SIMocean
Previous SIMocean teams have successfully supported the construction of two litter traps close to the Sim Sim village in the south of Malaysia. Furthermore, the initiative has taken the first steps to educate the local population with regard to the impact that plastic pollution can have on the environment and on humans. The previous generation has built on the successful cooperation of previous teams with Clear Rivers, an NGO based in the Netherlands, and Future Alarm Borneo (FAB), an NGO located in Sandakan, in northern Borneo, Malaysia.
This year, SIMocean is embarking on an ambitious new chapter by continuing our partnership with Clear Rivers. Additionally, we aim to establish a collaboration with River Cleanup Indonesia to foster synergies between actors in different countries and expand SIMocean’s global impact. With Clear Rivers, we will focus on collecting valuable feedback from other NGOs regarding their new modular litter trap. Such input will help Clear Rivers tailor the design, utility and implementation of the litter trap to the needs of diverse NGOs, which could potentially implement it locally in the future. Moreover, in Bandung, Indonesia, we aim to engage in a hands-on experience by implementing a litter trap with an NGO, combined with building community engagement and facilitating knowledge exchanges between River Cleanup Indonesia and Clear Rivers.
Besides the impact we’ll make this year, we aim to lay the groundwork for future SIM generations to continue and expand SIMocean’s mission by strengthening our long-standing partnership with Clear Rivers. We aim to establish a “satellite partnership” model that future generations of SIM students can build upon.
“Plastics make up a significant portion of marine litter, with estimates suggesting that more than eight million metric tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year. Plastic waste, ranging from microplastics to large debris, continues to accumulate in marine environments, posing a severe threat to our ecosystems.” (United Nations Environment Programme, 2023)
SIMocean’s mission is to help clean oceans and raise awareness on the issue of plastic pollution, thus, protecting precious marine ecosystems and vulnerable coastal communities. We envision a world where oceans are healthy and local settlements are educated on how to avoid and manage plastic waste.
| Gabriela Simoni | Project Coordination |
| Ekaterina Zvereva | Project Coordination |
| Thimo van Luijn | Finance, Fundraising & Partnerships |
| Cecilia Ferraris | Finance, Fundraising, Marketing and Events |
| Atha Lestari Wirawati | Partnerships |
| Sacha Guillaume | Marketing and Events |