Giving Back To Bali

[Roy]

In one way or another, and this is undeniable, most all of us in one way or another have experienced the magic of Bali...either first hand by visiting, living here, or hearing her beckoning calls.

For most of us, Bali gives us something we needed in our lives that was never present before. For each of us, what Bali gives is unique. If you think about it, how is it that so much passion for Bali can be read here, and on lots of other forums too?

I've always believed, and I will always believe that what Bali gives is a gift. And I am equally convinced that this wonderful gift deserves our best efforts to reply.

I think most readers of this forum would agree, that among all the opportunities to help the Balinese, in the end, it's the kids that really capture our hearts.

Their innocence, and their obvious need, cannot pass by any heart made of even the hardest stone. Who can resist them...on the bypass, selling newspapers that are days old, or just asking for a "hand out?"

We all know that while a "hand out" in those situations will likely only lead to a confirmation by them that their way "works," we all know it doesn't.

There are alternatives, and there is one in particular that has caught the attention of my Balinese wife, Ni Nyoman Eri. That is, the Helen Flavel Foundation. Eri's choice for sponsorship can be viewed here, at this URL:
http://www.sundream.com/~majapahit/images/Ni%20Luh.jpg

Ni Luh is only seven years old, the only girl, with three brothers in her family that lives in the mountainous and very difficult to reach area of Sambangan near Singaraja. Her father is only an unskilled laborer, and in her picture here, she is dressed for the first time in a school uniform.
There are three elements of the Helen Flavel Foundation that caught my wife's attention. One, was that virtually every rupiah donated goes directly to the child's benefit, two, that no one in their family can "touch" the funds, and three, that the funds are exclusively for the child's education and welfare.

Blessed with our three sons...a blessing of incalculable proportions among the Balinese, my wife has decided to "adopt" a more unfortunate Balinese girl. Eri's "adoption" of Ni Luh is not a real adoption, but a sponsorship...as Eri is a "Bibi lih" or hidden auntie.

Sometime, when the time is right, we will go to Singaraja, and meet Ni Luh. If it was up to me, we'd go tomorrow. But among Balinese, this sort of thing...adopting, but not really adopting, and the pride of Ni Luh's mother, father, and family is of more concern to my wife than actually meeting the girl who now has a Bibl lih.

Helen has agreed to make it known to Ni Luh, and her family, that she is being sponsored by another Balinese. This "other" Balinese, Ni Luh's "Bibi lih" was also very poor at one time, and worked the sawahs of Bunutan, prayed, and eventually found her opportunity for advanced education.

To put it bluntly, I am "BLOWN AWAY" by all of this...a movement within the Balinese community to commit beyond their own immediate family, Banjar, and unto Bali as a whole. If the Helen Flavel Foundation has my wife's commitment, isn't it worth at least a look from you? Her website is linked below:

http://www.helenflavelfoundation.org/

[surfbear30]

I should introduce myself since this is my first post here. I'm Brant, I grew up in Indo, I go to university in the sf bay area but I got the Bali bug and I'll be back in bali after I graduate, at least for half of every year.
I looked at the website and it's good to hear about people doing things like that. I remember visiting a couple of orphanages with my parents when I was living in Bali, one was run by Catholics and the other one was Hindu. I can't remember where they were because it was so long ago. I remember at the Catholic one there was this awesome painting of "the Virgin Mary ala Bali," which was a picture of Catholic saints but in a traditional Balinese style. Very original.

[Angie]

Roy, Ni Luh's grin really says it all doesn't it? :D

[Roy]

Hi Brant...and welcome to the forum. That painting you mentioned sounds very interesting...but something tells me the saints were not too Bali traditional, i.e. naked from the waist up :!: :D

Good luck with your studies. My wife's cousin from our village went to college in the US and he was soooooooo home-sick. He "stuck it out" and came back with a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology. We are all very proud of Wayan, and he's back teaching gamelan to the young boys in our village.

Angie, yes indeed that smile does "say it all" doesn't it!