Sharing How to Compost at SMPN 20 Surabaya

Today we visited two schools, SDK Santa Theresia I (primary) and SMP 20 (secondary) Surabaya, the schools contrasted each other because the first school has been working with Tunas Hijau for seven years and the other school has just started working with Tunas Hijau. SDK Santa Theresia I had already implemented different environmental friendly activities. For example, the school uses banana leaves as containers and for their meals from the canteen.  They then dispose of the organic waste into the compost buckets. The compost that they produce is used as fertilizer for the plants around their school and in the green house. The children are also making recycled paper out of the used paper they collect.

The school was very impressive because they have many awards concerning the environment. The minister of the environment himself has visited the school in past to present them with awards. One of the awards they won was for creating the largest Snake and Ladder. The snake and ladder was a large replication of the one that Tunas Hijau produces. The walls of the office area are filled with pictures of the students who have participated in environment conferences or who have won environment awards.

SMP 20 was in West Surabaya about an hour motorbike ride away from Tunas Hijau.  The school is very new to working with us. We taught them about picking up the garbage around their school and separating the organic form the non-organic waste. We also taught them how to use the compost bins that they have. The students seemed eager to learn and they helped us do a little clean up of the school yard. There is still much work the school must do to be become cleaner. However, the little bit that we did was a start and hopefully it continues until there is no more garbage.

I also got to talk to the students about Canada’s weather throughout the year. They were surprised to hear how cold it gets in the winter. I also discussed with them the effects global warming was having on Canada. They were interested to know what Canadian students were doing to improve the environment. I explained to them how it was taught in schools and the different ways they can make a difference with the environment.