Greetings from SUMBA #22
One year in Sumba, a little recap 💚🫶🏼🌞
CURRENT LOCATION: Bali, Indonesia
LOCAL TIME: 18h40
LOCAL TEMPERATURE: 25 degrees
CURRENTLY READING: Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors
Hi there!
Today is a very special edition of my newsletter, because today marks one year since I moved to Sumba. Needless to say, how quickly the time has passed, how many memories I have made and how many things I have learnt. I have chosen 12 pairs of pictures, 2 for each month, and used them as the red thread for this edition to tell a little piece of my Sumba life.
I hope you enjoy reading it as I did writing :)))
Memory #1 - Teacher Hestie
Teaching has always been something I've enjoyed, but I haven't done it very regularly. From the very beginning, the weekly sustainability lessons became one of my favourite (if not the best) part of the week for the students. I am so glad that I was able to develop my own curriculum and share my perspective on the topic that I am most passionate about. It wasn't just about teaching a “sustainability lesson” for me, but more about teaching the students a philosophy, a way of life guiding principles to respect Mother Earth.
Memory #2 - Sampah sampah sampah (trash trash trash)
Cleaning up the SHF was a top priority from the beginning, and I have to say that it was sometimes quite overwhelming to see how many materials had accumulated over the years. If there's one thing I've learnt in the last year, it's that “teamwork makes the dream work”, meaning that with the help of all the students we were able to achieve so much, and much more than if I had done it alone. The Ibu-Bumi trash cart that I built and painted together with Chloé is definitely a highlight and a project that I am proud of every time I see the students walking around with it.
Memory #3 - Closing the loop
Our most important strategy with regard to waste is to reduce it as much as possible. This means we look for more sustainable alternatives, plastic-free options or ways to give objects a second life. For a lot of our trash, we have worked with local waste vendors who bring it to Surabaya for recycling. We had thousands of Bintang bottles which we used to build this lovely Bintang house. We are still working on the landscaping, but this house was truly a group effort! More than 2000 bottles were used and thanks to the skillful hands of the students, we now have a unique garden house that I love!
Memory #4 - Threads of Resilience at Karaja
A super important part of my life on Sumba is Karaja. Since January, I have been visiting the weaving community monthly and gradually learning more about the complicated process of making Ikat and trying things out with natural dyeing techniques. I also want to make sure there is an exchange and help them with branding, building a website, exposure and more sustainable practises. What Asty has set up is truly impressive and I am so happy that I can help her and do my best to support her wherever she needs me.
Memory #5 - Sewing
Teacher Hestie also gives weekly sewing classes for the housekeeping students. This is also a highlight of the week, as I can share my passion with them and teach them a skill for life. It’s impressive how quickly they learn and, above all, how eager they are. Seeing them weekly in small groups creates a super nice bond and allows for an open exchange. They learn by doing different projects, which always get a little more difficult. We started with scrunchies, followed by a drawstring bag, a tote bag and now a reversible bucket hat.
Memory #6 - Jalan Jalan (exploring) + Tas Jaring
Almost every weekend I went on a trip to explore the island with other staff and volunteers. The picture here shows the first trip I went on since I arrived and it was a wonderful time. I would also like to mention Tas Jaring, a project I did as part of Ocean Uprise’s internship programme, which I am still in love with. Since I created the pattern bag and workshop, I've taught more than 100 people how to do it, because all you need is some old fabric garments and a pair of scissors.
Memory #7 - Beaches, beaches and more beaches
Sundays are my only day off and I usually spend them on the beach reading. One of the things I love about my life on Sumba is that I have so much time to read, much more than I used to. Each book transports me into its own little universe and I have been able to read so many great books since I arrived. I've also recently started crocheting, something I've wanted to do for a long time but never really did. Thanks to Chloé’s help and a lot of YouTube videos, I've finally got the hang of it and love it so much!
Memory #8 - Hello visitors part 1
I am so lucky that so many people want to visit me in Sumba! The first was Margot and we spent a lovely week exploring the island in August. The second was Irene, and again it was amazing to have her visit me in my new home. I have to admit that bringing someone from my “Belgian life” into my “Sumba life” is always a bit stressful, and I think that goes for both sides. However, I think both Margot and Irene enjoyed the time they spent with me on the island. And although they both admitted almost immediately that they could never live in Sumba, they understood why I did, and for me that was more than enough.
Memory #9 - Hello visitors part 2
Hello mum and dad! Wow, that was soooo special. Once again, more visitors came all the way to Sumba, and not just any visitors. After being separated for 7 months, reuniting with my parents in Indonesia was a very special moment. Just like the previous visitors I've had, there was some “stress” on both sides: “How will it go?”, “What will it be like?” … but everything fell into place and we made so many wonderful memories together that I will never forget.
Memory #10 - Friendships in Sumba
Sumba can be a pretty isolated place, and although the coming and going of people is nice, it also has a less nice side. It's hard to say goodbye because you always have to get used to being “alone”. But the truth is that I am never really alone in SHF, surrounded by so many nice staff and 60 students. The atmosphere on campus is pure, loving and joyful and makes it very special to live and work here. Kini is a great support here and we have a lot of fun in and out of working hours. In February, I was lucky enough to have Eglantine with me, a friend from Paris who came to volunteer. Again, someone who wanted to bring me a visit, lucky me!
Memory #11 - Yoga
Since my arrival, I have done countless yoga classes in our beautiful bamboo shala. After completing my yoga teacher training last year, I gained the confidence to practise on my own and discover the mental and physical benefits of one asana after another. Practising has brought me a lot of inner peace and has been a great remedy for so many things. Just like reading, one of the benefits of living on Sumba is that I have so much time to practise and I want to maintain this flow.
Memory #12 - Sewing with Ibu Lusia and Chloé
And finally: have a look at these beautiful, unique and 100% zero-waste poufs. A project that I am so proud of and that could never have succeeded without the help of Chloé and Ibu Lusia! We created a beautiful patchwork from fabric scraps and turned them into covers. All the small scraps of fabric that could otherwise no longer be used were used as filling. Ibu Lusia lives in the street of SHF and has been coming to help me for two months. I am gradually teaching her new sewing skills, with a focus on upcycling. Not only is she teaching her new things, but she also has an income to help support her family. Above all, she is so much fun and a wonderful woman who I hope to work with for a long time to come.
So that's it, a year full of incredible moments that I was able to share with so many people. I could have filled this newsletter with ten times as many memories to show how many experiences I've had, but this summary gives a good overview. I'm so excited to see what's next, but I'm sure Sumba has some great things in store for me in my second year here. I can't wait to make new memories and share them with you all!
Talk soon,
Hestie -x-