LEARN-4: Epique Collaboration worth Energy Globe 2005

I myself is a witness of this amazing evidence of how collaboration of passion make things happen. Surabaya, is a major city in Indonesia. It's 3 million inhabitants produces almost 9,000 m³ garbage per day, 80% of it is transported to a landfill and the remaining 20% are scattered mainly into the river Brantas. Water supply has become a big problem due to this contamination. Together with municipal government, local media, and coalition of various local NGOs, Unilever Indonesia funds its "Surbaya Green and Clean" projects in 2002.

Think big, start small, and move fast -- thats how the project developing. Starting with a pilot run in four villages alongside the river by introducing simple technology of processing organic garbage into compost (as 70% of household's waste is organic) Unilever is encouraging community to segregate their garbage and use the sponsored 200-liter plastic container in their front yard as a composter unit. This composter units later becoming financially worth as their secondary income as composts produced by its are chanelled to farmers as part of community's trade.

In 2005, by training their own "Change Agents" who teach their community important aspects about environment, another step was taken and the city mayor would like to to extend the project throughout the wh*** city. By 2006, it covers the wh*** Surabaya, and it helps community to get a cleaner river and better access to safe water next to their home.

This projects has now being rolled out to Jakarta (who has similar issue with its Ciliwung river) and several other city like Balikpapan, Jogjakarta, and other major cities whose rivers are heavily polluted. Eventhough Unilever has mostly stepped out to lead (since the funds needed for such national coverage is gigantic), Unilever's project management team who led the success case of Surabaya and Jakarta is frequently invited as key facilitator to duplicate the program everywhere. Such sustainability and the "domino effects" of a successful collaboration between government, private sector, community and civil society/NGOs is legendary now in the story of environmental changes in Indonesia. That epique collaboration has recognized internationally by winning the Energy Globe Award of 2005.

Summary of the project can be read at http://database.energyglobe.info/listProjects.aspx?id=9661