Indonesia: Reviving a Coral Reef and a Community

Wayan Patut grew up as a fisherman on Serangan Island, Indonesia. In the 1990s, when tourism resort developers dredged Serangan’s coastal waters to triple the size of the island, Patut’s way of life disappeared. The construction destroyed the surrounding reef. What remained was harvested by locals to make a meager living. Within a few years, most of the diverse corals and fish that had thrived there were lost, along with the islanders’ source of food and income.

local knowledge: Our grants are decided by local activists who are deeply knowledgeable about the issues and groups that need support. With 130+ volunteer advisors in dozens of countries, we have a broad network of experts leading our grantmaking.

Unwilling to lose everything, Patut and his fellow fishermen set out to restore the reef by replanting it, one coral at a time. They created a small organization to lead the efforts, but did not have the money to take action.

small grant: We provide $500-$5,000 grants to grassroots groups in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and island nations. This seed funding is a catalyst to help activists take action, and often it is their only financial support.

Patut connected with Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto, a Global Greengrants Fund advisor. Native to Indonesia, Ruwindrijarto saw the value of the innovative project and recommended them to receive a $5,000 grant.

The group bought hundreds of corals and a grid structure to root them to the ocean floor. Next, they began planting coral cuttings in the degraded seabed.

Soon, they engaged school kids and tourists in restoring the ecosystem. Visitors ‘adopted a coral’ and planted it in the reef themselves. The project flourished.

big impact: The perfect mix of grassroots leadership, passion for change, and the funding to make it happen. This is one of thousands of success stories from our grantees, illustrating how local knowledge and a small grant can have a very big impact.

More than 35,000 corals have now been planted. The revived reef covers three of the five hectares that were destroyed, and it is once again crowded with fish. The fishermen have regained their catch, and nearby resorts are hiring them to restore coral off of other beaches. Group leaders are invited by neighboring islands to share their unique knowledge. Wayan Patut and the Serangan community are prospering.