Stella’s Child: Empowering Bali’s Youth
For young people, looking for employment in today’s world can be a trialling experience. This is even truer for those who have not benefited from appropriate preparation for what can be a long journey ahead. Stella’s Child is a foundation here in Bali that is addressing this issue, focusing on equipping underprivileged children with the
Well, Well, Well. What’s All This Then?
What is this strange thing called “wellness”? Is it the state of being healthy in body and mind (as a result of deliberate effort), as one definition would have it? Or is it an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing the treatment of diseases, as another definition
The Salt of The Earth: In Praise of Balinese Women
There is never a bad time to show appreciation for the Balinese women. The backbone of the culture and the glue that holds families and lifestyle together, the women of this beguiling island are something to be admired. Text and photos by Jill Gocher (Ayu Sekar) Whether working in the padi fields, carrying bricks to work
East Bali Poverty: Helping People to Help Themselves
Established in 1998 by Englishman David Booth, East Bali Poverty Project (EBPP) is a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the lives of people from the mountain villages in east Bali. Forgotten by time and progress, thousands of disadvantaged people in 19 sub-villages were living in abject poverty without water, sanitation, roads, schools, health facilities
The Magic of Language
Once upon a time in a mystical land some called “The Island of the Gods” there was strange and beautiful language called “Bahasa Indonesia” spoken, and all the brave adventurers who came to this unspoilt island, had to learn this difficult language or face serious consequences. They had to find phrase books, dictionaries and massage
Pride and Perspective: Comparing Scotland to Bali
I have just returned to Indonesia from Scotland for a short trip and once again feel compelled to compare the way in which each country approaches tourism. There are a lot of similarities between Scotland and Bali: each are a small part of a greater country, UK and Indonesia, each are filled with natural beauty,
Saving the Strays
Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) is a non-profit organisation that works to save, protect and improve the lives of all animals in Bali. Founded by Janice Girardi, an American jewellery designer, BAWA is carrying the mission of improving the lives of Bali’s animals through rescue, rehabilitation, education and advocacy. They provide emergency response and rescue,
Have You Heard Of The Spice Islands?
Did you know that part of Indonesia was the fabled “Spice Islands” from the pages of history? No? Well it’s a long and very interesting story of which I can only tell you a small part here. The rest you should find out for yourself. It’s fascinating. Right in the middle of this vast archipelago
A Helping Hand For The Children of Bali
Bali Children Foundation (Yayasan Samiarsa Seminyak) provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in Bali. Working mostly in North and West Bali, the foundation offers education scholarships for over a thousand children at school, about 40 in University and delivers English teaching and Computer studies classes to over 1,500 children in 36 communities. While the foundation
Disturbing Facts
Way back in the nineteenth century an English philosopher called John Stuart Mill wrote an essay called “On Liberty”. This defined the individuals drive for self improvement, their desire to “better their station” in life, as the sole source of true freedom. But he qualified this by saying that these efforts must not impede the
Romance and a Great Holiday
When we are young and single, we sometimes go on holiday to find romance; when we get married, we go on holidays to celebrate romance; when we have been married for ages, we go on holiday to rekindle our romance! Whatever the reason, holidays and romance are inseparably intertwined.
Puspadi Bali: Keeping Bali on the Move
In 1999, Puspadi was founded by Nengah Latra to assist people with physical disabilities in Bali. The foundation runs a program manufacturing and providing wheelchairs and artificial legs from their workshop at the Annika Linden Centre. Currently they have 20 staff, 16 of whom have physical disabilities themselves – with this workforce Puspadi has served
Indonesia: Preserving Tolerance
It may be interesting to try to “explain” Indonesia, and in particular to show how this “improbable” country of 250 million inhabitants distributed over more than 17,000 islands has managed to retain its unity whereas most other multi-cultural countries are threatened by chaos when not in the midst of it. However, in order to continue
