Lestari is a native of
Pramuka Island in the
Java Sea. A keen diver from childhood, she studied
environmental engineering at
Bandung Institute of Technology, graduating in 2017.[2] She is executive director and co-founder of
Jakarta-based Divers Clean Action (DCA)[3] and leads a team of volunteer divers who clear rubbish, especially
plastic waste from the
reefs and recycle what they find.[4][5] Beginning with three people in 2015, the DCA has grown to 12 team members and nearly 1,500 volunteers across
Indonesia.[6][7] Lestari related that diving to collect waste can be dangerous because of the high currents, but that the rapid increase in tourism since 2007 has led to far more trash being dumped into the formerly pristine seas around Indonesia's many islands.[1]
In 2017 Lestari founded the Indonesian Youth Marine Debris Summit (IYMDS).[8][9][10] The same year, she represented Indonesia and spoke at the
2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Bonn,
Germany.[11][2] She also helped initiate an anti-plastic
drinking straw campaign in Indonesia and convinced 700 restaurants to reduce the use of single-use straws.[7]
In 2019, Lestari was listed among the BBC's
100 Women, a list of 100 inspiring and influential women.[12][13] Later that year, she was invited to attend
Barack and
Michelle Obama's 'Obama Foundation Leaders Forum', which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December.[14][15] She was subsequently included in
Forbes' "30 Under 30 - Asia - Social Entrepreneurs 2020".[11][16]
Lestari is a native of
Pramuka Island in the
Java Sea. A keen diver from childhood, she studied
environmental engineering at
Bandung Institute of Technology, graduating in 2017.[2] She is executive director and co-founder of
Jakarta-based Divers Clean Action (DCA)[3] and leads a team of volunteer divers who clear rubbish, especially
plastic waste from the
reefs and recycle what they find.[4][5] Beginning with three people in 2015, the DCA has grown to 12 team members and nearly 1,500 volunteers across
Indonesia.[6][7] Lestari related that diving to collect waste can be dangerous because of the high currents, but that the rapid increase in tourism since 2007 has led to far more trash being dumped into the formerly pristine seas around Indonesia's many islands.[1]
In 2017 Lestari founded the Indonesian Youth Marine Debris Summit (IYMDS).[8][9][10] The same year, she represented Indonesia and spoke at the
2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Bonn,
Germany.[11][2] She also helped initiate an anti-plastic
drinking straw campaign in Indonesia and convinced 700 restaurants to reduce the use of single-use straws.[7]
In 2019, Lestari was listed among the BBC's
100 Women, a list of 100 inspiring and influential women.[12][13] Later that year, she was invited to attend
Barack and
Michelle Obama's 'Obama Foundation Leaders Forum', which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December.[14][15] She was subsequently included in
Forbes' "30 Under 30 - Asia - Social Entrepreneurs 2020".[11][16]