Micro-Savings Plan through Mobile Phone Network

[davita]

Davita This is indonesia not Hong Kong or Canada or Scotland or even USA . please adjust your thinking to where you are

I'm very familiar with life in Indonesia Smoke...I first visited Jakarta in 1963 and Bali in 1975. I married an Indonesian in 1987 and visited her family often, sometimes for a month or two. We bought an apartment off plan, in Jakarta, in 2005, and lived with my wife's family until the building was finished in 2007, wherupon we moved in. We bought a villa in Bali 3 years ago and now commute between Bali and Jakarta. However, I much prefer to stay in Bali and find excuses to let my wife go back alone.:eagerness:

No matter where anyone one lives an open-mind is essential. I have lived outside of my own UK environment most of my adult life.... Malaya/Singapore for 6 years, Hong Kong for 16 and Canada/Arizona for 23 years....so I believe I can adjust my thinking to where I'm living and I don't really need anyone to assist me in that matter...thank you anyway.

BTW I've also been to Lombok but didn't think much of it except the potential to develop the south beaches. If you go to live there you might need to adjust!:icon_wink:

 

[davita]

Davita you statement seemed to say that because they could afford a smart phone then they weren't really poor. This would have shown a certain lack of understanding of the true situation IMHO

Then I await your understanding of the true situation markit...otherwise I simply cannot comprehend why you advocate these are extremely poor people but still can afford to buy and upkeep an expensive smartphone.

BTW your obfuscation of the minimum wage doesn't do you credit. Minimum wage is only relevant to each countries cost of living index....that's how it's formulated.

 

[Smoke]

With all your years in asia you must of missed alot of culture.

I go to Lombok regularly to visit my fiances family whether it for one day or five days.
Matter of fact I going today to visit them.

Again it all about culture and absorbing it. I go to a very very poor east lombok timor(not sure if correct)
Yup a basin and a pail is your shower filled up by the nearby streams.

Is this the Lombok you have seen or only the touristy spots in the south by the beaches.
There is so much more to RI then high rise apartments in Jakarta and enclosed villa properties by the jail at hotel K

Maybe get your driver to try a " driving mr.Davita and see bali, learn from its culture,understand its culture.

Enjoy your day going to bule bar .

 

[Markit]

Hmmm this whole conversation seems to have gone of "my" rails a bit - surprise, surprise!

DenpasarHouse thank you for the reminder and I actually agree that if it didn't work out or there wasn't some tangible improvement or benefit above the present work-intensive method then I would just leave it be.

Fact is that if you read around the world a bit you can see how mobile technology has brought unimaginable benefits to many poor communities in the 3rd world. Having time on my hands I thought I would give it a shot and see what comes up.

I've gotten a few good leads and some equally good cautions and I will act accordingly.

Thank you all and Davita if we both live long enough we can visit a course on using our "smart" ass phones together if you'll have me?

 

[Braveheart_shaped_box]

Davita This is indonesia not Hong Kong or Canada or Scotland or even USA . please adjust your thinking to where you are

There's a wee bit of Scotland in East Java, Glen Nevis and Glenmore on the Jember Banyuwangi road. No doubt some of my kinsmen spread their Caledonian seed there in the past sometime.

 

[davita]

Thank you all and Davita if we both live long enough we can visit a course on using our "smart" ass phones together if you'll have me?

I don't know about that markit...I'm still trying to fathom you telling us about the poverty you've witnessed and how you will alleviate that using an expensive phone...never mind how to pay for a course on its use.
I'm imagining people, up to their knees in mud, planting rice, being overjoyed by an email on their smartphone to say their bank rate of interest has increased.:icon_rolleyes:

 

[Smoke]

most handphone service providers allow gratis calls and sms messages in own network so 3000 rupiah can go long way depending on who you call ( what provider they use )

 

[davita]

most handphone service providers allow gratis calls and sms messages in own network so 3000 rupiah can go long way depending on who you call ( what provider they use )

That's great information smoke...so any idea what provider those poor that markit was indicating in his post #6 use...maybe you can find a cheaper alternative for them.

 

[Markit]

This is it for me but Davita if you look around at the people on the street, many/most of them poor at least by out standards, you will see that nearly all of them are proud possessors of "smart" phones - they come in all sizes and shapes now and many are second and even third hand. I personally have brought about 5 here and given them away. It's astonishing how quickly my daughter's circle of friends in the UK go through them and just chuck the old ones in a drawer and forget about them - she's brought an equal number with her too. They change hands here between free and a couple of 100 thou so if you can buy the world in your pocket for that much then even the poorest try to get on board.

 

[Smoke]

davita maybe you can you seem to have the questions and not any help . again get out and smell the coffee.Observe the local people of bali dont relyon your maid or gardener to tell you . go out and see for yourself .Check out the little warung's the little toko's.If you dont want to open your eyes to Bali or Indo thats fine.

 

[davita]

davita maybe you can you seem to have the questions and not any help . again get out and smell the coffee.Observe the local people of bali dont relyon your maid or gardener to tell you . go out and see for yourself .Check out the little warung's the little toko's.If you dont want to open your eyes to Bali or Indo thats fine.

Smoke....with your profound knowledge of Bali you should elect to run for Governor.....oops! sorry you can't...you need to be appointed now.:icon_rolleyes:

I'd love to get out and about but cannot...the roads are jammed with boys having fun driving their motorcycles, with police escorts and sirens blaring, clearing the way.

Btw did I tell you about my recent train ride from Banyuwangi to Surubaya then back to Malang/Lawang/Batu....or my trip to Ambon and Saparua to visit family graves....or my week in Jambi, Sumatra......or yesterday's tasty crispy duck lunch in Warung Europa...or last Saturday at Pantai Lebih for fresh fish?

Alas I don't drink coffee, but am not averse to a Bintang or three.:cupcake:

 

[Markit]

Just to follow up on some new ideas from this thread and let you all know (all those that are dying to find a way to help poor people, anyway) that the world is changing slowly but surely.

Joy Sun: Should you donate differently? | Talk Video | TED.com