In June this year, 12 teachers from 10 international schools in Hong Kong visited Masarang Foundation and Tasikoki for a study visit. The main goal of their visit was to develop study material for the students in their schools, for students of all ages. This is the second year Masarang HK has helped arrange and co-sponsored such a trip in partnership with the English Schools Foundation HK.
The teachers who visited like to put more focus on sustainability in their curriculums, and Masarang’s diverse range of projects in North Sulawesi forms a perfect source of inspiration and information. The material they create
will also be available to all on the Masarang HK,
Masarang nl and Tasikoki websites soon.
http://www.masarang.nl/_site1424/images/HK_teachers_group_2014a.jpg
Some of the teachers will come back later this year with groups of high school students to visit Tasikoki and Masarang as well as carry out course related volunteer work. For the elementary school teachers this is unfortunately not possible, but their students are very eager to learn about Masarang’s projects from a distance, and we hope they will visit us in the future. Many have already helped us by fundraising with Masarang HK and donating much-needed wish list items.
The teachers joined the Tasikoki volunteers in their daily activities, such as collecting food for the wildlife, cleaning the bear enclosure, making enrichments and a beach cleanup. They also joined a volunteer in his sustainable gardening project and a cooking class. From Tasikoki they went south to visit Masarang’s sea turtle conservation project in the village of Lalumpe, and after many hours waiting finally saw a group of tiny sea turtle hatchlings come to the surface and find their way to the sea. Morgan Stanley HK and Island School have helped us greatly with this project.
http://www.masarang.nl/_site1424/images/Olive_ridley-hatchlings2.jpg
There was also some time to relax, on a snorkeling trip in Lembeh Strait, which is located about 30 minutes from Tasikoki. Unfortunately this was slightly disturbed by a large amount of plastic waste in the Strait, exactly at the snorkelling location. It showed once again the urgency and importance of protecting our environment.
The final day the group visited a sugar palm tapper, the Masarang sugar factory and the village hub. After having lunch at the foot of the Mahawu volcano and a hike around the volcano crater, the teachers visited Rurukan village, where they were welcomed by a traditional warrior dance by the local students. After planting sugar palms on the mountain together with the local students, the teachers had the honour to hand out 40 scholarships to students from Rurukan village. Both the students and the teachers were very pleased with this honour!
Masarang and Tasikoki were very happy to receive this enthusiastic and motivated group of people. It is another step forward in our long term relationship with Hong Kong schools. We would hereby like the thank the teachers once again for their participation, and not to forget, for bringing the record-breaking 300 kilograms of wish list items that were donated by staff and students in their schools.
We look forward to next year’s Teachers
visit.
Tasikoki Education and Rescue Centre
www.Tasikoki.org
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