By: Natalia Trita Agnika

Today, July 23, is National Children's Day. On this day we are reminded of the rights of children. According to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, one of the 10 rights of children that must be fulfilled is the right to education. All children, whether they live in urban or rural areas, have the right to get an education and acquire knowledge to prepare them for the future.

WWF-Indonesia as the oldest conservation organization in Indonesia also pays special attention to children's education. One of them is by working on conservation education in the Cenderawasih Bay National Park (TNTC) area, Papua. Traveling with a motorboat named KM. Gurano Bintang, the facilitator team provides environmental education and nutritional assistance for children in villages around TNTC. To support educational activities and attract children's interest, the boat is equipped with a library and multimedia tools. The cheerful nuances typical of children are presented through the pictures of the creativity of the winners of the children's drawing competition during the inauguration of the ship on April 20, 2007.

KM. Gurano Bintang is actually a conservation vessel that conducts surveillance of marine areas and the Whale Shark (Whale Shark) population. So it's no wonder that the researchers who work on this motorboat have also been involved in teaching children about the environment, especially the marine environment and ways to conserve it. One of them is Casandra Tania, WWF-Indonesia's Marine Species Officer, who has taught children. With her knowledge and experience as a whale shark researcher, the woman who is familiarly called Cassie shares knowledge about whale sharks, protected biota, and non-destructive fishery activities.

Seeing the excited and cheerful children when visiting KM. Gurano Bintang made her very happy. One of his most memorable experiences was when children from Syabes Village, Teluk Wondama Regency, came to the ship by swimming 200-500 meters to be able to play and learn on KM. Gurano Bintang. Their enthusiasm shows that the children have a positive interest in the activities that take place on the colorfully painted ship. "Hopefully they can become children who care about the sea and can become agents of change in their respective villages," Cassie hoped.

In line with the educational mission of KM. Gurano Bintang's educational mission to build community awareness of the preservation of their biological wealth and form a new generation that has an insight into nature and is moved to voluntarily protect it, the KM outreach team. Gurano Bintang also made village visits to reach children living in remote villages in Manokwari Regency, Teluk Wondama Regency, Nabire Regency, and Waropen and Yapen Regencies.

Team from KM. Gurano Bintang visits the coastal villages around TNTC every four months and sometimes every two months depending on the needs of the program. During each trip, the outreach team invites children in the villages they visit to learn through interesting games. The games have been modified in such a way that they contain messages about the environment, especially knowledge about marine life and how to preserve it. One group (around 20 people) will be led by two environmental education facilitators. The facilitator team is a combination of staff from the Education Office, the Environmental Agency, extension workers from the Marine and Fisheries Office, the Women's Empowerment and Family Planning Agency of Nabire and Wondama Bay Districts, extension workers from BBTNTC, and WWF-Indonesia staff. The facilitator team will be divided into three groups, namely the education team for school-age children, teacher assistance, and education for adults (mothers and fishermen).

Usually, the visit will be closed with the distribution of nutrition to children, such as mung bean milk porridge and simple medical treatment and examination. The presence of KM. Gurano Bintang has provided tangible benefits for the education and nutritional improvement of children in the interior of TNTC. Feronika Manohas, Community Outreach and Development Coordinator WWF-Indonesia in the TNTC area shared that parents were very excited to prepare their children for school when they learned that the team from Gurano Bintang would visit them. "Hopefully the Gurano Bintang trip can influence the education model in the villages and increase parents' awareness to prioritize education for their children," said Feronika.

You can help children in the TNTC area to get the right to education by making a donation through www.supporterwwf.org for the continuity of research and education activities on KM. Gurano Bintang. The cheerful smile of a healthy and knowledgeable Indonesian child is a sign of a quality next generation. Happy National Children's Day!