Sari is a young lady with guts. She grew up in Rinca village, avoiding the neighbourhood dragons, which prowled the island. Her childhood was the first introduction to tourists who visited the island. Many times when she played with her friends in the sea, they would be asked for photos and loved meeting these people from all over the world. She left in 2009 to live in Labuan Bajo to further her education. Sari has 3 brothers and sisters, and while she is only 18, she has a strength and character that surpass her years.
Sari joined us Wicked Diving last year as part of the internship programme with tourism school SMKN1 Labuan Bajo. Immediately she was an instant hit with staff and guests alike. Always smiling, chatty and ready to help out, we were excited by her potential. So, what do you do when you find a shining star, just waiting to sparkle? Train her to be a Dive Guide!
Sari has already completed multiple try dives with Wicked, and is an absolute natural in the water. Mask flooded with water, she sits and laughs as she calmly clears it out. Splashing around like a fish, Sari couldn’t be more comfortable in the big blue. In her own words, Sari wants to be the one to introduce our guests to the beautiful underwater world.
This month Sari starts her Open Water course and will continue training all the way to Dive Guide. Training local staff is fulfilling and an essential part of enhancing employment and sustainability within the local community. However, Sari represents something more than this. She will become the FIRST female Dive Guide in Labuan Bajo. We believe she will become an inspiration and role model to many more young ladies in this town. We hope the experiences she can share will level the playing field and show that diving is a job that is open to all! Sari observed a rescue course recently, after watching procedures, the instructor asked, “do you think you can do this?” Her answer, without a blink, “of course!” Sari, we salute you. Thanks for joining the Wicked Diving family.
