The Daily Life of Sydney Steenland: the Sea Monkey warrior
As a curious changemaker, you've likely delved deep into the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans at least once in your journey. Whether through watching Youthtopia masterclasses or conducting your own research, you're aware that the situation is pretty bad. According to a 2023 study by the 5 Gyres Institute shared by BBC, an estimated 171 trillion pieces of plastic are either floating or sinking in our oceans. It's a terrifying reality for us, marine species, and our future.
But, hey, calm down. There are incredible individuals out there actively combating this problem. Today, we’ll explore the Sea Monkey Project.
Founded by a family of sailors and based in Malaysia, the Sea Monkey Project hosts numerous educational programs for local students while also selling upcycled products made from ocean-collected plastic on their website. How awesome is that?
The family behind this remarkable organization comprises Sydney (a Circle of Youth member), Indi, Carlos, and Sarah, along with other changemakers and local communities. They launched the company after witnessing the staggering amount of plastic littering the coasts of Indonesia while living on their boat, the Sea Monkey, and felt the need to take action. To learn more about their work, I reached out to gain insights into their daily lives compared to four years ago, when they were still living on their boat!
Firstly, I asked Sydney about her daily routine, including what time she wakes up and when work at Sea Monkey begins and ends. We all know it’s necessary to have good quality sleep to be an effective changemaker, so knowing how Sydney approaches this will surely be helpful for us! She said, "There is something new happening every day at the Sea Monkey Project. I travel a lot for work and often we have events to run/attend! So every day is a little different with random times to wake up at. When I am not running around for these things, I try to get enough sleep to tackle the day by waking up at 8 am, doing some stretching or getting some morning sunshine before making it to HQ by 10 am to start the working day.”
Regarding when the team leaves work, Sydney added “Usually, the team heads home at 6 pm, but oftentimes work has us staying half an hour to an hour later. There is
much to do when you work hard to make a change!" It's fascinating to see how Sydney manages her time and emphasizes the importance of getting enough sleep and some morning sunshine for being an effective changemaker. A great reminder to all of us - if you want to create meaningful change, take good care of your health! Change begins from the inside out.
After learning about her daily routine, I wanted to know how the Sea Monkey tasks are handled. I wondered whether her younger brother, Indi, her mother, and her father were still working at the company with her. Sydney explained, “All these years after starting the project, our roles have changed a bit. My dad is still the brains of the company, always moving to complete projects and move things along. My brother is following his own path by running his own independent cinema in our new space, and my Mum now lives in Australia!”
When it comes to the skills Sydney applies at work, she stated “When you work in a small business/social enterprise, you need to be dynamic in skills! That’s why my primary focus is creating/running our education mediums, digital collateral, and event engagements, along with various other tasks that need to be done!” This shows us how leading, educating, editing and public speaking are part of a changemaker’s life. The good news is that you can learn all of those skills through YOUTHTOPIA’s learning platform!
Now, let’s meet the Sea Monkey’s headquarters. As Sydney describes it, “In August 2023, we moved from our first workshop that was basically a hole in the wall to a snazzy new place in the center of town! Our space, named Sustained, is 7 times bigger than our first place.” How amazing! If you ever visit Malaysia, you can find it at the sunny Art Market of KL. The space is vibrant and filled with colors, embodying the message of sustainability and ethical business. You can buy lots of cool, sustainable items there!
Wow, I can’t believe how much I’ve learned and how exciting it is to know all that
Sydney’s family and other members of the project built with their hard work! Changemakers like them are a great source of inspiration to those of us who are just starting out. With that in mind, Sydney kindly tells us that “Change takes time, but it starts with action! We are very proud of where we are today and our story of getting here, but it all started with the YouTube videos my brother and I used to make for homeschooling. You gotta start somewhere, just start and remember to educate yourself along the way. We believe in you!”
Hope you enjoyed reading this quick interview with Sydney Steenland and are more inspired to continue your own changemaking journey. As she said, we all believe in you!
Don’t forget to follow The Sea Monkey Project on Instagram, as their website is being redesigned and they update more often on their Instagram for now. But stay tuned because their new website is coming with lots of interesting things!