Martha Lotang, A Mangrove Conservation Hero

A portrait of Martha Lotang, or Mama Martha as she is affectionately known, still heads the group Kelompok Cinta Persahabatan — literally, "Lovers of Friendship — is an environmental organization founded by Martha Lotang and her closest friends in Alor, East Nusa Tenggara, in 2008 — and   regularly visits elementary schools around Alor to teach the students about the importance of mangrove conservation and the danger of erosion.

At first, the group's main activity was doing clean-up on empty lands for a fee. The little money they earned, they put into a joint bank account. When World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found out about KCP two years later, they decided to train the group on the basics of mangrove conservation and how to protect the Alor coast from erosion.  

Among other prizes, Mama Martha received the prestigious Women Leadership award from the Coral Triangle Initiative in 2014. 

Photostory was published by The Jakarta Globe

Mangrove Mama

"Martha Lotang", Alor © 2017 Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro ; All Rights Reserved