you know that many women were barred from participating in official ocean research for centuries and could, for example, not study marine science? Although we’ve made great strides in gender representation in ocean research and conservation, we still have work to do. It’s our mission to encourage and empower 100 Indonesian women in the next five years to pursue a career in marine conservation by giving them a coral restoration scholarship. And it doesn't stop there! We will also empower 100 Indonesian women to explore the ocean by teaching them how to swim. P.S Curious how it all started? Read here the story about a Dutch girl who made it her mission to create a community of local women working together to protect and restore the reefs of Indonesia.
Coral Carch protects and restores the coral reefs of Indonesia
This is an important job as coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species and are vital to more than 500 million people worldwide. Without coral reefs, there would be 50-80% less oxygen for us to breathe, and 200 million people would lose their protection from storms, hurricanes and tsunamis.
We reduce gender inequality in the marine conservation field
The Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations set a 2030 deadline for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Now, with under ten years left to meet it, the world is not on track. Without a heightened commitment from the global community, gender equality will remain nothing more than an unrealized goal. The time to act and invest in women is now!
We encourage and empower women to have a career in marine conservation
Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial to accelerating sustainable development. To truly learn to live in harmony with our environment, women need to be as much a part of shaping our collective destiny as men. For us, female empowerment is not about excluding men but about raising the voices of women.
We inspire others to become ocean advocates and eco warriors
Our Coral Catch superwomen are called superwomen for a reason; they are multitalented and hard workers. From bending the steel to create new reef structures to welding them together, from making plugs for our coral nursery to loading the boat with tanks and equipment. From encouraging the community to join their weekly beach clean-ups to teaching the local children about the gift of conservation. From organizing workshops for the local community to teaching women how to swim. We believe that being a role model is the most powerful of educating.
The face behind Coral Catch - a true sea hero
While on a three-month sabbatical in 2012, Rose Huizenga had grand plans to visit Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal. En route to Lombok, curiosity struck. She decided to stop at Gili Air for two days and fell in love with the island.
In 2015, Huizenga founded Gili Shark Conservation with her partner after witnessing dramatic changes to the reefs. Their villa became a home for visitors and the headquarters for their conservation organization. Gili Shark Conservation has evolved since its founding, and Huizenga’s most recent endeavor, Coral Catch, combines her passions of marine conservation and empowering women. For her ingenuity and perseverance, Rose Huizenga is our February 2023 Sea Hero.
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