Dive into the legacy of Tatiana and Goumbook, shaping a sustainable future through empowering the community and organisations driving tangible change
The UAE of 2005 didn’t have as vociferous a discourse about sustainability as it does today. Amid a time of development, the recently immigrated Tatiana was able to travel across the seven emirates to explore new and diverse landscapes.
She witnessed “trees grow out of nowhere” and wondered how they survived. And that, among many reasons is the origin story of Goumbook, a leading social enterprise in the UAE dedicated to affecting impact on the climate change front.
Helmed by Tatiana Antonelli Abella, the organisation has worked its way from what was originally meant to be an environmental directory of sorts to now being at the nexus of change, coordinating multiple stakeholders including governmental authorities, organisations and the community to make real change.
“The website initially was a labour of love, but it barely got any visitors, only my friends. Which was when I realised the Westernised mentality back then, that the UAE was just a place to stay for a short time, make money and leave,” says Tatiana.
“The expats at the time didn’t believe they had any environmental responsibility towards the desert, which is when Goumbook decided it was important to connect people to local nature.”
From there came ‘Give A Ghaf’, one of the first initiatives spearheaded by Goumbook. Launched in 2010, the seed and tree planting efforts aimed to raise awareness about the local environment, water scarcity, indigenous plants and trees. And of course, involve the community.
The national tree of the UAE, ghafs are one of the sturdiest plants in the harsh desert climate, which when interwoven with the history and culture of the country make it the perfect choice. As part of the drive, seeds were kept in Goumbook’s nurseries until they reached 50 -100 cm and were safe to be planted.
The seedlings were then given back to the local community to be planted in homes, farms, parks, schools or urban areas where natural shade and greenery are needed.With several successful initiatives now under her belt and many more on the horizon, only two things matter to Tatiana when it comes to championing her next cause.
“There is plenty of news out there about problems across every sphere. When it comes to deciding what we are going to tackle next, we look for issues that could have actual achievable solutions and thereby, impact,” she says.
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The Unisoap UAE campaign is one stellar example of the philosophy. While everyone idly ponders over hotel wastage, Goumbook was able to step up and collaborate with France-based non-profit company Unisoap to collect used soaps and upcycle them into new ones. These were then used to promote hygiene in vulnerable communities alongside increasing employability in the waste sector. The new soap bars were distributed locally to communities in need, sold to families at a subsidised cost, as well as shared with charities.
As a social outfit, one of Goumbook’s strengths remains its ability to remain connected to the grassroots as well as the upper echelons of society. Effectively, they can identify problems in a solution-oriented manner, with ample data to back it up. Arguably the most significant of their efforts has translated into the massively successful MENA Oceans Summit & Exhibition, with the second edition due soon this year.
Evidently proud, Tatiana says, “Being able to launch the first-ever ocean summit for not just the UAE, but the whole MENA region was a big turning point. From experts to scientists and beyond, we were able to bring together an incredible network to discuss an ecosystem that we do not know much about. The oceans here are very different, they have some of the most climate-resistant coral reefs ever, and it’s really interesting to see the conversations around it all.”
It is entirely possible to fill up pages of the profound work undertaken by Goumbook, each one more poignant than the last. With funding not on the agenda however, Tatiana speaks of her fair share of challenges, “I knew I had to do it, but I had to go against a lot of challenges. We barely made money through sponsorships to pay for the renewal of the license every year. Another challenge was no real interest in the region at the beginning. So it was really about having a lot of patience and not getting frustrated that people don’t see this as an emergency when you see it so clearly.”
Fortunately, the tables have more than turned since 2009, with the UAE entering its second Year of Sustainability. For Tatiana, while the first year was about awareness, she strongly believes the second will affect action. Adding to the evolving landscape is Goumbook’s latest, ‘Move for Mangroves’.
Letting us in on it she says, “We’re looking at tapping into the sports industry. The link is very clear, it’s all about being fit, being healthy. But none of these websites and influencers ever make the link to a healthy planet? So the whole campaign will focus on the link between healthy plants and healthy people. We will start mobilising athletes and others to engage with their communities and talk about the importance of preserving nature, focus on planting mangroves globally, not only in the UAE.”
And if history is anything to go by, this is going to be rooted in success too.
For more information, visit goumbook.com
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