Somewhere in Timor Leste is a 12-year-old Indonesian girl with an interesting first name — Jacky Deromedi. “I hope she has a real first name now!” the former French senator and real Deromedi says, laughing.
The older lady is the president of the Asian branch of the Fondation Prince Albert II of Monaco. When the branch was first set up over 12 years ago, Deromedi had gone to Timor Leste to oversee a few projects the foundation was supporting.
She helped to build ponds that raised fish to feed families, explained the importance and value of sandalwood trees and why they should not be cut for firewood, and transformed mountain sides into vegetable and rice terraces.
Her actions moved one young mother so much that she named her newborn daughter after Jacky Deromedi.
It’s not just in Timor Leste. Fondation Prince Albert II of Monaco has supported over 720 projects, all of which are dedicated to protecting and improving the health of the planet, in different regions around the world.
In Senegal, the Eclosio non- governmental organisation protects mangroves from human-led deforestation and degradation. In New Caledonia, one of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots, the NGO Noé supports three Borendy nurseries that propagate rare and endangered species. In the Arctic Ocean, Sorbonne University studies the effects of climate change on benthic organisms — marine plants and algae living on the seafloor of polar coastal regions. These are just a few of the many initiatives that the foundation supports.
The latter is especially close to Deromedi’s heart. “The preservation of the ocean is a crucial issue. Threats linked to its changes affect not only the ocean but also the world’s population and economies. Talking about the ocean means talking about health, energy, nutrition, economy, innovation, trade, international security. Responsibly managing the ocean is managing our collective future,” she says.
Deromedi has every reason to worry. The world has been rapidly deteriorating since the foundation was founded in 2006. The 10 warmest years on record have been in the past nine years — 2013 to 2021.
At 416 parts per million molecules of dry air, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest in human history. The ideal concentration is between 280 and 350 parts per million. It is estimated that over 800 million people, or 11 per cent of the world’s population, are vulnerable to being displaced by climate change.
Every step we take can feel like pushing a boulder up a steep hill. Deromedi shares similar sentiments, but remains wildly optimistic. “We must see this green transition as an opportunity to generate new jobs, more profits, and a better quality of life. The world needs to reconnect with nature. We are part of it, not above it,” says Deromedi.
That’s why even after 15 years of running the Monaco Ball in Singapore, she still buzzes with anticipation and excitement when the date approaches. This year, the ball was held on 28 October at the Marina Bay Sands. It’s the fifth time the hospitality giant has hosted the soiree. The gala has also raised over $10 million to support the foundation’s projects.
The money is secondary to Deromedi. “What really matters is that we share the enormous work of the foundation and the commitment of HSH Prince Albert II to preserve the planet and humans.”
Somewhere in Timor Leste, a 12-year- old girl is a shining example of Deromedi’s unstinting efforts.
