Reef Revolution

Growing up in the coastal city of Manado, North Sulawesi, Rafael Angouw (Class of 2023) feels a deep kinship with the ocean that extends beyond admiration or childhood nostalgia. For him and his family, the majestic waters surrounding their home — and the diverse living ecosystem within them — are part of their identity. 

So, when they began to notice the relentless impact of climate change and human activities on the coral reefs they fondly viewed as the underwater landscape of their home, they decided to take action. At just 15, Rafael and his brother (11 years old at the time) launched Reeformers, a non-governmental organization dedicated to ocean conservation and coral transplantation.

Today, more than three years on, Reeformers has grown into a community-driven movement whose impact has been multifarious — from combating coral bleaching and rehabilitating corals to raising awareness about the important role of coral reefs and empowering local communities. 

With the help of a core team comprising 13 passionate changemakers, Reeformers has worked with local and central government agencies, NGOs, environmental organizations, schools, diving centers, and, perhaps most importantly, local communities to preserve Mando’s cherished marine treasures. The results speak for themselves: 2,560 wild corals saved, 18,000 new saplings planted, 160 kilograms of carbon absorbed per year, and much more.

For Rafael, this whirlwind journey has taken him to high-profile environmental forums such as UN Global Goals Week and UN World Oceans Day, where he was a Global Youth Delegate, as well as featured spots on National Geographic Magazine and Mata Najwa, a popular current events show hosted by investigative journalist Najwa Shihab. Now, his passion for marine sustainability continues as he pursues studies in finance and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices at the University of Pennsylvania.

We caught up with Rafael to discuss his experiences at JIS, the challenges and triumphs of leading an NGO at a young age, and his vision for Reeformers. 

What inspired you to create Reeformers?

I grew up in Manado, a small coastal town in North Sulawesi. We didn't have big malls or parks for entertainment, so we looked to the ocean for that. My whole family and I used to snorkel or jet ski — that was how we had fun. We really appreciated the ecosystems underwater, but over time, we saw that these ecosystems were degrading because of global warming — the coral started to bleach — and human activities like waste, pollution, and sedimentation from reclamation and development on the beach. These types of human activities were destroying the corals and the fish that we loved. So, my brother and I became motivated to start something that would help protect what we thought of as our playground.  

You grew up in Manado and moved to Jakarta to attend JIS. What was that shift like, and how did JIS help you achieve your goals with Reeformers?

I started JIS in Freshman year, but it was during COVID-19 and online school, so I was Zooming in from Manado. When I became a Sophomore, I moved to Jakarta. I'm so grateful that I moved because it expanded my horizons, especially at a school like JIS, where the education is top-notch and you meet people from all around the world. At first, it was a bit overwhelming, but moving to JIS really molded me into the person I am today; JIS made me a confident person in how I carry myself and how I communicate with others.  

In order to achieve success in the NGO space, you need to be able to clearly communicate your impact. When I'm doing presentations for UN Global Goals Week, for example, if I really want to raise awareness and get people to join our cause, I need to be able to communicate clearly what we've done, what we’ve achieved, and how we're helping the environment.  

JIS has really helped me with all these aspects, whether it's meeting with new NGOs, proposing to new potential corporate social responsibility partners, or giving a presentation. All these things feel like JIS has really molded me into being ready for the position that I'm in.  

Can you tell us a bit about the process of setting up Reeformers?

In starting Reeformers, what benefited me the most was having the right people on my team.  
I was so lucky that when we started, we knew some people who had worked with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in the Manado area. They had experience with coral transplantation, and at the time, had been running their own coral garden for about five years already.

I think they agreed to join Reeformers when they saw the commitment my brother and I had toward this issue, even though we were only kids. A lot of people have started transplantation projects, but they never follow up on it. They plant the corals but don't take care of them, and the baby corals and all the underwater structures just end up as waste.  

But I told these guys, “I really want to do this, and this will become a permanent part of my life." This is not something that I will ditch after high school or after university. I’m committed to [marine conservation] because I love it.

They and other members of our team — I can talk about them all day — are the core of Reeformers, and they have helped build what we are today.  

How has Reeformers impacted communities living along the coast of Manado?

Because we focus on coral transplantation, which builds underwater ecosystems, Reeformers has contributed to the quality of life for coastal communities. For example, when the underwater ecosystems we build flourish, biodiversity increases, and the area becomes a diving site — and that attracts many tourists.

People who own the boats we rent, underwater photographers, scuba diving instructors — they are all earning more. For the people on the beach who sell fried bananas to tourists, other small vendors, and the fishermen, there’s more diversity in terms of income. Reeformers also has monitoring sessions every month, which requires volunteers who come from scuba diving communities in the Manado area. They are volunteers, but it’s heavy work, so we do provide monetary compensation, which further helps with their income.

I didn’t fully realize our impact until we heard their testimonies; you know, talking to them and getting involved with them every day — seeing [Reeformers’ impact] with my own eyes. It was something I didn’t know was going to happen because it’s not direct, right? When we talk about coral transplantation, we can automatically connect that to oxygen production and more ecosystems. But now I know that the people are as important as the environment we try to conserve.

What are your plans for after university? And how do you see Reeformers moving forward?

I plan to work here in the States for a couple of years, but in the long term, I want to go back to Indonesia. I really want to be involved in the sustainability and environmental space because Indonesia has so much potential for that — renewable natural resources can be really big here. And the new capital city is going to rely on clean energy and sustainable energy, so I want to get involved in that.

Reeformers is still going strong, very strong. My brother is taking the lead now, but I visit Manado every three to six months. We have a license to use 5,000 square meters of ocean and we’ve only used about 400, so we have so much room for expansion.

But let's say later down the line, we do fill up that space, I do plan on expanding our coral garden to more territories. First, we do have to do our research on what areas or provinces in Indonesia are capable of supporting coral gardens underwater, because not all types of water are healthy enough for these baby corals to survive. But it's a really bright future. We have a great team; we have great partners.  

I'm excited. I'm really looking forward to it.  

Consider supporting Reeformers in its important mission to save and rehabilitate the marine ecosystems of North Sulawesi.