As a seasoned diver, Jelena wanted to find a way to incorporate the Eco Warrior values, which includes protecting the environment and championing eco-friendly learning activities, into her side hobby.
“I have been diving for two years now, I took it up as a personal challenge as a mean to overcome my fear of the ocean and acquire new skills,” Jelena said.
“I ended loving it and becoming very passionate about how important it is to take care of our ocean.”
Recently for World Health Day, Jelena took a deep dive with a group of fellow divers to clean up rubbish that was spread along the ocean floor.
“A group of divers from the local community met up to clear debris from the ocean – it was lovely to meet up with people who share the same eco-conscious values,” she said.
“Together we picked up rubbish left behind by fishermen and beachgoers which can unfortunately be destructive to marine life.
“Oceans play several roles on our planet, including regulating the world climate, managing the carbon cycle, supplying living and non-living resources, and providing social and economic facilities and so much more!”
To show the children at her centre what she had done, Jelena had her photo taken while deep under the ocean, holding up a sign that read ‘MercyCare Merriwa’.
“It was my diving buddy’s idea – we were talking about how we can further awareness about importance of keeping the ocean clean,” she said.
“Being the Eco Warrior of my centre at that time, we thought it would be an exciting idea to show this to the children!”
When Jelena returned to the centre the following week to share her efforts, she was greeted with collective awe from the children.
“I got a big ‘wow’ from our children, they wanted me to show them videos of the octopus and other creatures I came across,” she said.
“I could see how excited they were and I heard a lot of ‘we should put our rubbish in the bin and not in the sea’.
“It reminded me why events like World Health Day are important, as it helps people to pause and reflect on how we can give back and build a better future.”
As a proud Eco Warrior champion, Jelena hoped her efforts inspire children to think about their actions and how they can have an impact the environment.
“I believe that even the slightest effort we put in can have a positive impact on our environment,” she said.
“It is amazing to work for an organisation that makes this a priority.
“Children are the future, and by fostering sustainable habits at an early stage, they can grow up and become more aware of environmental issues thus, developing better ways of caring for it.
“At the same time, we instil in them respect, integrity, compassion, justice, excellence and courage which is our MercyCare core values.”
Watch the video of Jelena’s diving experience below!
