Market for Borneo a Successful Conclusion to Kidscutpalmoil Day!
The very first Kidscutpalmoil Day was held at Canggu Community School on Monday November 30th in an effort to raise awareness about the calamitous effects of conflict palm oil farming on the fragile ecosystems of Sumatra and Borneo.
The action group initiated by Bali school children nominated November 30th at CCS a day to further educate and inform the school community kicked off the fundraising day by inviting everyone to donate a minimum of IDR 10,000 to participate in a free dress day. Those involved were encouraged to dress in fiery colours to symbolise the peat fires which continue to burn out of control in areas such as Central Kalimantan.
Not just an opportunity to get out of uniform for the day, students also organised a Market for Borneo in the multi function hall at the high school campus. A whole swag of environmentally conscious kids spent their lunch hour setting up tables piled high with numerous items of pre-loved clothing, toys and books along with some tasty snacks, including Year 2W’s very own version of palm oil free peanut butter! One of the student’s talented mums, Annie provided the secret recipe and the kids did the rest. The end result was truly delicious, environmentally friendly and the general consensus was that it was best enjoyed slathered over cucumber and celery sticks!
Once the hard was done and the stalls were set, it was time for trading. The crowds streamed in and there was a rush reminiscent of a Boxing Day Sale as prospective customers jostled for books, toys and clothing. Being a typically streamy November afternoon, the youngsters at the fruit smoothie stall certainly worked up a sweat filling orders for thirsty shoppers and the line up in front of the snack stall indicated that sweet treats were also a favourite on the day.
Apart from donated goods, most of the items on sale were made by the students themselves including eco friendly products such as palm oil free bath bombs and bath soaps. The Kidscutpalmoil Campaign was also well represented with coffee cups, stickers and soaps bearing their logo and if T-shirt sales were anything to go buy, these Kidscutpalmoil tops will be next week’s must have fashion item.
At my time of departure, funds from the afternoon were still being tallied, but if crowds were anything to go by, I’d hazard a guess that the organisers would be more than happy with the result. All proceeds from the market day in addition to those raised from free dress donations will go directly to Outrop to assist with the Orang utan Tropical Peatland Project and to the firefighters in Central Kalimantan to help purchase much needed equipment to keep the continuing blaze in the peatlands under control.
For more information about the kidscutpalmoil campaign and how you too can be a a part of the change, follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/
or on twitter – @kidscutpalmoil
#startwith1thing #racingextinction
