Insurance Media, JAKARTA – Sompo Insurance Indonesia (Sompo Insurance) and Sompo Environment Foundation celebrate the completion of the 5th Environmental NGO Apprenticeship Program in Indonesia. This internship program shows Sompo’s commitment to driving sustainable and positive change by engaging Indonesian students and transforming them into environmentally conscious leaders.
The environmental NGO apprenticeship program attracted more than 1,200 participants. This unique program, offered exclusively outside Japan by the SOMPO Environment Foundation, is now in its fifth year. With the full support of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, this program encourages and enables young Indonesian talents to gain practical knowledge on environmental issues.
This graduation ceremony celebrates the achievements of 25 selected interns, who spent several months at their assigned NGOs. These dedicated interns have worked to drive impactful change on environmental issues, such as supporting environmental conservation programs and existing efforts through community outreach, producing relevant content, community forest management, and much more.
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Participating NGOs include Benua Lestari Indonesia, BIOCert, Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS), Burung Indonesia, DeTara Foundation, Community Forestry Communication Forum (FKKM), HuMa, Participatory Mapping Network and YIARI.
“Environmental issues continue to worsen and it is very important for us to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to address these issues directly and appropriately,” said Sompo Insurance President and CEO Eric Nemitz, in an official press release cited on Wednesday October 25, 2023.
He explained that the environmental NGO apprenticeship program fosters a sense of community and increases critical thinking among today’s youth. “This program also enables them to face future environmental challenges with creativity and determination,” he said.
Present at the inauguration were representatives of Sompo Insurance Indonesia, Sompo Environment Foundation Executive Director Yoshikazu Nishiwaki, DeTara Foundation Director Latipah Hendarti, and JEEF Indonesia Managing Director Makoto Yata.
Representing NGOs, Latipah said environmental challenges in Indonesia are urgent, with deforestation, plastic pollution and habitat loss threatening unique biodiversity. “We hope that the environmental NGO apprenticeship program can inspire and continue to train young leaders in the environmental field to protect our natural resources and build a sustainable future for Indonesia,” he said.
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In addition to the Environmental NGO Apprenticeship Program, Sompo Insurance has also established the Sompo Alumni Idea Fund, which provides grants and opportunities for graduates to pursue their environmental projects. This year, two selected alumni of the NGO program are actively working on their projects, which aim to provide real and timely solutions to pressing problems in local communities. It is hoped that in December 2023, the two former students will achieve real results from their respective efforts.
Sompo looks back on five years of impactful engagement and looks forward to the promising results of the Sompo Alumni Idea Fund, and Sompo reaffirms its commitment to environmental sustainability and the development of future leaders who will continue to champion these goals.
The Environmental NGO Internship Program was launched by Sompo Environment Foundation (SOMPOEF) in collaboration with Sompo Insurance Indonesia (Sompo Insurance), Indonesia on February 6, 2019. This program aims to help Indonesian students expand their knowledge on various environmental and climatic issues. climate change, forest conservation and to increase their awareness of how environmental NGOs work to address a wide range of issues during the eight-month period of the internship program.
Students who participate in this program will be funded by the Sompo Environnement Foundation during the internship program. The program takes place in collaboration with the Japan Environmental Education Forum (JEFF).
Editor: S. Edi Santosa
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