Asa curious changemaker, you've likely delved deep into the issue of plasticpollution in our oceans at least once in your journey. Whether through watchingYouthtopia masterclasses or conducting your own research, you're aware that thesituation is pretty bad.
Accordingto a 2023 study by the 5 Gyres Institute, as shared by BBC, an estimated 171 trillionpieces of plastic are either floating or sinking in our oceans. It's aterrifying reality for us, marine species, and our future.
But,hey, calm down. There are incredible individuals out there actively combatingthis problem. Today, we're delving into the Sea Monkey Project company.
Foundedby a family of sailors and based in Malaysia, the Sea Monkey Project hosts numerouseducational programs for local students while also selling upcycled productsmade from ocean-collected plastic on their website. How awesome is that?
Thefamily behind this remarkable organization comprises Sydney (a Circle of Youth member),Indi, Carlos, and Sarah, along with other changemakers and local communities.They founded the company after witnessing the staggering amount of plasticlittering the coasts of Indonesia and other countries while living on theirboat, the Sea Monkey, and felt the need to take action.
AsSea Monkey's impact continues to grow, I reached out to gain insights intotheir daily lives compared to four years ago, when they were still living ontheir boat, the Sea Monkey!
Let's get to knowmore about The Sea Monkey Project and Sydney Steenland!
I asked her abouther daily routine, including what time she wakes up and when work at Sea Monkeybegins and ends. We all know it’s necessary to have good quality sleep to be aneffective changemaker, so knowing how Sydney approaches this is surely helpfulfor us!
She said,"There is something new happening every day at the Sea Monkey Project. Itravel a lot for work and often we have events to run/attend! So every day is alittle different with random times to wake up at. When I am not running aroundfor these things, I try to get enough sleep to tackle the day by waking up at 8am, doing some stretching or getting some morning sunshine before making it toHQ by 10 am to start the working day.”
Aboutwhen The Sea Monkey Project’s work ends, Sydney added “Usually, the team headshome at 6 pm, but oftentimes work has us staying half an hour to an hour later.There is much to do when you work hard to make a change!" It's fascinatingto see how Sydney manages her time and emphasizes the importance of good sleepand physical exercise for being an effective changemaker. A great reminder toall of us - if you want to createmeaningful change, take good care of your health! Change begins from the insideout.
Afterlearning about her daily routine, I wanted to know how the Sea Monkey tasks arehandled. I was curious to know whether her younger brother, Indi, her mother,and her father are still working at the company with her. Sydney explained,“All these years after starting the
project, our roleshave changed a bit. My dad is still the brains of the company, always moving tocomplete projects and move things along. My brother is following his own pathby running his own independent cinema in our new space, and my Mum now lives inAustralia!” So interesting and great to know how things have changed, and thateveryone seems happy with their journey.
Regardingher own work and tasks, Sydney stated, “When you work in a small business/socialenterprise, you need to be dynamic in skills! That’s why my primary focus is creating/runningour education mediums, digital collateral, and event engagements, along with variousother tasks that need to be done!” Who wouldn't want to join the Sea Monkeyteam in Malaysia after hearing about their dynamic work environment?
Now,let’s explore Sea Monkey’s headquarters. As Sydney describes it, “In August2023, we moved from our first workshop that was basically a hole in the wall toa snazzy new place in the center of town! Our space, named Sustain;ed, is 7times bigger than our first place.” How amazing! If you ever visit Malaysia,you can find it at the sunny Art Market of KL. The space is vibrant and filledwith colors, embodying the message of sustainability and ethical business. You canbuy lots of cool, sustainable items there!
Wow,I can’t believe how much I’ve learned and how exciting it is to know all that Sydney’sfamily and other members of the project built with their hard work!Changemakers like them are a great source of inspiration to those who are juststarting out, so I asked her to write a message for everyone who’s read so far.She kindly said that “Change takes time, but it starts with action! We are veryproud of where we are today and our story of getting here, but it all startedwith the YouTube videos my brother and I used to make for homeschooling. Yougotta start somewhere, just start and remember to educate yourself along theway. We believe in you!”
Andthat was it, folks. What a wonderful and inspiring journey Sydney has in herlife! Just one last thing: I wanted to know if the Sea Monkey family was stillliving on their boat, the Sea Monkey, and Sydney said that they had to move tothe city to focus on the business. But hey, Sea Monkey is only one hour driveaway, so she still has many adventures to Come!
Hopeyou enjoyed reading this quick interview with Sydney Steenland and are more inspiredto continue your own changemaking journey. As she said, we all believe in you!
●Don’t forget to follow The Sea Monkey Project on Instagram, as their website isbeing redesigned and they update more often on their Instagram for now. Butstay tuned because their new website is coming with lots of interesting things!And remember the upcycled goods I mentioned in the beginning? Well, they aresold in their shop in Malaysia and online, on their website. There are greatproducts for you to buy, use, and love with no guilt! Lastly, also follow EarthHeir and their space together with The Sea Monkey Project, Sustain;ed forupdates and beautiful photos of their work and place.
Keep on learning,Changemakers!
There’s so muchmore to come!