Help us build a Mentawai Cultural Arts Education Centre!

Be a part of this extraordinary project - a community-led vision to establish a Mentawai Cultural Arts Education Centre, safeguarding Mentawai culture for the next generation!

The Mentawai people have a truly remarkable culture and an abundant forest that is protected by their cultural knowledge. For over a decade, the Suku Mentawai Foundation (YPBM) have been working to enable students access to connect with their cultural & ecological knowledge. Small community-driven cultural learning hubs have been established across six villages in Siberut's southern region, educating over 350 students and employing 21 cultural educators and hub coordinators.

In 2024 we were approached by our longterm Mentawai partner (YPBM) to support their vision of establishing a Mentawai Cultural Arts Education Centre on Mentawai’s largest Island, Siberut. Aligning with their mission for the Mentawai community to fortify and protect their cultural knowledge, they believe that this Centre is integral to opening the necessary pathways towards a self-funded future for their Foundation and cultural & ecological education program.

YPBM Chairman, Fransiskus Yan, states: “This Cultural Centre is so important for our future. If we do not take the initiative then our culture will be lost and our children & community will be destined for poverty, or worse, disappear. We have seen a really positive impact here since our program began. Now, we dream of sharing our culture with others, both tourists and other Indigenous communities worldwide. We are looking to the future, knowing that we are becoming stronger every day. This is one step to get us there.”

This centre will be so much more than just a place of teaching. It will be a place for cultural exchange, art, and learning - welcoming both the Mentawai community and visitors from all over the world who are eager to experience and value this unique way of life.

Importantly, this project is going ahead very soon. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of a number of close friends and supporters of Mentawai and IEF, acknowledging Matt and Heather (The Road to Patagonia), Alison (One Health Productions), Jon & Heather (heathermattera), and Liam (GoFundMe), most of the required funding needed to bring this project to life has already been raised.

However, we still need your help to reach the final stages of funding to ensure their vision is achieved without delay. Specifically, we're now raising the final AUD $5,000 to:

•⁠ ⁠Ensure that ownership of this cultural centre and facilities is protected for their community in perpetuity, including legal fees for securing the land under the Suku Mentawai Foundation;

•⁠ Conduct important cultural and customary ceremonies when opening the cultural centre to ensure future protection for the project and all those that use this space; and

•⁠ ⁠Documenting and developing extensive reports to share impact of this project with all our incredible supporters.

As a recognition of the deep gratitude we and others have for your support, Professor Reimar Schefold - Dutch anthropologist whose life's work has been dedicated to the Mentawai people - and his family have kindly offered copies of his incredible publication: Reimar Schefold, Toys for the Souls. Life and Art on the Mentawai Islands. Bornival: Primedia sprl. 222 pp. ill. to those who donate $150 or more (90 copies remaining). This beautiful book offers an intimate look into Mentawai culture and is a wonderful keepsake to honour your generous support.

We look forward to having you involved in this life-changing project. No matter how large or small a contribution, you are a part of a crucial step in protecting Mentawai’s Indigenous culture for future generations.

Donations in Australia are fully tax-deductible. For tax-deductible donations in the US, please donate via our fundraising page here on: Creative Visions

IEF is entirely volunteer-run and with minimal overheads, meaning 100% of your donations reach our partner programs.

Thank you for your ongoing support.