SCUBA CERTIFICATION FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Yaf Keru Dive GuardsRaja Ampat is home to a lucrative (area specific) tourism associated industry that is largely based on SCUBA diving, snorkelling and nature. Yet despite these activities occurring in, on and around local reefs, many local community members remain on the sidelines of this industry, not able to fully participate or access the associated benefits due to a lack of relevant training and certification. Due to a complex interplay of social, political, and geographical factors, local people face limited opportunities for training, certification and employment in the region, and are often overlooked in recruitment, with higher-skilled and better-paid positions more frequently offered to foreigners or more experienced nationals from outside the region. This leaves only the lower-skilled and less lucrative jobs for local community members, leaving many to turn to more extractive activities and the further exploitation of the marine environment for income.
Recognising this gap in access and ability, and associated socio-economic and environmental impact, we further leverage our conservation programs to offer free scuba diving training and certification, tailored for the local inhabitants of the Raja Ampat region.
Bridging the gap
Training Dive Guards To Protect Coral Reefs
Through our ‘earning while learning’ approach (see below); we go beyond simply ‘training dive guides’, we create certified and capable Dive Guards, who go on to protect the marine environment that supports their communities and livelihoods.
Our program is designed to bridge the existing gap in access and ability, by providing locals with opportunity to obtain the skills and certification needed to engage with and benefit from the burgeoning dive, tourism and conservation sectors. By equipping local people with internationally recognised scuba diving training and certification, we not only open up a myriad of employment opportunities both without our foundation and wider industry, but also foster a community of marine conservation advocates.
This initiative aims to transform the underwater world of Raja Ampat into a sustainable source of livelihood for its people, ensuring that economic development goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship. Significant effort is dedicated to customizing standard SCUBA Diving Training to meet the needs of local community members, who often lack basic secondary education (a widespread issue in a country grappling with limited access to quality education, and an issue particularly acute in the West Papua province, which consistently records the lowest educational standards in the country).
Eric, Yosina and Samual during their Open Water Scuba Diving training, offered free of charge to local community members under our “Earning While Learning” initiative. All participants are engaged to work full time in our foundation, whilst recieve a salary and free certification and training during their employment.
Cory conducts a monitoring dive, to assist in the evaluation and assessment of the progress and impact of the Yaf Keru Reef Resotration and Conservation program.
Training is conducted by a certified instructor (our Co-Founder, Arnaud Brival) to an international standard – something that is often missing in more local ‘training’, leaving even those that have been previously certificated lacking in both theoretical understanding and practical skill; a dangerous combination for the ‘certified’ individual who believes they are trained and equipped for scuba diving.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE, WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE PRESENT
Earning while Learning
For local community members in Raja Ampat, the opportunity to earn an income while engaging in learning and training is not just a benefit—it’s a necessity. Because residents of the remote archipelago have limited economic opportunities, the ability to work and learn simultaneously represents a critical lifeline. It provides immediate financial support to their families, mitigating the prevalent economic pressures and allowing them to invest in their futures without foregoing day-to-day necessities. Employment during training ensures that acquiring new skills for long-term career advancement does not come at the cost of immediate well-being. This approach aligns with sustainable development practices by encouraging education and growth while maintaining the ecological and cultural integrity of Raja Ampat.
Aldi, Piet and Linus work together on the theoretical aspects of their Open Water SCUBA Diver course. Whilst a standard OWD is completed over just a few days, our program is adapted to suit the needs of the individual, and is incorporated into a full time work/employment program.
For those individuals accepted into our Dive Guards program, we offer full time employment during the training phase, where the Yaf Keru Reef Restoration and Conservation Program serves as the classroom and training platform for SCUBA Diving. The Dive Guards program not only teaches SCUBA diving, but coral reef ecology, conservation, reef health monitoring and best practice for environmentally conscious scuba diving – whether it be for tourism or conservation.
Participants emerge from our program not just as certified divers but as empowered individuals, many of whom remain a part of our Foundation, or have gone on to secure employment within the eco-tourism and marine conservation fields. Their stories of transformation and success underscore the profound personal impact of this initiative.
The ripple effects of the program extend into the broader community, promoting a collective sense of pride, engagement, and responsibility towards the marine environment. As more locals become certified, the community’s capacity to support and sustain conservation efforts strengthens.
Participants in, and graduates from the program play a crucial role in our ongoing conservation projects. With their newly acquired skills, they actively participate in coral reef restoration, species monitoring, and the collection of critical data that informs our conservation strategies. Their involvement ensures that conservation efforts are grounded in local knowledge and participation, enhancing their effectiveness and sustainability.
Our program has already seen remarkable successes: from the number of individuals certified to the tangible contributions they’ve made to conservation efforts and the eco-tourism industry. Through their participation, local communities are not just observers but active contributors to the protection and preservation of their marine heritage.
Tomi Kumanireng (at centre): graduating as a certified PADI instructor in 2022, after completing all dive courses withing our ‘earning while learning’ initiative. Tomi, originally from Batanta, became the first ever PADI instructor from a local village in Raja Ampat, and the third ever within the wider West Papua province.
GET INVOLVED
Support our Dive Guards
For those looking to support this transformative program, we welcome sponsors and partners to join us in expanding the reach and impact of this initiative. Your support can help us train and equip more local community members as divers, enhance our conservation efforts, and ensure the sustainable development of Raja Ampat’s communities.
100% of your donation goes to
the field.
If left unchecked, 90% of coral reefs will be threatened by 2030, with almost all reefs facing, high, very high, or critical threat levels by 2050.
If we don’t act now, future generations will not have the privilege of seeing a live coral reef, let alone receive the benefits that coral reefs provide, including food, coastal protection, livelihoods and medicine.
In Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the most biodiverse coral reefs on Earth are under threat; rapid and unsustainable development combined with climate change threaten the future of these reefs, along with the food security, heritage and livelihoods of many.
Your contribution today has a direct impact in enabling our team to work with local people to Restore, Protect and Conserve reefs in the world’s last remaining coral stronghold.
We cannot do it alone, but with your contribution we can do it together.
100% of your donation goes to
the field.
If left unchecked, 90% of coral reefs will be threatened by 2030, with almost all reefs facing, high, very high, or critical threat levels by 2050.
If we don’t act now, future generations will not have the privilege of seeing a live coral reef, let alone receive the benefits that coral reefs provide, including food, coastal protection, livelihoods and medicine.
In Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the most biodiverse coral reefs on Earth are under threat; rapid and unsustainable development combined with climate change threaten the future of these reefs, along with the food security, heritage and livelihoods of many.
Your contribution today has a direct impact in enabling our team to work with local people to Restore, Protect and Conserve reefs in the world’s last remaining coral stronghold.
We cannot do it alone, but with your contribution we can do it together.
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Yayasan Orang Laut Papua is a registered NGO under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Republic of Indonesia. Number AHU-0016408. Year 2019. The SEA People is a registered Charitable Association under the Gouvernement de la République in France (Numero Identification Siren 853074300) and serves as an administrative and fundrasing base for supporting the fieldwork of Yaysan Orang Laut Papua. Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions