Due to the coronavirus, since last week, all foreigners who wish to visit Indonesia must obtain a visa from Indonesia missions abroad and provide a health certificate, and no visa on arrival will be issued for at least one month. The local government have also stopped visits to all attractions until further notice. Indonesians and residents in many areas are advised to stay at home as well so as to enforce the need for Social Distancing.
Therefore, it is with great sadness that we are having to stop welcoming guests at the RARCC facilities on 29 March 2020, just as Papua Diving and Kayak4Conservation have to do.
We are also trying our best to find solutions to keep supporting our team and their families, as well as the many communities we have been assisting with your kind help.
Some projects are still running, such as our educational center in Batanta (with home-schooling for now). We hope we can continue to positively impact the lives of 73 children and teenagers. We are still supporting the school in Sawandarek, and we keep welcoming students at our fiberglass workshop to teach them to make fully electrical powered catamarans, considering their environmental benefits. We keep engaging different stakeholders to work towards conservation by suggesting win-win solutions for Raja Ampat.
We are also socializing information about the coronavirus in some of the villages.
Please keep following us on social media and on our website to stay up to date on what we are doing thanks to your support.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families during these difficult times!
Warmest regards & stay healthy,
The RARCC Team
