We are all hoping that the devastating haze that enveloped Singapore in a blanket of smog in 2015 is not set to make reappearance this year… But how can we make changes in our own lives to try and prevent this huge environmental disaster creeping back? None of us wants to have to rush out and buy air purifiers, stock up on haze masks (please do check our article on whether your child is should be wearing an N95 mask or not), nor do we want to have to resign ourselves to weeks of indoor activities with the kids. So how can we help?
We caught up recently with Irene Wong and Paul Judge from Beyond the Haze, a self-funded initiative that has been gaining support in both local and international schools across Singapore for getting important environmental messages to our kids, and spoke to them about their recent nation wide Go Beyond The Haze competition for school kids, their exciting trip to Indonesia with the winners, and about a very special gala evening that is being organised on 7 May.
The gala event is being held in the beautiful Movenpick Heritage Hotel, and ALL funds raised on the evening will go directly towards Wildlife Asia and partner organisations in Sumatra. Guests will also have the chance to see the amazing posters, films, poems and presentations which were created by Singapore’s school children as part of a competition to help educate them, and us, on what we can all do to see beyond the haze. There will also be a chance to see photos and videos from the recent trip to Bukit Lawang, Indonesia, where competition winners got to visit the orangutans and other endangered wildlife that this campaign is trying so hard to help.
Sadly the palm oil industry continues at full steam, and despite Beyond the Haze doing what they can, along with some fantastic young humanitarians trying to make a difference in the world with initiatives such as Kids Cut Palm Oil, we ALL need to be doing more to put a stop to the haze for good, and not just until the wind blows the problem out of our lungs and our minds.
Your support of this event is a step in the right direction in trying to preserve the last place on earth where endangered Sumatran tigers, rhinos and orangutans still live in the wild. The funds raised are crucial for organisations working tirelessly to bring an end to the haze and deforestation issues that have blighted Indonesia in recent times. Special guest speakers will be welcomed on the evening to include Kids Cut Palm Oil and Bye Bye Plastic Bags, plus we hear that there is going to be an exciting auction towards the end of the evening too. So grab yourself a ticket or two if you can, and don’t forget that every donation received, no matter how large or small it may seem, will be a donation going towards efforts to create happier, haze-free times.