THE SHEBA HOPE ADVOCATE PROGRAM: WE ARE LIVE!
As part of the Sheba Hope Grows movement, five lucky candidates, partnered alongside two Indonesian host Hope Advocates, from around the world will be offered the opportunity of a lifetime, to experience the journey of coral restoration first-hand.
The chosen applicants will participate in a three-week experience, splitting their time between their country of residence and the flagship restoration site of the Sheba Hope Grows Campaign: Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Each Advocate will have a week of virtual training with the Mars Petcare and coral restoration team, before flying out to Makassar for 10 days, where they will participate in active coral reef restoration. At the iconic Hope Reef itself, the Advocates will join the local community to learn about the coral restoration process, prepare Reef Stars, visit the iconic Hope Reef and partner with two Indonesian Hope Advocates – all while keeping everyone updated with regular blog posts and capturing content, stories, and interviews. Applicants must have a passion for the environment and inspiring action in others, as well as a strong swimming ability to be considered for the role. Help us find our dream applicant! Share the news with your network now: shebahopegrows.com/hope-reef-advocate.
The search for a Hope Advocate is a continuation of the Sheba Hope Grows project, the world’s largest coral restoration program. In 2021, SHEBA unveiled its first project which Advocates will see first-hand, with satellite images revealing a beacon of hope visible from space – the 14m by 46m spelling of the letters H-O-P-E using regrown coral - at Hope Reef. This poignant message symbolized how positive change can happen within our lifetime – inspiring people to take action. Since it was restored, coral growth has increased from 2% to 70%, fish populations have increased by 260% and there has been a 64% rise in the number of fish species.
Rebecca Daniel, SHEBA® Hope Grows Advocate 2022 said:
"I was left feeling incredibly inspired after spending a week in the Maldives contributing to the SHEBA® Hope Grows restoration project, in partnership with the Maldives Coral Institute as the first UK Hope Advocate. A big highlight for me was the people I met, from the passionate team and volunteers to the friendly islanders who welcomed us into their homes and shared their stories of the reef with us. I came back to the UK feeling incredibly empowered to continue my journey within marine conservation, and I'm super grateful to be involved in the next stages of this ambitious and successful program as it expands across the globe."
SHEBA®’s global coral restoration program has seen the launch of 30 SHEBA® reef restoration sites across ten countries. By 2029, the SHEBA® Hope Reef movement pledges to restore more than 185,000 square meters of coral reefs — roughly the size of 148 Olympic swimming pools — at key sites around the world.
