SHEBA®, a pet food brand, has completed the SHEBA® Hope Advocate Program, involving two Indonesian hosts and five global advocates from the SHEBA® Hope Grows Collective, UK, Germany, USA, and Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asia representative, Alif Kazman, was part of the 10-day adventure at the SHEBA® Hope Reef in Bontosua, Indonesia. They worked with the local community, received restoration training, and restored a coral reef using Reef Stars, the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System’s ‘hero’.
“As a young scientist, it was an honor for me to be selected as a SHEBA® Hope Advocate to represent Southeast Asia and to have the opportunity to learn more about the unique research program that supports reef restoration. It was eye-opening to see the scale of the SHEBA® Hope Reef and its impact on the local community, researchers and field officers who work together. The experience was once-in-a-lifetime for me, and I am eager to impart knowledge about the importance of marine conservation to my peers and the younger generation,” said Alif.
The SHEBA® Hope Advocate Program is part of a global reef restoration movement called SHEBA® Hope Grows. It began in 2019 with the creation of a structure in Bontosua, Indonesia, using restored coral. The program has seen coral growth increase from 2% to 70%, fish populations increase by 260%, and a 64% rise in fish species. By 2029, SHEBA® aims to restore over 185,000 square meters of coral reefs, the size of 148 Olympic swimming pools, at key sites worldwide. The program is part of the Mars family, driven by the company’s mission to create a better world for pets. Dr. Susan Wan, General Manager of Mars Petcare Indonesia, emphasized the importance of taking action to protect the environment, climate, and local communities. The program demonstrates how hope can flourish even in the most trying situations by sharing knowledge and working together to protect and restore critically threatened ecosystems.
“The SHEBA® Hope Advocate Program has received immeasurably positive response from around the globe. With over 250 applications from the US, UK, Germany, and Southeast Asia, including more than 50 applications from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, we are thrilled with the final seven advocates who were selected based on their passion for ocean conservation. The impact of the work that the Advocates are doing is critical in preserving and restoring the beauty of our ocean and ensuring our future has fish. The program is a collective of long-lasting and meaningful partnerships that are expanding impact far beyond the coral reefs SHEBA® are directly restoring – including on the local communities, tourism and education in Indonesia” said Philippa Mansell, Indonesia Marine Program Lead, Mars Sustainable Solutions.
In conjunction with the SHEBA® Hope Advocate program, the SHEBA® brand is also collaborating with selected retailers in Philippines to collect donations which will be used to create Reef Stars to be planted in the iconic SHEBA® Hope Reef in Bontosua Island, Makassar, Sulawesi Indonesia. For every purchase of any SHEBA® product in Lazada Philippines (Pedigree and Whiskas Flagship Store), 5% of the purchase value will be donated to the coral reef restoration in the SHEBA® Hope Reef. For more information and terms and conditions, please visit https://www.sheba.com.ph/sustainability.
SHEBA®’s sustainability efforts are supported by its parent company Mars, Incorporated, and its efforts to protect our planet. Mars’ Sustainable in a Generation Plan illustrates the Mars mission to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
To learn more about this global coral restoration movement, get involved by following the Hope Grows movement online via the SHEBA® Hope Grows website and SHEBA® Hope Grows Instagram.
