About Us
Who We Are
We’re a group of high school students who care deeply about the Earth. Our mission is to fight climate change, not with fancy machines, but with smart ideas and a love for nature.
In many places, leftover biomass are just burned, which pollutes the air. But we do something different: we turn them into Biochar. This “black gold” is a powerful, natural material that helps the soil and the planet. It doesn’t just cut emissions. It goes back into the soil, helps farmers grow better crops, improves the soil, and stores carbon underground for years. It’s part of something called the circular economy, where nothing goes to waste and everything has a purpose. Better for farmers, better for the Earth, and better for all of us.
David Nathaniel Chung
Founder & CEO
David is a Grade 10 student at Jakarta International School. While he lives in Jakarta, his parents are originally from Lampung. Each time he visits Lampung, he sees something that bothers him: hardworking farmers doing their best with very limited resources, often struggling to get enough fertilizer just to grow their crops.
During his internship with Forest Carbon in June 2025, he also got the chance to visit remote villages in South Sumatera where he encountered similar challenges: poor farming communities, leftover plant waste (biomass) being burned and polluting the air, and limited infrastructure making access even more difficult.
Seeing all this has sparked something in him and got him thinking: What if there is a better way? What if I can help, even just a little?
That’s when he discovered biochar,a natural solution that turns farm waste into something useful for the soil. Inspired by the idea of a circular economy, David is now starting small: experimenting with simple tools, learning by doing, hoping to make a difference (even if it’s small) and dreaming of helping farmers improve their land while fighting climate change.
He may be young, but David believes real change starts with one step, one village, one handful of biochar at a time.
Team Members :
Aranya Surjawirawan
Aranya is a Grade 9 student at Springfield International School. She loves sports, cares deeply about the environment and someone who really doesn’t like plastic. (Just ask her parents, she’s the reason reusable bags are always in the car!)
From an early age, Aranya has always been passionate about protecting nature, keeping the planet clean and green. Whether it’s joining clean-up days or reminding people to turn off the lights, she always tries to do her part.
But what truly excites her is the chance to help both people and the planet at the same time. During a community study week organized by her school, she had the opportunity to visit small farms. She loved walking through the rice fields and feeding the animals, but what left the biggest impression on her was listening to the farmers’ stories, and understanding the challenges they face every day, learning how they grow their crops with limited resources. Since then, she’s always hoped to be part of something meaningful that can really help them. Now, together with her friend David, Aranya is co-founding IndoChar,a fun, meaningful project that turns farm waste into biochar. It’s small-scale, meaningful, and full of hope. Just like her.
Rafael Benjamin Ali
Rafael is a Grade 9 student at Jakarta Nanyang School with a lifelong passion for science and sports, especially soccer. From a young age, he has always been fascinated by how science can be used to solve real-world problems from improving daily life to addressing global environmental challenges.
His curiosity often drives him to explore how simple innovations can make a big difference in creating a more sustainable world.
Through IndoChar, Rafael has the opportunity to apply his curiosity beyond the classroom. He learns how agricultural waste can be transformed into biochar, a technology that not only improves soil health but also supports farmers and reduces carbon emissions. Working with a team of like-minded students inspires him to think critically about how youth can take part in climate action and shape a better future for Indonesia.
