2021 – Recent actions in Gili despite the COVID pandemic

Gili Eco Trust has recently been working with other NGOs to help the environment the best they can.

One of the NGOs they have been working with is “Treevolutions”, volunteers and Suparman members have gathered together to plant trees around the Island. They managed to plant 20 banyan trees which were supplied by the government and 80 Flamboyant trees. They have had multiple treevolutions in 2020-2021 and they even organized a special Valentine’s Day tree planting. How thoughtful of them!

Gili has constantly been collaborating with the Treevolution organization, planting new trees all over the island

Another NGO Gili Eco trust has worked with is The Cats of Gili. The Cats of Gili is a non-profit animal welfare organization that works for stray cats in Gili Islands. They provide many necessities for the cats, such as food, water, and clinical help. 

Despite the lack of tourism, Cats of Gili and GET continue to work for the health and wellbeing of their island’s cats

However, recently, the Cats of Gili are struggling with their income due to the lack of tourists as tourists were responsible for buying cat products. Despite that, they are still trying to feed 80-120 cats every day and doing their best to help them. A vet who has been newly qualified has provided the cat shop with neutering programs, check-ups, and vaccinations to ensure that they can keep the welfare of the cats as the number one priority.

Recently, there was a DJ program to help with fundraising.  The famous DJ Skydancer DJed for 2 hours on the beach which took a lot of commitment. They managed to make $430 which is 50% of the money needed to power 15 bio rocks, what a great accomplishment!  Since the Copper inside the cables they use to power the bio rocks sell in Lombok, unemployed people have tried to steal them underwater, sadly, this means that Gili needs to continue replacing the cables. 

Speaking about beaches, originally, the beach clean-up that was organized was supposed to include tourists and outside volunteers as they were very interested in helping. Sadly, due to COVID and the lockdown that COVID caused, only local volunteers have been able to help. When Inspecting the beaches, it was shown that the beaches showed heavy pollution in both directions and the local volunteers have managed to help clear 5 Tonnes of trash which is a big achievement!

Beach clean-ups! Even covid cannot stop the enthusiasm of these volunteers

Moving on, did you hear about Delphine Robbe on the latest episode of Shoot it Raw? Delphine is the impetus behind Gili Eco trust and on the latest podcast, she spoke about the time when Gili Eco trust was founded and how her passion continued to protect the Island. Later on, Sian, who works full time for the NGO discussed eco-touristic activities and how they are working towards helping everyone be mindful of the environment they are living in.

Gili Eco Trust has come a long way and has achieved many of its goals. We hope to continue supporting them in every way and helping them whenever and wherever we can!

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