Blue Abadi Fund Strengthens Capacity of 10 New Partners in Southwest Papua to Drive Sustainable Marine Conservation in the Bird’s Head Seascape

Sorong, Southwest Papua, June 2026 – The Blue Abadi Fund (BAF) organized a Capacity Building Training for Program and Financial Management for recipients of the Cycle 6 Innovation Grant in Southwest Papua. The workshop was attended by representatives from 10 newly selected partner organizations that will implement various conservation and community empowerment initiatives across the Bird’s Head Seascape (BHS). During the event, BAF, alongside Mr. Elisa Kambu, the Governor of Southwest Papua and a BAF Governance Committee Member, symbolically presented the Cycle 6 Innovation Grants to the 10 civil society organization (CSO) partners who successfully passed the rigorous conservation proposal selection process for the region.

This initiative is part of the Blue Abadi Fund’s commitment to ensuring that every grantee possesses the necessary capacity to manage programs and finances accountably, transparently, and in alignment with good governance standards. With this capacity reinforcement, all programs supported under the Cycle 6 Innovation Grant are expected to run effectively and deliver tangible impacts on marine ecosystem preservation and the socioeconomic welfare of coastal communities.

The Southwest Papua Provincial Government, led by Governor Elisa Kambu, remains dedicated to supporting multi-stakeholder collaboration to maintain the long-term sustainability of natural resources and marine protected areas within the Bird’s Head Seascape.

Ensuring Effective and Impactful Grant Management

Gita Gemilang, Deputy Program Director of the KEHATI Foundation—which serves as the Administrator of the Blue Abadi Fund—explained that the success of a conservation program is determined not only by the quality of the project ideas and field execution, but also by the organization’s ability to manage the programs and resources entrusted to them.

“The Blue Abadi Fund goes beyond providing financial support; we are deeply committed to strengthening our partners' capacities so they can manage programs professionally, transparently, and sustainably. We hope all Cycle 6 grantees utilize this opportunity to build a solid organizational foundation, allowing the resulting conservation impacts to be felt more broadly and over the long term across the Bird’s Head Seascape.”

According to Gita, capacity building is a vital investment that will help partners improve program implementation quality, reporting accountability, and their ability to build future partnerships and ensure program sustainability.

Local Government Support for Community-Based Conservation

Governor of Southwest Papua, Elisa Kambu, expressed his appreciation for the Blue Abadi Fund's efforts in empowering local organizations that actively participate in natural resource management and marine conservation.

““The Southwest Papua Provincial Government fully supports initiatives that strengthen the capacity of local communities and organizations to protect our natural resources sustainably. Training like this is a crucial step to ensure that active conservation programs deliver real benefits to the environment while uplifting community welfare. Strong collaboration between the government, the public, and development partners will be the key to conservation success in the Bird’s Head Seascape.“

He emphasized that sustainable marine and coastal management requires the active participation of all stakeholders so that its benefits can be reaped by current and future generations. He also congratulated the 10 selected partners under the BAF Cycle 6 Innovation Grant scheme, urging the grantees to approach their respective programs with utmost dedication and seriousness.

Partners Prepared to Launch Conservation Programs

Representing the training participants, Charles, Chairperson of the USBA (Unggul Sinergi Byak Abadi) Foundation, stated that the training provided essential readiness for grantee organizations to run their programs in a more structured and responsible manner.

“Through this training, we gained a clearer understanding of program management, grant administration, reporting, and accountable financial governance. This knowledge immensely helps us ensure that every implemented activity delivers optimal impacts for the community and supports conservation efforts in our working areas. We are also deeply grateful today to receive direct support from the Governor, who symbolically presented these BAF grants to all of us. We hope this further fuels our passion to implement our programs successfully."

According to Charles, the capacity building provided by the Blue Abadi Fund serves as vital capital for grantee organizations to strengthen institutional governance while improving the effectiveness of field program execution.

Building the Future of the Bird’s Head Seascape

As a sustainable financing mechanism for marine conservation in the Bird’s Head Seascape, the Blue Abadi Fund continues to drive community-led innovations and initiatives spearheaded by local organizations, indigenous groups, and other key stakeholders.

Through this capacity reinforcement for Cycle 6 Innovation Grant recipients in Southwest Papua, the Blue Abadi Fund expects all partners to implement their programs effectively, strengthen organizational governance, and generate sustainable conservation impacts for both marine ecosystems and coastal communities across the Bird’s Head Seascape.

With enhanced capacity, these partners are envisioned to not only successfully execute their current supported programs but also become agents of change who inspire and expand sustainable marine resource management practices across Papua and Indonesia. For more information regarding the programs and partnerships of the Blue Abadi Fund, please visit the official website at www.blueabadifund.org.