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Contact Information
Nirwana Center (Carol's House)
Kampung Buitan
Desa Manggis
Karang Asem 80871
Bali-Indonesia
Tel/Fax: +62363-42029
bali@ihfonline.org
Bali
In Bali, IHF has a well-established education center on the island that promotes the TEP, teaches English and computer classes and serves as a center for religious harmony. On an island almost completely dominated by tourism, IHF hopes to help those who have been left high and dry, they look at what other jobs can be organized that will not depend on tourism and work to train people in those disciplines.
The IHF community center in Bali is located between a Muslim village and a Hindu village. Inside the walls of the center, there are no religious barriers and people of all ages, castes, and religions are free to work, sing, and study together. Currently, 58 TEP students are being helped in Bali. These children are mostly from remote villages with little or no infrastructure.
While the majority of our centers do indeed have orphanages, they are a part of our centers out of necessity. For most children orphanages are not the best option, and I do not endorse them. The children who live at the IHF orphanages have no other good options. In Bali, due to the communal family structures of the Balinese, children have many mothers and fathers to care for them. Some organizations have set up orphanages, but in the majority of these cases the children are taken away from family who dearly love them, but are poor. IHF feels it is better to provide schooling and other needs to these poor children, and allow them to stay with their communal families who love them, as the communal system is a beautiful structure that should not be lost. There are some exceptions, such as children brought to Bali from Java, and other unique situations, but these stories are few and far between, and there are better solutions already in place for those children. At IHF we only provide orphanages when it is the best solution for the children involved.
The children in our Bali communities are part of the V.O.I.C.E.S. program and have helped create some of the products you can find in our store. They have also, as another fundraiser, created a CD of them singing. For more information, or to purchase a CD please contact us by phone 858-449-4404.
Center Reports
Sunday 3rd, August 2008
Tim was working in her international task when David came to the center. David brought a donation from Nylie, one of our amazing volunteers in San Diego. Tim was listing the donations and took the picture for Nylie. Thank you so very much Nylie!!!
Saturday 2nd, August 2008
Kompyang didn't come to the center because of the ceremony in her village. Titim was preparing the material for computer class while Bubud's father helped Titim to clean the garden. Puja and Nengah came to the center in the afternoon to teach English and math classes. We had a cremation ceremony on the beach and the students ran to the beach after classes to watch the ceremony. What a joyful day to see a traditional ceremony in the village.
Friday 1st, August 2008
It's a bit quiet today as we only have computer classes. Titim went to the tax office to send the regular report from IHF Indonesia. In the afternoon Titim started teaching three computer classes from 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock in the evening. It was a wonderful day because some of the children answered the test given by Tim. Tim was working at her international task in early morning and in the evening.
Thursday 31st, July 2008
In the morning Titim was busy with her international task and prepared the material for computer classes. We have teenager students today, and Saturday we have English and computer classes. The computer class was full as some new students registered in IHF classes. We only have two math classes today for elementary level. The children asked Titim if they can come to the center everyday. Wow!
Wednesday 30th, July 2008
We only have computer class today and start at 8 o'clock in the morning when the students came to the class. Our topic today for the computer class is about how to make tables in Microsoft Word. We have two English classes in Pekarangan village every Wednesday and Friday in the afternoons. At the same time we have three computer classes in Buitan village. This was a great day! Titim was working at international tasks in early morning and in the evening after classes.
Tuesday 29th, July 2008
The center was so busy in the morning. Bubud's father started to clean the garden and Titim start working at her international task. Kompyang came to the center and cleaned the house and the classes. The students came to the center at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and Titim taught them to play Sudoku and ludo. Some children were so excited to play and some children watched them. We have the same number of classes as on a Monday. The class finished at 5 o'clock in the evening. Titim gave and extra class after 5 o'clock for teenagers. This is the new class and the children like to get class early even their schedule starts the next day.
Monday 28th, July 2008
In early morning, Nicole was working at her international task. In the mean time Titim was cleaning the center while Kompyang went to a ceremony in her village. Nicole was leaving the center in the afternoon after Titim made a list of her donation. Titim was preparing the material for teaching computer class. We have three computer classes today for elementary level. At the same time we have 3 math classes and 3 english classes. Putu couldn't come today so Nengah took his place for that time. The children learned abbreviations in the maths class and they were so excited when Nengah gave the children the sticker to everyone who did the test properly.
Video
Volunteer Alexandra Brauchli teaching the alphabet at the Bali center
Testimonial from Victoria Kay
My name is Victoria and I have been volunteering as a teacher at the Bali Centre for 10 days now. Bali is a beautiful country with stunning views and a fascinating culture. When I arrived I was made to feel very at home by Mr. and Mrs. Katut and Mrs.Katut has looked after me since to the point that I feel spoilt! The teachers here: Mr. Damai, Miss. Randi and Mr. Puja have all been very friendly and welcomed me into their classrooms and helped to show me the ropes.
The children that come to the centre for English, Mathematics and Computer lessons are of varying ages and abilities and are grouped by their ages. All the children were happy to see me - some were very shy and afraid to speak English to me while others crowded around me asking questions.
I have been able to teach all three subjects while here but I have enjoyed English with the older children the most. Being slightly more fluent than the younger ones I was able to have conversations with them which was very beneficial as they would get practice speaking and listening and when I told them not to rely on their books they really had to think. They seemed surprised at how much English they actually knew. One class of fifteen year olds even came for a two hour lesson on a holiday - pretty dedicated!
Mr. Deni arrived half way through my stay with another volunteer from America, Jewel, who stayed for couple of days before moving on to Kenya. After Jewel left we visited the villages where the TEP children live. The first village we visited was Pekarangan Village where there are three TEP children.
We had about an hours trek up a mountain to visit the first family - a widow and her two daughters. This family was very poor. They had no electricity and no water, their house was made of wood and clay. They had one building to sleep in which simply had two raised platforms in it to sleep on; and one building to cook in which was extremely basic. Her youngest daughter was on TEP while the other daughter worked collecting firewood which she had to carry down the mountain on her head. The mother had a very bad eye that was causing her pain in her head and down the side of her face. There is no free medical attention in Indonesia but fortunately she was able to apply for cheaper medical costs due to her circumstances. Despite her poverty she insisted we take some bananas and wouldn't take no for an answer.
After we left this family we visited the family with the other two TEP children. Again, we were given food and drink and a very warm welcome. I'm amazed at how kind and generous these people where when they have so little. We learnt that the two boys, who were on TEP, have to get up at 5am to walk down the mountain to the village and then another 7km from the village to the main road to catch the bus to school. We had an idea of what it must be like to walk down the mountain at 5am as we left at 7pm and it was very dark and so dry that I fell on my bum a couple of times! I can't believe those boys have to do that everyday for school, along with that the families must walk down the mountain to wash and get fresh water.
The following day we visited Songan Village which was an even longer walk (after a very long drive) up a mountain. It was very dry and dusty and incredibly hot. When we finally reached the top (and got our breath back) we found all the children sitting on the floor in the building they use for a classroom awaiting our arrival.
I must say I got a little bit nervous looking at their expectant faces and my mind went blank but with the help of their new English teacher, Mr. Deni and Mr. Damai we did a very good question and answer session which the children, along with the adults who had gathered around, seemed to enjoy. I met the village head and donated the learning material I had brought with me.
On the way back down the mountain we visited some of the families and their homes. They were very poor - large families with small babies living in tiny huts that had no space to move around in. They too had no water, only what was left from the last rainy season which was incredibly low and incredibly dirty. So again the villagers had an immense walk to get fresh water. The ground was very dry meaning that the farmers could not work. They are all just waiting for the rain to come to they have water to live and work.
I have never seen such poverty before and I'm so glad that I have been able to help at the centre. I have really enjoyed teaching the children and would very much like to continue helping after I leave by trying to raise money to help all the poor people
I have met, and the many more that IHF help, who really need help and support so they can improve the quality of their lives and the future of their children.
I would also like to thank IHF for the opportunity and experiences it has given me - I will never forget it.
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