Support women turning waste into action!
Plastic floods daily life in Batukaropa
In the Indonesian village of Batukaropa, along the Balantieng River, plastic waste has become part of everyday life. Each rainy season, floods wash plastic into rice fields and fish ponds — threatening food, health, and nature.
The Balantieng watershed now faces an urgent environmental and public health crisis. Severe plastic pollution is endangering women’s health, livelihoods, and local ecosystems. This mismanaged waste contains hormone-disrupting agents such as PFAS and PBDEs.
To cope, women farmers often burn the plastic, exposing themselves and their families to toxic smoke. Each year, the problem grows worse. There is an immediate need for community-led, gender-just solutions to protect both people and nature.
Women leading the way
In Batukaropa, women are at the heart of family and community life. They do the shopping, cook, and manage household waste — putting them on the front line of the plastic crisis.
But the women of Batukaropa are not waiting. Led by Ibu Fatma, they are taking bold steps toward a waste-free village. They have started waste separation, composting, a plastic-free shop, and training for 10 Zero Waste Women who inspire their neighbors to change daily habits for a cleaner, healthier village.
“We used to think plastic just disappeared. Now we know how to prevent it – and that gives us strength.”
— Ibu Fatma, village leader and initiator
Help Batukaropa become waste-free before the rainy season begins!
⏳ The rains are coming — and with them, more plastic floods. Act now to help the women of Batukaropa stop pollution at its source.
Your support provides knowledge, tools, and leadership to create lasting change — protecting the river, improving health and livelihoods, and building a fair, circular economy from the inside out.
Your donation counts double!
If we reach €2,500, Wilde Ganzen will match the amount — empowering the entire village of 200 households to become waste-free.
Your impact in numbers
💧 3 new collection points → making waste separation easy for everyone
💧 1 village-wide composting facility → turning food scraps into fertile soil
💧 1 plastic-free mini-shop → offering sustainable everyday alternatives
💧 10 Zero Waste Women groups → leading in water monitoring, advocacy, and green business
Prefer to give directly? You can also donate via our bank account: Stichting Makara – IBAN: NL13 SWNB 1571 2716 57 | BIC (SWIFT): SWNBNL22 (for international transfers).