Our goal at Developing World Connections is always to serve those most in need. When I first visited Bali in 2009 and toured the orphanages run by our Host Partner Widhya Asih, there was much work to do to make the centers a better place for children to live. Over the past couple of years, their organization has been very successful with other partnerships and very much has changed at the orphanages. Now, we see beautiful new buildings replacing the very worst of the orphanages, and we see the success of so many well thought out programs that are benefiting children and staff.
Although we realize that Widhya Asih will have a continued need to raise sufficient funds to operate their facilities, to our us and volunteers, it appears that their organization is very successful and compared to other countries we work in, the need does not seem as great at Widhya Asih. At several of our other project locations, most children do not even have opportunity to attend school and many are dying at a very young age from disease or malnutrition. They do not have the same opportunity that the fortunate children of Widhya Asih do have.
Because it is necessary for us to continue to focus our energy where the needs are greatest, we have decided it is timely for us to discontinue our partnership with Widhya Asih. This is not a reflection of poor partner relations, but rather that we must contribute where the needs are the greatest. Working with Widhya Asih has been a great pleasure. Our volunteers have enjoyed immensely the time they’ve had in Bali and with the children at the orphanages. Our volunteers have completed various projects, including building a retaining wall around Orphanage II, installing soccer field goal posts, constructing an animal feed facility, helping with construction of the Bangli orphanage, and installing computers and a server system. Our work has created a positive difference in the lives of over 450 children who receive an education, proper nutrition, and safe accommodations from Widhya Asih.
We sincerely thank Widhya Asih for the opportunity to work with them and for the experience provided to our volunteers. We will continue to monitor their work and wish them continued success in the future.
Wayne McRann
Developing World Connections Founder and President
December 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
April 20: Volunteering in Bangli brings a new sense of purpose
The Widhya Asih Foundation is a collection of 7 different orphanages and one office location spread out across the entire island of Bali. Since they are so spread out, we often start our days waking up early for breakfast and then heading out to one of the sites which can be anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours away. I have found this to be a great way to see the whole island even if it is only from a car window as we pass through towns. I would hardly call these drives relaxing though, as these roads have some of the craziest drivers I have ever seen. One of the locations we went to today, Bangli, is still a construction site. They have 25 kids at a temporary site nearby which is an old restaurant that contains two large dorm rooms. The plan is to have the new site up by June and they also would like to at least double the amount of kids they can take in as well. Bangli has quickly gathered a reputation among our group for being the most challenging site you can visit. As much as Bangli is physically exhausting, it is just as much mentally exhausting.
It can be so hard on you because throughout the other orphanages we have been working on the actual site where the children are staying. So no matter how much physical labor we are put through each day, we can all look forward to the breaks where we can hang out with the kids. We can spend time getting to know them, helping them practice English or even going out to a field to play soccer. At Bangli, however, there isn’t any of this - just straight work – and hard work.
At the site there are some workers who point out what they need us to do. The last few days, we’ve carried tile and dirt to the second story of the structure in 95 degree heat. We also learned how to mix concrete….by hand. Since the labor here is so cheap, about $4 per person per day, there is no reason for anyone to buy anything like a belt sander or cement mixer – they have the people do it themselves. This also meant that we were learning to do all these things by hand ourselves as well.
During one of our water breaks, I decided to walk around the place and check it out. In one of the rooms, I came across some pieces of ply wood leaning upright against each other. When I peeked inside, I discovered a pillow and blanket covering the dirt. Not only do these workers only get paid $4 a day to work construction for 8 hours in the heat, they also have to live onsite at night as security guards to keep their supplies protected. We found out later that everyone there does this year round. They move from site to site building houses and live onsite while they are there. It is kind of like being homeless except they have something to do during the day, and at $4 a day, it is a very small step up from living out on the streets.
In another room we come across a baby…yes, an infant. Lying on a piece of wood crying in the middle of the construction site. Her mother was in the shower at the time and her father was working and wasn’t allowed to take a break to tend to his child for even a minute. That for me was when it really hit home. It wasn’t just adult men living here as they work on site, it was families. This has redefined the words poor and needy for me.
Suddenly the break ends and I find myself with a new sense of purpose. The afternoon gets a little bit easier for me to get through because if I am able to do anything at all to help these guys then I am going to do it. If carrying four bags up a flight of stairs at a time instead of three means that these families can get a little extra time off, then that is what needs to be done.
I have really appreciated the time I have had getting to know the other board members and now we all have one major thing that will bond us together…..Bangli.
It can be so hard on you because throughout the other orphanages we have been working on the actual site where the children are staying. So no matter how much physical labor we are put through each day, we can all look forward to the breaks where we can hang out with the kids. We can spend time getting to know them, helping them practice English or even going out to a field to play soccer. At Bangli, however, there isn’t any of this - just straight work – and hard work.
At the site there are some workers who point out what they need us to do. The last few days, we’ve carried tile and dirt to the second story of the structure in 95 degree heat. We also learned how to mix concrete….by hand. Since the labor here is so cheap, about $4 per person per day, there is no reason for anyone to buy anything like a belt sander or cement mixer – they have the people do it themselves. This also meant that we were learning to do all these things by hand ourselves as well.
During one of our water breaks, I decided to walk around the place and check it out. In one of the rooms, I came across some pieces of ply wood leaning upright against each other. When I peeked inside, I discovered a pillow and blanket covering the dirt. Not only do these workers only get paid $4 a day to work construction for 8 hours in the heat, they also have to live onsite at night as security guards to keep their supplies protected. We found out later that everyone there does this year round. They move from site to site building houses and live onsite while they are there. It is kind of like being homeless except they have something to do during the day, and at $4 a day, it is a very small step up from living out on the streets.
In another room we come across a baby…yes, an infant. Lying on a piece of wood crying in the middle of the construction site. Her mother was in the shower at the time and her father was working and wasn’t allowed to take a break to tend to his child for even a minute. That for me was when it really hit home. It wasn’t just adult men living here as they work on site, it was families. This has redefined the words poor and needy for me.
Suddenly the break ends and I find myself with a new sense of purpose. The afternoon gets a little bit easier for me to get through because if I am able to do anything at all to help these guys then I am going to do it. If carrying four bags up a flight of stairs at a time instead of three means that these families can get a little extra time off, then that is what needs to be done.
I have really appreciated the time I have had getting to know the other board members and now we all have one major thing that will bond us together…..Bangli.
Bill McCluskey
Softchoice Board Member and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
April 19: Learning the secret to happiness
I must say the team has done well this past two weeks. We have cold showers each day - something we have all come to appreciate - but honestly when we arrived most of us were grossed out by the conditions. Several toilets don't work - one leaks onto the floor! Our lodgings are functional but nothing to write home about but we have come to appreciate a safe bed to sleep in after a hard days work. But we chose this experience for a reason.
Eating rice and noodles, tempeh, fish or fried chicken - we realize that we are lucky compared to a big chunk of the population but if we are honest we are used to better.
So, here we sit. We expect better. But to see life from the vantage point we have gotten over the past few weeks is incredible. We live privileged lives in North America! To a person we have had our own moments of deep insight. We have become more grateful for our own situation in life.
But, we are taught by the people we meet - over and over again - that the secret to a happy life is not the physical surroundings we live in. We often feel lonely in North America but people here have a smile on their face - they know that life is not an individual sport - human connections give life meaning!
Funny how we learn things from two weeks of cold showers!
Nick Foster
Softchoice Employee and DWC Team Leader
Bali, April 2012
Eating rice and noodles, tempeh, fish or fried chicken - we realize that we are lucky compared to a big chunk of the population but if we are honest we are used to better.
So, here we sit. We expect better. But to see life from the vantage point we have gotten over the past few weeks is incredible. We live privileged lives in North America! To a person we have had our own moments of deep insight. We have become more grateful for our own situation in life.
But, we are taught by the people we meet - over and over again - that the secret to a happy life is not the physical surroundings we live in. We often feel lonely in North America but people here have a smile on their face - they know that life is not an individual sport - human connections give life meaning!
Funny how we learn things from two weeks of cold showers!
Softchoice Employee and DWC Team Leader
Bali, April 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
April 19: What's the measure of a good life?
How do you measure if you have a good life, or if you’re happy? If you asked most North American’s that question, their answers would be all across the board. Perhaps it’s the ability to buy a new car, or graduate from high school or college. Maybe it’s a new house or that boat you always dreamed of.
If you asked me that question, I would probably tell you that I want to make enough money to be comfortable, to go on a nice vacation once a year, and put my kids through college – just like my parents did for me.
Ask that same question to a girl from the Untal Untal orphanage and she would tell you something entirely different. I bet it’s not something materialistic like a new car or shiny boat. She’ll likely answer that it’s the ability to simply go to school and not have to live day to day, not knowing when or where her next meal will come from.
Getting to know Anita...
14 year old Anita is one of those girls. I was fortunate to get know Anita while at Untal Untal. Anita’s family lives north of Bali but couldn’t afford to send her to school. Her parents did what they had to and put her in the orphanage so that she would have the chance of a better life. She loves school and wants to be a doctor or pastor one day. She lights up immediately when I ask her if she likes it at the orphanage; she says yes, she has lots of friends. I ask her if she gets to see her parents regularly but she says no and doesn’t know when she’ll get to see them again.
Bill Taylor sponsors several girls from the orphanage. One girl he sponsors was so malnourished when they found her that they only gave her one month to live. Thankfully, she fully recovered because of the orphanage. She is now the star dancer and musician at Untal Untal.
If you asked me that question, I would probably tell you that I want to make enough money to be comfortable, to go on a nice vacation once a year, and put my kids through college – just like my parents did for me.
Ask that same question to a girl from the Untal Untal orphanage and she would tell you something entirely different. I bet it’s not something materialistic like a new car or shiny boat. She’ll likely answer that it’s the ability to simply go to school and not have to live day to day, not knowing when or where her next meal will come from.
Getting to know Anita...
14 year old Anita is one of those girls. I was fortunate to get know Anita while at Untal Untal. Anita’s family lives north of Bali but couldn’t afford to send her to school. Her parents did what they had to and put her in the orphanage so that she would have the chance of a better life. She loves school and wants to be a doctor or pastor one day. She lights up immediately when I ask her if she likes it at the orphanage; she says yes, she has lots of friends. I ask her if she gets to see her parents regularly but she says no and doesn’t know when she’ll get to see them again.
Bill Taylor sponsors several girls from the orphanage. One girl he sponsors was so malnourished when they found her that they only gave her one month to live. Thankfully, she fully recovered because of the orphanage. She is now the star dancer and musician at Untal Untal.
I can’t imagine a life like that in North America… living away from my parents or making the decision as a parent to send my child off to a place where I may never see him or her again. I can’t imagine finding a girl on the street who is about to die simply because she has no food. I can’t imagine for a second, selling my child to a hotel because it was my only option to help my family to survive.
Every girl we have spoken to has a similar story, and more than willing to share. They speak of it merely as a normal part of life…which is seems to be in Bali. What impresses me the most about them, however, is how nice, outgoing and happy they are. You can’t even tell the hard lives they live or rather the hard lives they once had.
Now, if you asked me what I think would make these girls happy – I believe they would simply want what any other 8-14 year old wants in Bali: the chance to survive and the chance to simply be a Teenager.
James Kessenich
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
April 17: Teaching Word to Exel
Laptop deployment day at Blimbingsari - I learned the true meaning of potential. Sitting doing some typing lessons in Word with a boy named Exel (for real, he's the one in bright green in the photos on the rights), it took just once each, despite the language barrier, for this six year old to learn Caps Lock, Backspace, Enter, and changing the font. They were SO excited to explore these new tools, they could not look away - and yet, when we had to shut them down for the day, they gently closed the laptops, and said thank you. I wouldn't be surprised if Exel wrote his first bit of code this evening...
Nicole Elliott
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Nicole Elliott
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
April 17: Helping Balinese kids...to be kids
Bali has a way of wowing you with the beautiful scenery and the facade that you’re exposed to traveling around the countryside. Not everyone seems poor. In fact, poverty is not as in your face as I expected. As we drove down the roads, we saw small, road-side family businesses, service shops for scooters, and stores selling building supplies and wood carvings.
But we soon realized it’s easy to be fooled. By looking a bit harder – and asking a few more questions, we found what many people don’t see behind the buildings on the strip. We saw dirt paths going through the fields to little shacks where the poorest of the poor live. There is no way to get here by car – only by walking or riding a bike. We noticed children walking out from the fields to the strip, holding platters of fruit to sell on the main road. They bathed in the dirty, field run-off that flows by their shack, and would wait at stop signs to beg for money from passing motorists. One particular image sticks in my mind most was of a little girl holding a baby at the side of the road while begging for money. This left a mark on me, and made me wonder why we were here and how we could ever help…
Last week as we sat at Untal Untal, scraping paint off the walls in the extreme heat, soaked with sweat and just counting down the minutes until we were finished, I heard the sounds of two little boys roaring with laughter while playing a game with Popsicle sticks. It was such a beautiful sound…that of kids just being kids…not having to beg for their next meal or work in the fields to support their family. It’s when I realized… this is why we are here…to help them. To support the amazing people and orphanages that are helping get these children out of their horrible situations. They’re giving them the chance to grow up as kids, to go to school and to make something of their lives.
Untal Untal, the other orphanages, and organizations like Developing World Connections are making a huge difference and we’re fortunate that we get to be a part of it.
Jason van Ravenswaay
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
But we soon realized it’s easy to be fooled. By looking a bit harder – and asking a few more questions, we found what many people don’t see behind the buildings on the strip. We saw dirt paths going through the fields to little shacks where the poorest of the poor live. There is no way to get here by car – only by walking or riding a bike. We noticed children walking out from the fields to the strip, holding platters of fruit to sell on the main road. They bathed in the dirty, field run-off that flows by their shack, and would wait at stop signs to beg for money from passing motorists. One particular image sticks in my mind most was of a little girl holding a baby at the side of the road while begging for money. This left a mark on me, and made me wonder why we were here and how we could ever help…
Last week as we sat at Untal Untal, scraping paint off the walls in the extreme heat, soaked with sweat and just counting down the minutes until we were finished, I heard the sounds of two little boys roaring with laughter while playing a game with Popsicle sticks. It was such a beautiful sound…that of kids just being kids…not having to beg for their next meal or work in the fields to support their family. It’s when I realized… this is why we are here…to help them. To support the amazing people and orphanages that are helping get these children out of their horrible situations. They’re giving them the chance to grow up as kids, to go to school and to make something of their lives.
Untal Untal, the other orphanages, and organizations like Developing World Connections are making a huge difference and we’re fortunate that we get to be a part of it.
Jason van Ravenswaay
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
April 16: Delievering the gift of sight
If you had to prioritize your list of life’s concerns, where would you place your personal health on that list? For many, it’s most likely somewhere near the top. Unfortunately, for many of the Balinese people, life presents so many other concerns that health usually falls to the bottom.
We kept this in mind when we thought about coming to Bali. In addition to the ”Future for 500” campaign, our hope was to reach out the local community in any way possible. Hearing that many of the people don’t have the means to keep their eye sight healthy, we brought with us, several tens of pairs of donated, used, eye glasses and eye charts, in the hopes of helping even just a few.
Angel – a girl from the Utal Utal orphanage – was one of those few we were so lucky to meet, and who was so amazed by our donation. At 16 years old, she has never worn glasses in her life but clearly she needed them. She had difficulty reading from a distance, but like most of the people at Untal Untal, she doesn’t have the means to purchase glasses, even though her eyesight is deteriorating. I wondered how this girl was able to read the black board in the classroom every day.
After trying on many pairs and going through exercises to find the perfect pair, Angel’s eyes lit up. She smiled shyly as the glasses brought her eyes to 20/20 vision! And, even though it seems a bit awkward to be one of the few wearing glasses at the orphanage, she was so happy to be able to see clearly. I told her to make sure she wore them as much as possible. She nodded hurriedly and disappeared in to the hallway with a smile on her face and the glasses clutched firmly in her hand.
Angel wasn’t the only one though. Several of the women and girls went through the same exercises to try the glasses until they found a pair that met their needs. After finding their matches, the woman and girls were so grateful and happy, a couple of them excitedly dashed outside to grab their husbands – who work in the same orphanage – to show them how well they were now able to see!
We were so happy to experience how much happiness that these eye glasses brought to seven individuals at Untal Untal. But, it’s only one of the several more orphanages yet to visit, so we hope to find more “Angels” that need our help as we continue our efforts in reaching out to the local communities.
Hubert Sinniah
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
We kept this in mind when we thought about coming to Bali. In addition to the ”Future for 500” campaign, our hope was to reach out the local community in any way possible. Hearing that many of the people don’t have the means to keep their eye sight healthy, we brought with us, several tens of pairs of donated, used, eye glasses and eye charts, in the hopes of helping even just a few.
Angel – a girl from the Utal Utal orphanage – was one of those few we were so lucky to meet, and who was so amazed by our donation. At 16 years old, she has never worn glasses in her life but clearly she needed them. She had difficulty reading from a distance, but like most of the people at Untal Untal, she doesn’t have the means to purchase glasses, even though her eyesight is deteriorating. I wondered how this girl was able to read the black board in the classroom every day.
After trying on many pairs and going through exercises to find the perfect pair, Angel’s eyes lit up. She smiled shyly as the glasses brought her eyes to 20/20 vision! And, even though it seems a bit awkward to be one of the few wearing glasses at the orphanage, she was so happy to be able to see clearly. I told her to make sure she wore them as much as possible. She nodded hurriedly and disappeared in to the hallway with a smile on her face and the glasses clutched firmly in her hand.
Angel wasn’t the only one though. Several of the women and girls went through the same exercises to try the glasses until they found a pair that met their needs. After finding their matches, the woman and girls were so grateful and happy, a couple of them excitedly dashed outside to grab their husbands – who work in the same orphanage – to show them how well they were now able to see!
We were so happy to experience how much happiness that these eye glasses brought to seven individuals at Untal Untal. But, it’s only one of the several more orphanages yet to visit, so we hope to find more “Angels” that need our help as we continue our efforts in reaching out to the local communities.
Hubert Sinniah
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
April 13: Making memories with the Untal Untal girls
Wednesday night we went to Kuta – a main Bali tourist spot – for a going away dinner for Wayne from Developing World Connections. It was outstanding the difference between here and where we are staying near the orphanage Untal Untal. Immediately everything was more Westernized – lots of nice stores, bars and restaurants. I now know why people who only see this side of Bali think it’s a resort island with noone living in poverty or in need of help. But the group and I quickly learned that the glitz rubs off quickly as you drive more inland to where we’re staying. There’s poverty all around us. Right outside our walls are rice fields with workers sleeping in shantys. The streets are crowded, dirty and loud. There are small store fronts with very few products and garbage piles littering the streets.
The orphanage Untal Untal is a little haven from this world. Even though it is right off the street in the midst of motorcycle chaos, it has a calm created by the wonderful caring of director Tina. She welcomes us every day with a huge smile and her enthusiasm is infectious. These 72 girls are very fortunate to have her.
We have spent three full days working here painting, and things are starting to really look good! Each day we get to know the girls better and we have been learning about their situation and past. It is easy to see why these girls are flourishing at the orphanage. I can only imagine the rough life they would have endured if their families wouldn’t have given them up. Each one is striving to do well in school and be successful in life. I feel bad that they are no longer with their families but they are all so happy where they are now.
In the afternoon the girls had a Balinese dance class which we got to watch. I loved it! The artistry and fluid movement was captivating with complicated sequences and perfected hand placement. It looks like it’s taken the girls years of study to learn. The featured girl is sponsored by Bill Taylor, the head of The Bali Fund. When she first came to the orphanage a few years ago, they didn’t know if she would make it because she was so malnourished. Because of Bill and Widhya Asih Foundation she was given a chance. There are so many more stories like this and these girls just keep me in awe.
Last night after diner, we went back to Untal Untal and had a very rousing night of singing and laughing with the girls. They serenaded us with lots of songs and the Softchoice Cares Board even got up and sang some John Denver…the girls were nice enough to applaud! We realized we need more songs in our back pocket though - we are nothing compared to these girls. It was an uplifting night to be able to hang out and goof around with all of them. They are truly just like girls everywhere else; lots of giggling and with the sweetest personalities. They are so curious and ask all types of questions. I showed them some pictures of me skiing and they were enthralled with all the snow and couldn’t believe people actually play in it! It is definitely something they don’t see in Bali. Afterwards we came home completely energized with big smiles on our face. I can’t wait to go back tomorrow and see them again! It is moments like these that I know this trip was the right decision and we are definitely making a difference.
Karly Pierce
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
The orphanage Untal Untal is a little haven from this world. Even though it is right off the street in the midst of motorcycle chaos, it has a calm created by the wonderful caring of director Tina. She welcomes us every day with a huge smile and her enthusiasm is infectious. These 72 girls are very fortunate to have her.
We have spent three full days working here painting, and things are starting to really look good! Each day we get to know the girls better and we have been learning about their situation and past. It is easy to see why these girls are flourishing at the orphanage. I can only imagine the rough life they would have endured if their families wouldn’t have given them up. Each one is striving to do well in school and be successful in life. I feel bad that they are no longer with their families but they are all so happy where they are now.
In the afternoon the girls had a Balinese dance class which we got to watch. I loved it! The artistry and fluid movement was captivating with complicated sequences and perfected hand placement. It looks like it’s taken the girls years of study to learn. The featured girl is sponsored by Bill Taylor, the head of The Bali Fund. When she first came to the orphanage a few years ago, they didn’t know if she would make it because she was so malnourished. Because of Bill and Widhya Asih Foundation she was given a chance. There are so many more stories like this and these girls just keep me in awe.
Last night after diner, we went back to Untal Untal and had a very rousing night of singing and laughing with the girls. They serenaded us with lots of songs and the Softchoice Cares Board even got up and sang some John Denver…the girls were nice enough to applaud! We realized we need more songs in our back pocket though - we are nothing compared to these girls. It was an uplifting night to be able to hang out and goof around with all of them. They are truly just like girls everywhere else; lots of giggling and with the sweetest personalities. They are so curious and ask all types of questions. I showed them some pictures of me skiing and they were enthralled with all the snow and couldn’t believe people actually play in it! It is definitely something they don’t see in Bali. Afterwards we came home completely energized with big smiles on our face. I can’t wait to go back tomorrow and see them again! It is moments like these that I know this trip was the right decision and we are definitely making a difference.
Karly Pierce
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
April 9: Bridging the digital gap begins today!
After an orientation session this morning the group got rolling on our technology project. The two HP servers were cracked open and the process of creating virtual machines was underway. Kevin O'Neal led the way with Bill McCluskey getting some real world practice.
Tim Taylor and Candice Garner set off to buy some cable and power bars and it ended up taking all afternoon because the van they were driving in had a flat tire. The spare was also flat so the process was a little slower than it should have been. In any case the objective was met so we can begin manufacturing some cable lengths tomorrow.
Eric Gardiner started his project of making a 10 minute video by interviewing Wayne McRann the President of Developing World Connections (DWC). DWC has been our partner on projects ranging from Sri Lanka to Rwanda. Eric is planning on telling the story of why our project is needed at all. Eric and James Kessenich ventured out in to a rice harvest to get some great shots and some perspective on regular working folks.
The rest of the Softchoice crew (Tima Rocha, Catharine Brar, Hubert Siniah, Jason Van Ravensway, Nicole Elliott, Karly Pierce) unpacked the fabulous donations that our coworkers and friends sent with us here and sorted it into the right boxes so that they could be delivered to the right orphanage location. There are seven locations and the children at each are different ages and academic stages. Some of our friends back home have us money and the team went out to buy shampoo, soap and school supplies to supplement the packages.
Kan Choi worked with the office workers gathering requirements for what the database attributes will be so that our beneficiary tracking system has all the right information.
So, a great first day! We are under way representing more than 1100 people at Softchoice and we couldn't be prouder to do so!
Tim Taylor and Candice Garner set off to buy some cable and power bars and it ended up taking all afternoon because the van they were driving in had a flat tire. The spare was also flat so the process was a little slower than it should have been. In any case the objective was met so we can begin manufacturing some cable lengths tomorrow.
Eric Gardiner started his project of making a 10 minute video by interviewing Wayne McRann the President of Developing World Connections (DWC). DWC has been our partner on projects ranging from Sri Lanka to Rwanda. Eric is planning on telling the story of why our project is needed at all. Eric and James Kessenich ventured out in to a rice harvest to get some great shots and some perspective on regular working folks.
The rest of the Softchoice crew (Tima Rocha, Catharine Brar, Hubert Siniah, Jason Van Ravensway, Nicole Elliott, Karly Pierce) unpacked the fabulous donations that our coworkers and friends sent with us here and sorted it into the right boxes so that they could be delivered to the right orphanage location. There are seven locations and the children at each are different ages and academic stages. Some of our friends back home have us money and the team went out to buy shampoo, soap and school supplies to supplement the packages.
Kan Choi worked with the office workers gathering requirements for what the database attributes will be so that our beneficiary tracking system has all the right information.
So, a great first day! We are under way representing more than 1100 people at Softchoice and we couldn't be prouder to do so!
Nick Foster
DWC Team Leader
Bali, April 2012
April 2012: Softchoice Cares 2012 Mission
When the idea of heading to Bali on a philanthropy mission first came up, most of us balked. As members of the Softchoice Cares Board, we represent Softchoice employees in every decision we make. Telling the company we were going to spend two weeks ‘giving back’ in a tropical paradise sounded like a PR nightmare.
So we did what any other responsible board would do, we looked at other projects in other places – in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Kenya. To be truly scientific, we created criteria and weightings and put every option through a formal review process. We looked at the relevance of the mission to our purpose of bridging the digital divide, charitable impact, safety and, yes, the optics of the location. And when all the analysis was done, there it was again: Bali.
Even the most clinical process imaginable can’t remove the emotion inherent in a decision like this. But the more we talked and the more research we did, the more confident we were that Bali was the right mission for Softchoice Cares.
Here’s why.
At an emotional level, we came to appreciate that Bali really is a victim of its own image. Beyond the resorts and the glossy brochures, what most people don’t know is that 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. Getting an education – the one sure way to break the cycle – requires tuition fees which forces poor families with more than one child to make a decision most of us can’t imagine: choosing which child to send to school. As we learned, if you’re a girl, odds are it won’t be you. In the worst case scenarios, girls as young as 12 end up being sold off as second or third wives or even more tragically, into the sex trade.
But the biggest reason for choosing Bali was impact. The Widhya Asih Foundation (WAF) – the focus of our efforts – is an organization that supports roughly 500 orphaned children across seven different locations. They manage their operations, including all government-mandated reporting and record keeping, without any IT infrastructure whatsoever. We saw the potential to drive transformative change by providing a server and database software that will allow WAF to centralize their records management processes. Beyond the efficiencies this will create, it will also serve as a valuable training ground as local staff acquaint themselves with the basics of data entry.
The second project will be to set up a new computer training facility to enrich the educational experience for the 500 children WAF supports. The impact here is significant. High school graduates who are computer literate can earn good salaries, or go on to higher education. That’s how you break the cycle of poverty. And that’s the goal of this mission: to use technology to create a better future for 500 children.
With so much need in the world, choosing a mission like this or even which charity to support can be a political and emotional mine-field. But more than any QFD, RFP or voting process you might put in place, being clear on your purpose and how you can make the biggest impact possible is the most important thing. For Softchoice that’s all about technology. And for our 2012 mission, Bali is the place where we’ll make the biggest difference.
Eric Gardiner
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
So we did what any other responsible board would do, we looked at other projects in other places – in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Kenya. To be truly scientific, we created criteria and weightings and put every option through a formal review process. We looked at the relevance of the mission to our purpose of bridging the digital divide, charitable impact, safety and, yes, the optics of the location. And when all the analysis was done, there it was again: Bali.
Even the most clinical process imaginable can’t remove the emotion inherent in a decision like this. But the more we talked and the more research we did, the more confident we were that Bali was the right mission for Softchoice Cares.
Here’s why.
At an emotional level, we came to appreciate that Bali really is a victim of its own image. Beyond the resorts and the glossy brochures, what most people don’t know is that 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. Getting an education – the one sure way to break the cycle – requires tuition fees which forces poor families with more than one child to make a decision most of us can’t imagine: choosing which child to send to school. As we learned, if you’re a girl, odds are it won’t be you. In the worst case scenarios, girls as young as 12 end up being sold off as second or third wives or even more tragically, into the sex trade.
But the biggest reason for choosing Bali was impact. The Widhya Asih Foundation (WAF) – the focus of our efforts – is an organization that supports roughly 500 orphaned children across seven different locations. They manage their operations, including all government-mandated reporting and record keeping, without any IT infrastructure whatsoever. We saw the potential to drive transformative change by providing a server and database software that will allow WAF to centralize their records management processes. Beyond the efficiencies this will create, it will also serve as a valuable training ground as local staff acquaint themselves with the basics of data entry.
The second project will be to set up a new computer training facility to enrich the educational experience for the 500 children WAF supports. The impact here is significant. High school graduates who are computer literate can earn good salaries, or go on to higher education. That’s how you break the cycle of poverty. And that’s the goal of this mission: to use technology to create a better future for 500 children.
With so much need in the world, choosing a mission like this or even which charity to support can be a political and emotional mine-field. But more than any QFD, RFP or voting process you might put in place, being clear on your purpose and how you can make the biggest impact possible is the most important thing. For Softchoice that’s all about technology. And for our 2012 mission, Bali is the place where we’ll make the biggest difference.
Eric Gardiner
Softchoice Employee and DWC Participant
Bali, April 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
March 17: Final celebrations and farewells
Friday was our last day in Blimbingsari. It was an overcast day with lots of wind which certainly made the heat more bearable but I also think that we're finally becoming more accustomed to it. We spent the morning "at home" in Negara getting ourselves ready for our departure on Saturday. Pre-packing and just general chilling. Our little group will start to slowly dwindle over then next few days.
We arrived at the orphanage at about 2:00 in the afternoon just in time to accompany the children on a walk around the block. Quite the block. It was a lovely walk looking at the local houses (greeted by all the dogs) and generally enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the serenity of it all - when there we no motor scooters around. The work site is quiet today, no sign of the workers and the rest of the day was peaceful, spending time with the children and generally relaxing. A full roast pig arrived about 6:00 and dinner began shortly afterwords. The entire orphanage assembled; children, staff, workers and their families and our team. The children sang a couple of songs in the form of a round (like row, row, row your boat) with each side obviously competing against the other. It was very rousing and exciting performance, they were obviously having great fun with it. Soon Wayan invited our Team Leader, Tom to make the first ceremonial cut into the pig. We all ate very heartily.
The rest of the evening will be etched in our minds forever, I'm sure. All the musicians and dancers in the orphanage were dressed in traditional Balinese dress for an evening of music and dance. It was just BEAUTIFUL! The children performed with such grace and poise and obvious enjoyment, even while taking it all so seriously, that they left us stunned. When they were in costume they were so quiet and peaceful and respectful that you could tell that it was a very special experience for them to hold such a performance. Yet at the same time there was so much fun and enjoyment in the process. These are happy and loving children. It's impossible to describe what an impact it had on us (I feel myself on the verge of tears just writing this). When the final solo dancer had finished, bringing each of us onto the floor in turn, Wayan asked us to line up in front of the group and asked 10 of the children to line up facing us. The children, in turn, gave each of us a hand made bracelet, a necklace, a handshake and a big hug. It was too special a moment to describe. The festivities over, we broke out the 2 tubs of ice cream that we had purchased earlier in the day - enough to give everyone at least one cone. Gaspar, of course, managed to sneak a second one. And then, all too quickly we found ourselves in the vans and bidding our reluctant farewells. It was a sobering moment but one filled with a sense of satisfaction and love. Many of us found it quite difficult to fall asleep that evening.
That's all for now.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
We arrived at the orphanage at about 2:00 in the afternoon just in time to accompany the children on a walk around the block. Quite the block. It was a lovely walk looking at the local houses (greeted by all the dogs) and generally enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the serenity of it all - when there we no motor scooters around. The work site is quiet today, no sign of the workers and the rest of the day was peaceful, spending time with the children and generally relaxing. A full roast pig arrived about 6:00 and dinner began shortly afterwords. The entire orphanage assembled; children, staff, workers and their families and our team. The children sang a couple of songs in the form of a round (like row, row, row your boat) with each side obviously competing against the other. It was very rousing and exciting performance, they were obviously having great fun with it. Soon Wayan invited our Team Leader, Tom to make the first ceremonial cut into the pig. We all ate very heartily.
The rest of the evening will be etched in our minds forever, I'm sure. All the musicians and dancers in the orphanage were dressed in traditional Balinese dress for an evening of music and dance. It was just BEAUTIFUL! The children performed with such grace and poise and obvious enjoyment, even while taking it all so seriously, that they left us stunned. When they were in costume they were so quiet and peaceful and respectful that you could tell that it was a very special experience for them to hold such a performance. Yet at the same time there was so much fun and enjoyment in the process. These are happy and loving children. It's impossible to describe what an impact it had on us (I feel myself on the verge of tears just writing this). When the final solo dancer had finished, bringing each of us onto the floor in turn, Wayan asked us to line up in front of the group and asked 10 of the children to line up facing us. The children, in turn, gave each of us a hand made bracelet, a necklace, a handshake and a big hug. It was too special a moment to describe. The festivities over, we broke out the 2 tubs of ice cream that we had purchased earlier in the day - enough to give everyone at least one cone. Gaspar, of course, managed to sneak a second one. And then, all too quickly we found ourselves in the vans and bidding our reluctant farewells. It was a sobering moment but one filled with a sense of satisfaction and love. Many of us found it quite difficult to fall asleep that evening.
That's all for now.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
March 15: Our last few days on the project
Well, Wednesday was a pretty quiet day. Rina stayed back of the hotel to nurse a sore hip. No, she didn't hurt herself on the job site - she slipped coming in from the hotel pool in a downfall of rain. All that was left of the gravel was a small pile for making concrete. We cleaned that up in about half an hour or so. That seems to be the end of the gravel - whew! The local workers were just finishing off a couple of rows of bricks (with Jerry helping) and preparing forms to pour the posts. Once the forms were in place we all jumped in to help hump cement up to the workers on the scaffolding (such as it is). I think they were slightly overwhelmed by how quickly the pails of concrete were being replenished. It was soon time for a brick (Balinese pronunciation of break). "Brick time" has become our new catch phrase. When the forms for the top beams were in place we formed a human chair to snake the "rebar" in place. It was kind of fun. Once that was done there really wasn't too much more for us to do. Some of the staff from the orphanage's head office in Denpasar came by to visit us on their way to visit another orphanage. That socializing killed quite a bit of time and soon lunch was being served.
After lunch I headed off down the road to have a nice quiet rest in a bale on the church grounds. A bale is a small raised platform covered with a pitched roof for shade. You see them all over the place in backyards, at the side of the road, used as bus stops - virtually anywhere. While I was resting the fun began back at the orphanage. The boys were playing football (soccer to us) with balls and jerseys donated by a good friend of Developing World Connections from Vancouver. They are all pretty darned good players. On one level the game was a ruse to keep the boys from noticing that the girls were having a ball on the reconstructed water slide. Soon the boys were anxious to have their go on the slide and so it was. The boys just went wild. Soon the end of the slide was a mud wallow and the boys slid way beyond the end. Boys and girls are the same all over the world, it seems. Having finished their time on the slide the girls broke out the shampoo and turned the event into an impromptu shower and a good opportunity to wash their hair. The boys, on the other hand, relished the chance to get down and dirty and just wallow in the mud.
Back to the hotel for pool and Bintang (do you sense a theme here?). We went off to the Palem restaurant for dinner again tonight. It's become our favorite but ordering from the menu is sometimes a bit of a crap shoot. You don't always get what you think you ordered. Ayam Fillet soas Lemon is usually a safe bet for those less adventuresome eaters in the crowd, like me.
Thursday morning and Rina is back in action! She won't be running any wheelbarrow loads though - the hip is still slightly sore. Truth is there are no wheelbarrow loads to be moved. Thursday proves to be even quieter than Wednesday was. The building work is now pretty much in the hands of the workers as there's not much we can do to help with building the forms etc. Their methods are unusual and innovative, to say the least. I'm busy working on the blog, Susan & Lynn were getting Balinese dance lessons from one of the younger girls, Rina and Cheryl went for a walk, Pat is busy somewhere and Wayan has taken Tom and Gino over to the orphanage in Melaya to "divine" for water. Tom has been doing this for years and tries to teach someone in each community he visits how to do it also. Finding water is always a useful skill.
It's been a quiet and peaceful morning and probably very Balinese in its tone but I sense that all us North Americans are feeling slightly guilty about not "pulling our weight" on the job site. Maybe this is our chance to slow down and learn to really enjoy the time we have left in Bali.
After lunch our "girls" organized another craft session for the kids. They have been working on this for days, organizing the materials, making sure there are enough pencils, glue etc. As expected some chaos ensued but all seems to have had a great time. These kids are very artistic.
We learned, this morning, that the gardener's brother died last night. We will be finishing our day a little early so that the staff can attend the funeral this afternoon. Another quieting moment. Tomorrow, Friday, is our last day. We are happy that the hard work is over but will miss the children and the happy routine of the peaceful lifestyle at the orphanage. Big things are planned for tomorrow but you'll have to wait, as so do we.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
After lunch I headed off down the road to have a nice quiet rest in a bale on the church grounds. A bale is a small raised platform covered with a pitched roof for shade. You see them all over the place in backyards, at the side of the road, used as bus stops - virtually anywhere. While I was resting the fun began back at the orphanage. The boys were playing football (soccer to us) with balls and jerseys donated by a good friend of Developing World Connections from Vancouver. They are all pretty darned good players. On one level the game was a ruse to keep the boys from noticing that the girls were having a ball on the reconstructed water slide. Soon the boys were anxious to have their go on the slide and so it was. The boys just went wild. Soon the end of the slide was a mud wallow and the boys slid way beyond the end. Boys and girls are the same all over the world, it seems. Having finished their time on the slide the girls broke out the shampoo and turned the event into an impromptu shower and a good opportunity to wash their hair. The boys, on the other hand, relished the chance to get down and dirty and just wallow in the mud.
Back to the hotel for pool and Bintang (do you sense a theme here?). We went off to the Palem restaurant for dinner again tonight. It's become our favorite but ordering from the menu is sometimes a bit of a crap shoot. You don't always get what you think you ordered. Ayam Fillet soas Lemon is usually a safe bet for those less adventuresome eaters in the crowd, like me.
Thursday morning and Rina is back in action! She won't be running any wheelbarrow loads though - the hip is still slightly sore. Truth is there are no wheelbarrow loads to be moved. Thursday proves to be even quieter than Wednesday was. The building work is now pretty much in the hands of the workers as there's not much we can do to help with building the forms etc. Their methods are unusual and innovative, to say the least. I'm busy working on the blog, Susan & Lynn were getting Balinese dance lessons from one of the younger girls, Rina and Cheryl went for a walk, Pat is busy somewhere and Wayan has taken Tom and Gino over to the orphanage in Melaya to "divine" for water. Tom has been doing this for years and tries to teach someone in each community he visits how to do it also. Finding water is always a useful skill.
It's been a quiet and peaceful morning and probably very Balinese in its tone but I sense that all us North Americans are feeling slightly guilty about not "pulling our weight" on the job site. Maybe this is our chance to slow down and learn to really enjoy the time we have left in Bali.
After lunch our "girls" organized another craft session for the kids. They have been working on this for days, organizing the materials, making sure there are enough pencils, glue etc. As expected some chaos ensued but all seems to have had a great time. These kids are very artistic.
We learned, this morning, that the gardener's brother died last night. We will be finishing our day a little early so that the staff can attend the funeral this afternoon. Another quieting moment. Tomorrow, Friday, is our last day. We are happy that the hard work is over but will miss the children and the happy routine of the peaceful lifestyle at the orphanage. Big things are planned for tomorrow but you'll have to wait, as so do we.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
March 13: Beautiful sights, hard work and a visit to Melaya Orphanage
Well, Monday was quite the day. It's been the first sunny day since we've been at the orphanage. Although hotter today, everything just seemed to come alive. The foliage is stunning, it glitters and shimmers in the bright sunlight. The roosters are crowing more often, the hens are clucking like crazy, the ducks - well, what a cacophony. Even the pigs seemed to be grunting more. Speaking of pigs there was a new litter born just yesterday so we all had to go down and greet the new arrivals. The children also seemed noisier at lunchtime today. The sunshine seems to give the place new life. Only the dogs seemed unaffected. They just laid in the shade and slept as usual, only rousing themselves to bark when a car or scooter arrives in the driveway. They are the doorbells of the orphanage. The grounds looked just spectacular all day.
The work today was much like Friday - move the rubble pile to the build site. I have a sinking feeling that the rubble pile runs into the next county but it's marginally easier than moving that 4" down gravel. It was hotter work in the sun than before but somehow seems more satisfying today. Thankfully the path is mostly downhill. Pat, as usual, is putting us all to shame by spending hours bent over in the gardens weeding and planting. I don't know how she stands the heat of the sun and that bent-over working position.
We left the orphanage shortly after lunch to stop at a sister orphanage not far away. That orphanage Widhya Asih V in Malaya (ours is Widhya Asih II in Blimbingsari). It is for older children aged between 13 and 19 years old. Our arrival was greeted with great enthusiasm. What seemed like hundreds of children seemed to appear from everywhere, all wanting to shake our hands and ask us "What is you name?, My name is .... Nice to meet you." They became slightly perplexed when we asked the question first. They had to stop and think about where they were in the sequence of the exchange. Some of them spoke quite good English. They all assembled nicely for a welcoming message from the Orphanage Director Frankie, and gave us a short concert on the gamelan along with a Balinese dance, the chicken dance. No! Nothing like our chicken dance. Then we were each surrounded by a small retinue of young people eager and proud to show us their home. It was a remarkable and enjoyable experience.
Tuesday brought another overcast day. Thankfully we seem to be finished with the rubble pile. I spent most of the day working with the local workers. The walls are getting higher and as I'm taller than they are it seemed logical that I be the one to pass the bricks and lolu (mortar) to the brick layers up on the scaffolding. The others were obliged with 2 new piles of gravel. This time, though, it is clean, screened gravel much easier to shovel if not to carry in the wheelbarrow. The children here are becoming increasingly at ease with us and they seem to be interested in everything we do. Especially the younger ones who don't go to school yet and so are here with us all day. I'm being closely "assisted" as I write this. Lunch today was a particular hit with the seafood lovers in the crowd. Jumbo prawns - Rina said there were the best she's ever had. After lunch, an impromptu concert for another visiting group, our crafting project will have to wait for another day. Oh well, off to the pool and Bintang!
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
The work today was much like Friday - move the rubble pile to the build site. I have a sinking feeling that the rubble pile runs into the next county but it's marginally easier than moving that 4" down gravel. It was hotter work in the sun than before but somehow seems more satisfying today. Thankfully the path is mostly downhill. Pat, as usual, is putting us all to shame by spending hours bent over in the gardens weeding and planting. I don't know how she stands the heat of the sun and that bent-over working position.
We left the orphanage shortly after lunch to stop at a sister orphanage not far away. That orphanage Widhya Asih V in Malaya (ours is Widhya Asih II in Blimbingsari). It is for older children aged between 13 and 19 years old. Our arrival was greeted with great enthusiasm. What seemed like hundreds of children seemed to appear from everywhere, all wanting to shake our hands and ask us "What is you name?, My name is .... Nice to meet you." They became slightly perplexed when we asked the question first. They had to stop and think about where they were in the sequence of the exchange. Some of them spoke quite good English. They all assembled nicely for a welcoming message from the Orphanage Director Frankie, and gave us a short concert on the gamelan along with a Balinese dance, the chicken dance. No! Nothing like our chicken dance. Then we were each surrounded by a small retinue of young people eager and proud to show us their home. It was a remarkable and enjoyable experience.
Tuesday brought another overcast day. Thankfully we seem to be finished with the rubble pile. I spent most of the day working with the local workers. The walls are getting higher and as I'm taller than they are it seemed logical that I be the one to pass the bricks and lolu (mortar) to the brick layers up on the scaffolding. The others were obliged with 2 new piles of gravel. This time, though, it is clean, screened gravel much easier to shovel if not to carry in the wheelbarrow. The children here are becoming increasingly at ease with us and they seem to be interested in everything we do. Especially the younger ones who don't go to school yet and so are here with us all day. I'm being closely "assisted" as I write this. Lunch today was a particular hit with the seafood lovers in the crowd. Jumbo prawns - Rina said there were the best she's ever had. After lunch, an impromptu concert for another visiting group, our crafting project will have to wait for another day. Oh well, off to the pool and Bintang!
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
March 11: Our weekend excursions...
The weekend is here - NO GRAVEL!! Our first day off finds us getting up for breakfast as usual at 7:00am - no sleeping in, but we're all keen and raring to go - snorkeling, that is. We were expecting alternate drivers this morning as the wedding is today, however Wayan and our other regular driver appeared to take us to the snorkeling site at Menjangan Island (Deer Island). Wayan and his team have been remarkably generous and helpful with their time. We really didn't expect to see them this morning.
We have found many things here that have amazed and fascinated us but a common theme keeps arising - traffic! At times it's absolutely unbelievable. This morning, on the way to Menjangan Island we were trucking along a bit of a bend in the road, a slight hill and a solid line on the road. We looked up to see a huge truck coming towards us in his lane and a bus (Greyhound size) coming straight at us in our lane, we squeezed over, and I mean squeezed, to allow him by only to find 5 more of the same size buses, interspersed with various and sundry scooters, motorbikes & cars, following right behind. Nobody stopped, everyone kept moving. The only thing out of the ordinary was that no scooters were passing us on the inside! I've come to believe that the Balinese (and now us) are part feline. They/we must have 9 lives. I'm afraid there aren't too many left. I've also figured out the rules of the road here. Drive on the center line, keep no more than 18-24 inches away from the vehicle in front of you, pass other vehicles at every possible opportunity and scuttle over to your own lane only when absolutely necessary. Not much snoozing in the van!
Once we got to the site we arranged for the boat ride to island and rented snorkeling gear, surprisingly good quality gear. We headed off in two boats with two guides. The skies were quite overcast and that combined with the ocean breezes made it the most comfortable day we have had so far. As soon as we docked we were greeted with the sight of a deer grazing near the beach completely unfazed by our presence. Soon we were in the water gliding over the reef surrounded by gorgeous fish. Dale and Gino are seasoned snorkelers, Lynn, Tom and Pat have had some experience and Jerry and I haven't snorkeled since we were in our early teens. Rina and Cheryl were the newbies. The guides were terrific, holding the girls' hands and guiding them along. It was a fabulous experience. In Rina's words "Boat ride to Deer Island: 155,000 Rupiah ($17); snorkeling gear rental: 40,000 Rupiah ($4.50); the experience and a guide to hang onto: priceless. Totally against Balinese culture, Rina gave the guide a kiss on the cheek when she returned to shore.
During our picnic lunch on the beach we noticed 6 or 8 boats arrive full of Hindu people all dressed in their finest. We were curious to know what was going on. We had about an hour to kill before to boats headed back so Dale and Gino went off snorkeling again while some of the rest of us decided to explore along the path that the Hindus had taken. We came across a small outdoor temple where a Hindu ceremony was taking place. After a short and respectful pause to watch the ceremony we continued along the path. We found ourselves at the head of the procession going to the next temple. At that temple there was a group of 3 large deer sitting just outside the gates. The worshipers quickly whipped out their cell phones and cameras to take pictures of the deer before heading into the temple. Tourists, just like us! We were told that we couldn't go further down the path (I think we weren't dressed appropriately) so we turned back. Jerry and I stopped again at the first temple to watch the ceremony with another group of worshipers. We lingered quite a while and were quite moved by the experience especially the chanting.
Time for the return to the mainland. The ride was choppier and we got wetter but neither Lynn nor Rina had any motion sickness problems. Then back to the hotel for pool and Bintang. Dinner at the local Muslim restaurant was interesting but not outstanding - oh well!
Sunday found us all sleeping in and then heading off in different directions. Not surprisingly we all bumped into each other in downtown Negara shopping at the only large supermarket but also exploring lots of smaller shops and the outdoor "everything" market. Lynn and Dale managed to take the pony taksi in both directions but I pity the poor pony - Dale is bigger than I am. I bet the pony was running on 2 legs not 4.
Guess what? Back to the hotel for pool and Bintang! A bunch of us spent some time preparing craft projects for the kids next week. All in all, a lovely relaxing day was had by all. Back to the gravel tomorrow morning.
Talk to you soon.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
We have found many things here that have amazed and fascinated us but a common theme keeps arising - traffic! At times it's absolutely unbelievable. This morning, on the way to Menjangan Island we were trucking along a bit of a bend in the road, a slight hill and a solid line on the road. We looked up to see a huge truck coming towards us in his lane and a bus (Greyhound size) coming straight at us in our lane, we squeezed over, and I mean squeezed, to allow him by only to find 5 more of the same size buses, interspersed with various and sundry scooters, motorbikes & cars, following right behind. Nobody stopped, everyone kept moving. The only thing out of the ordinary was that no scooters were passing us on the inside! I've come to believe that the Balinese (and now us) are part feline. They/we must have 9 lives. I'm afraid there aren't too many left. I've also figured out the rules of the road here. Drive on the center line, keep no more than 18-24 inches away from the vehicle in front of you, pass other vehicles at every possible opportunity and scuttle over to your own lane only when absolutely necessary. Not much snoozing in the van!
Once we got to the site we arranged for the boat ride to island and rented snorkeling gear, surprisingly good quality gear. We headed off in two boats with two guides. The skies were quite overcast and that combined with the ocean breezes made it the most comfortable day we have had so far. As soon as we docked we were greeted with the sight of a deer grazing near the beach completely unfazed by our presence. Soon we were in the water gliding over the reef surrounded by gorgeous fish. Dale and Gino are seasoned snorkelers, Lynn, Tom and Pat have had some experience and Jerry and I haven't snorkeled since we were in our early teens. Rina and Cheryl were the newbies. The guides were terrific, holding the girls' hands and guiding them along. It was a fabulous experience. In Rina's words "Boat ride to Deer Island: 155,000 Rupiah ($17); snorkeling gear rental: 40,000 Rupiah ($4.50); the experience and a guide to hang onto: priceless. Totally against Balinese culture, Rina gave the guide a kiss on the cheek when she returned to shore.
During our picnic lunch on the beach we noticed 6 or 8 boats arrive full of Hindu people all dressed in their finest. We were curious to know what was going on. We had about an hour to kill before to boats headed back so Dale and Gino went off snorkeling again while some of the rest of us decided to explore along the path that the Hindus had taken. We came across a small outdoor temple where a Hindu ceremony was taking place. After a short and respectful pause to watch the ceremony we continued along the path. We found ourselves at the head of the procession going to the next temple. At that temple there was a group of 3 large deer sitting just outside the gates. The worshipers quickly whipped out their cell phones and cameras to take pictures of the deer before heading into the temple. Tourists, just like us! We were told that we couldn't go further down the path (I think we weren't dressed appropriately) so we turned back. Jerry and I stopped again at the first temple to watch the ceremony with another group of worshipers. We lingered quite a while and were quite moved by the experience especially the chanting.
Time for the return to the mainland. The ride was choppier and we got wetter but neither Lynn nor Rina had any motion sickness problems. Then back to the hotel for pool and Bintang. Dinner at the local Muslim restaurant was interesting but not outstanding - oh well!
Sunday found us all sleeping in and then heading off in different directions. Not surprisingly we all bumped into each other in downtown Negara shopping at the only large supermarket but also exploring lots of smaller shops and the outdoor "everything" market. Lynn and Dale managed to take the pony taksi in both directions but I pity the poor pony - Dale is bigger than I am. I bet the pony was running on 2 legs not 4.
Guess what? Back to the hotel for pool and Bintang! A bunch of us spent some time preparing craft projects for the kids next week. All in all, a lovely relaxing day was had by all. Back to the gravel tomorrow morning.
Talk to you soon.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, March 2012
March 9: Gravel, pancakes and slip and slide fun
We were picked up promptly at 8:00am as planned, but Wayan decided to take us to work via the scenic route. Taking a round-about route to the orphanage, we drove, first through a Hindu neighborhood and then into the Catholic neighborhood to see the Catholic cathedral, certainly not what cathedrals look like at home or in Europe but very interesting. There are 3 primary neighborhoods in this area. Our orphanage is located in the Protestant area, there is another orphanage in the Catholic area, but I don't know if there is one in the Hindu area. Apparently the communities get along very well together. From there we went on to the local dam and reservoir. This was better than it might seem at first. There area was stunningly beautiful with mountains in the background and terraced rice fields opposite. The reservoir provides irrigation for the rice fields.
When we finally arrived at the orphanage (to the mild dismay of Nenden, the assistant director - she was worried, she hadn't known that we were stopping along the way) we noticed that 2 loads of sand had been delivered since the previous day. The lack of a new pile of gravel was gratifying but our relief was short-lived. Not 10 minutes later a new load miraculously appeared. Heard of quarter-down gravel? Well, this is more like 4" down!! We got to work humping the gravel down to the work site. After buckets of sweat and numerous rests and spelling each other off, the pile had disappeared. As we rested in the shade, patting each other on the back for our great morning's work the gravel truck arrived with a new load - RATS! We sat and watched in amazement as the crew (a middle aged woman & a younger male sidekick) unloaded the whole truck in bare feet with shovels in about 15 minutes, never stopping for a rest. Had we tried to help we would have slowed them down and been in their way. Talk about feeling humbled! Luckily, after a few wheel barrow loads, it was time for lunch - whew.
After lunch some of us continued to move gravel while others spent some time with the children talking about things Canadian and explaining where Canada was in relation to Bali. Lynn had brought several small rubber globes and we made a game of finding Canada and Bali on them. Stick-on Canadian flags adorned virtually all shirts in sight. Shortly after, we retired to the hotel for a much needed dip in the pool and more Bintang. We again had dinner at the Palm restaurant - the lemon chicken (ayam fillet saus lemon) is to die for.
Thursday morning Tom was delighted to have his favorite breakfast - pancakes. It really wasn't too surprising, he'd bought a package of pancake mix at the store and left it at the front desk the night before (subtle hint!). I sat in the front seat of the van for the drive to the orphanage which was as exciting as ever (mildly hair-raising). The work site didn't look too different from a distance but lots of work had been done on the structural aspects of the building. Jerry and I were a little distressed to see some of our bricklaying handiwork been knocked out with hammers. We were relieved to learn that it wasn't because of our poor workmanship but because windows will be installed. Our hunch is that the "architectural drawings" have changed ;-) . Our morning began as most others so far - gravel, gravel & more gravel (thankfully the gravel truck didn't reappear). When that was finished, back to the sand.
After lunch the fun really began. Tom had brought a large tarp to be used in providing us shade, if we needed it. It has found a new and improved role - portable water slide. Tom and Gino, with the help of a couple of the older boys, found a nicely sloped area, tied the tarp to a couple of trees and set a hose to it. The younger boys could hardly wait to get at it. The first few trips proved less than exciting but a bottle of liquid soap appeared out of nowhere and the fun really began. The boys hogged the slide for the first little while but, when asked, quickly stepped aside to let the girls have a try. All the children are amazingly well behaved, well mannered and obedient, there were no complaints when the boys were asked to stop. After a quick wash down of the slide (clean off the boy cooties?) the girls had their time and went just as wild. I think we had almost more fun watching the kids than they had sliding - although that seems almost inconceivable.
Thursday night we invited Wayan and his family along with Nenden and her husband to join us for dinner at the hotel. It was a lovely evening and we all learned much about each other and our cultures.
It's Friday! We've been here a week already, we're half way through our work here. The day again began with pancakes for Tom, I think he'll run forever as long as he has his pancakes. I had the front seat in the van again this morning - my knuckles are just now regaining their colour. Thankfully the pile of gravel hasn't reappeared (are we living in fear of gravel?). Mornings at the orphanage are relatively quiet as most of the children are at school and don't arrive back until lunchtime - it's a very short walk from the school to here. The morning was sunny for a while and hot but mercifully the clouds returned. At the work site the workmen were busy installing window frames so some of us lent a helping hand. Then it was back to moving the sand for mortar and hauling fill from the bush to fill in the floor areas. It was a relatively quiet, slow-paced morning, the sun playing a major role in that. It was also a short day. We left at 12:30 as the orphanage is preparing for a wedding. One of the staff members is getting married tomorrow and all sorts of preparations need to be made. The children will be playing the gamelan at the reception and I expect they will be attending the ceremony at the church. It will not be a tradition Balinese wedding - the bride will be wearing a North American-style white dress and the ceremony will be Protestant. We have been invited to attend but have decided not to. We feel that our presence will likely dampen the festivities somewhat and as we are reliant on the orphanage staff for transportation will just be added interruption in their party time.
We have Saturday and Sunday to ourselves. Most, if not all, of us plan to go on an excursion to a nearby seaside area for snorkeling and beach time. Sunday will likely see us exploring town and plain old R&R by the pool. That's all for now, more to come next week.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, November
When we finally arrived at the orphanage (to the mild dismay of Nenden, the assistant director - she was worried, she hadn't known that we were stopping along the way) we noticed that 2 loads of sand had been delivered since the previous day. The lack of a new pile of gravel was gratifying but our relief was short-lived. Not 10 minutes later a new load miraculously appeared. Heard of quarter-down gravel? Well, this is more like 4" down!! We got to work humping the gravel down to the work site. After buckets of sweat and numerous rests and spelling each other off, the pile had disappeared. As we rested in the shade, patting each other on the back for our great morning's work the gravel truck arrived with a new load - RATS! We sat and watched in amazement as the crew (a middle aged woman & a younger male sidekick) unloaded the whole truck in bare feet with shovels in about 15 minutes, never stopping for a rest. Had we tried to help we would have slowed them down and been in their way. Talk about feeling humbled! Luckily, after a few wheel barrow loads, it was time for lunch - whew.
After lunch some of us continued to move gravel while others spent some time with the children talking about things Canadian and explaining where Canada was in relation to Bali. Lynn had brought several small rubber globes and we made a game of finding Canada and Bali on them. Stick-on Canadian flags adorned virtually all shirts in sight. Shortly after, we retired to the hotel for a much needed dip in the pool and more Bintang. We again had dinner at the Palm restaurant - the lemon chicken (ayam fillet saus lemon) is to die for.
Thursday morning Tom was delighted to have his favorite breakfast - pancakes. It really wasn't too surprising, he'd bought a package of pancake mix at the store and left it at the front desk the night before (subtle hint!). I sat in the front seat of the van for the drive to the orphanage which was as exciting as ever (mildly hair-raising). The work site didn't look too different from a distance but lots of work had been done on the structural aspects of the building. Jerry and I were a little distressed to see some of our bricklaying handiwork been knocked out with hammers. We were relieved to learn that it wasn't because of our poor workmanship but because windows will be installed. Our hunch is that the "architectural drawings" have changed ;-) . Our morning began as most others so far - gravel, gravel & more gravel (thankfully the gravel truck didn't reappear). When that was finished, back to the sand.
After lunch the fun really began. Tom had brought a large tarp to be used in providing us shade, if we needed it. It has found a new and improved role - portable water slide. Tom and Gino, with the help of a couple of the older boys, found a nicely sloped area, tied the tarp to a couple of trees and set a hose to it. The younger boys could hardly wait to get at it. The first few trips proved less than exciting but a bottle of liquid soap appeared out of nowhere and the fun really began. The boys hogged the slide for the first little while but, when asked, quickly stepped aside to let the girls have a try. All the children are amazingly well behaved, well mannered and obedient, there were no complaints when the boys were asked to stop. After a quick wash down of the slide (clean off the boy cooties?) the girls had their time and went just as wild. I think we had almost more fun watching the kids than they had sliding - although that seems almost inconceivable.
Thursday night we invited Wayan and his family along with Nenden and her husband to join us for dinner at the hotel. It was a lovely evening and we all learned much about each other and our cultures.
It's Friday! We've been here a week already, we're half way through our work here. The day again began with pancakes for Tom, I think he'll run forever as long as he has his pancakes. I had the front seat in the van again this morning - my knuckles are just now regaining their colour. Thankfully the pile of gravel hasn't reappeared (are we living in fear of gravel?). Mornings at the orphanage are relatively quiet as most of the children are at school and don't arrive back until lunchtime - it's a very short walk from the school to here. The morning was sunny for a while and hot but mercifully the clouds returned. At the work site the workmen were busy installing window frames so some of us lent a helping hand. Then it was back to moving the sand for mortar and hauling fill from the bush to fill in the floor areas. It was a relatively quiet, slow-paced morning, the sun playing a major role in that. It was also a short day. We left at 12:30 as the orphanage is preparing for a wedding. One of the staff members is getting married tomorrow and all sorts of preparations need to be made. The children will be playing the gamelan at the reception and I expect they will be attending the ceremony at the church. It will not be a tradition Balinese wedding - the bride will be wearing a North American-style white dress and the ceremony will be Protestant. We have been invited to attend but have decided not to. We feel that our presence will likely dampen the festivities somewhat and as we are reliant on the orphanage staff for transportation will just be added interruption in their party time.
We have Saturday and Sunday to ourselves. Most, if not all, of us plan to go on an excursion to a nearby seaside area for snorkeling and beach time. Sunday will likely see us exploring town and plain old R&R by the pool. That's all for now, more to come next week.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali, November
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
March 6: The project, hard work and fun with the children
Well, here we are on our second day at the Widhya Asih II orphanage, in Blimbingsari, Bali. I would have started this last night but I was just too darned exhausted after a day of hard work in the heat. The temperature & humidity are both in the 90s, thankfully we have had clouds the past 2 days so we're not working in the blazing sun. I think none of us has ever sweat this much before.
We started our adventure about 8:15am Monday morning when Wayan, the orphanage director, arrived with a couple of vans to take us all to the orphanage. It was a lovely 30 minute drive passing some interesting sights along the way. We had a quiet arrival as most of the kids were in school. As Wayan showed us around the facility we became increasingly impressed with the cleanliness, organization and entrepreneurship of the place. The orphanage has it's own farm (chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, a few cows), water purification system, bio-gas production, fish farm etc. What is not consumed by the children is sold to help support the orphanage.
Our project, here, is to help build a small building to house equipment to produce animal feed. As with everything else, excess feed will be sold for profit. We were impressed and pleased with the progress the group before us had made. The foundation (the real grunt work) and the rear and side walls were completed. Most of the actual construction work is being done by the orphanage workers, we are the bobcats (shovels) and the dump trucks (wheelbarrows) of the crew. We moved a pile of gravel to make a floor base inside the foundation walls then switched to moving sand to make mortar. Of course where there is mortar you need bricks, so we started moving those too. Through all of this we were constantly "helped" by some of the children who weren't at school. Wheelbarrow rides and swing rides seems to be the favorites.
It was a hot tiring morning and we stopped about noon for a much needed rest and some lunch. The ladies provided a nice lunch of rice, chicken and vegetables. The children had arrived for lunch as well. They seem to be a very happy and well cared-for group. They speedily changed out of their school uniforms (they sure look nice all dressed up) into more familiar garb. They quickly assembled for lunch, all of them very well behaved without any sense of being regimented. They are delightful! Some extremely friendly, even affectionate other more reserved but all with lovely, open smiles.
After lunch we were treated to a short concert by the children on the traditional Balinese instruments the angklung - somewhat like a xylophone with 5 notes ( Do-Re-Me-Sol-La for you musicians out there, pentatonic scale?) and the jegog, another hammered instrument made of bamboo trunks. We were very impressed with the children's musical abilities. Just as impressive was a group of about 9 young girls performing traditional Balinese dance. A thoroughly enjoyable apres-lunch entertainment. We then went back to the "salt mine!" Again moving bricks and gravel.
As the children headed back to school for their afternoon classes (3:00 - 5:00 pm) we climbed into the vans for the ride back to the hotel. We quickly headed for the beautifully refreshing hotel pool with snacks and excellent Bintang (the favorite Balinese beer). After showers, rests and dinner at 7:00pm we all headed back to our rooms and quickly crashed in exhaustion.
On our way to the orphanage this morning (Tuesday) some of us stopped to visit the local school where most of the children go. It was a very interesting to see the similarities and differences in school systems. When we got to the orphanage we were pleased and impressed with how much of the wall the workers had raised in our absence. Of course they couldn't have achieved so much work without having all the necessary supplies close at hand. Work, for us was more of the same - bricks and gravel however Jerry and I had a chance to lay a course or so of bricks - something I've always wanted to try. By lunchtime the piles of gravel and bricks had been obliterated. Feeling pleased with ourselves we enjoyed a nice lunch and then spent some very gratifying time doing crafts with the children followed by fresh coconuts picked by one of the boys. Having been delivered back to the hotel we now find ourselves once again sloshing in the pool and drinking Bintang :-) .
That's all for now, I'll try to write again in a day or two.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali MArch 2012
We started our adventure about 8:15am Monday morning when Wayan, the orphanage director, arrived with a couple of vans to take us all to the orphanage. It was a lovely 30 minute drive passing some interesting sights along the way. We had a quiet arrival as most of the kids were in school. As Wayan showed us around the facility we became increasingly impressed with the cleanliness, organization and entrepreneurship of the place. The orphanage has it's own farm (chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, a few cows), water purification system, bio-gas production, fish farm etc. What is not consumed by the children is sold to help support the orphanage.
Our project, here, is to help build a small building to house equipment to produce animal feed. As with everything else, excess feed will be sold for profit. We were impressed and pleased with the progress the group before us had made. The foundation (the real grunt work) and the rear and side walls were completed. Most of the actual construction work is being done by the orphanage workers, we are the bobcats (shovels) and the dump trucks (wheelbarrows) of the crew. We moved a pile of gravel to make a floor base inside the foundation walls then switched to moving sand to make mortar. Of course where there is mortar you need bricks, so we started moving those too. Through all of this we were constantly "helped" by some of the children who weren't at school. Wheelbarrow rides and swing rides seems to be the favorites.
It was a hot tiring morning and we stopped about noon for a much needed rest and some lunch. The ladies provided a nice lunch of rice, chicken and vegetables. The children had arrived for lunch as well. They seem to be a very happy and well cared-for group. They speedily changed out of their school uniforms (they sure look nice all dressed up) into more familiar garb. They quickly assembled for lunch, all of them very well behaved without any sense of being regimented. They are delightful! Some extremely friendly, even affectionate other more reserved but all with lovely, open smiles.
After lunch we were treated to a short concert by the children on the traditional Balinese instruments the angklung - somewhat like a xylophone with 5 notes ( Do-Re-Me-Sol-La for you musicians out there, pentatonic scale?) and the jegog, another hammered instrument made of bamboo trunks. We were very impressed with the children's musical abilities. Just as impressive was a group of about 9 young girls performing traditional Balinese dance. A thoroughly enjoyable apres-lunch entertainment. We then went back to the "salt mine!" Again moving bricks and gravel.
As the children headed back to school for their afternoon classes (3:00 - 5:00 pm) we climbed into the vans for the ride back to the hotel. We quickly headed for the beautifully refreshing hotel pool with snacks and excellent Bintang (the favorite Balinese beer). After showers, rests and dinner at 7:00pm we all headed back to our rooms and quickly crashed in exhaustion.
On our way to the orphanage this morning (Tuesday) some of us stopped to visit the local school where most of the children go. It was a very interesting to see the similarities and differences in school systems. When we got to the orphanage we were pleased and impressed with how much of the wall the workers had raised in our absence. Of course they couldn't have achieved so much work without having all the necessary supplies close at hand. Work, for us was more of the same - bricks and gravel however Jerry and I had a chance to lay a course or so of bricks - something I've always wanted to try. By lunchtime the piles of gravel and bricks had been obliterated. Feeling pleased with ourselves we enjoyed a nice lunch and then spent some very gratifying time doing crafts with the children followed by fresh coconuts picked by one of the boys. Having been delivered back to the hotel we now find ourselves once again sloshing in the pool and drinking Bintang :-) .
That's all for now, I'll try to write again in a day or two.
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
Bali MArch 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
March 5: Exploring Negara
Well, we're in Negara, our home base for the next 2 weeks. Our few days in Seminyak were a pleasant mix of hectic (the town & traffic) and wonderfully peaceful & relaxing (our villa). On our final night our lovely "housekeeping" ladies cooked us an exceptional Balinese style dinner, (including fried bananas with ice cream, one of my favorites). The next morning they spoiled us again with a great breakfast before we left for Negara. Once all packed & ready to go we had lots of time to relax & chat as our drivers arrived 1.5 hours late - that didn't seem to phase anyone. We needed 3 mini vans to carry all of us and our luggage! It was quite the drive - very busy roads all the way, even when we hit the more rural areas. The driving is so "animated" here that a couple of us actually had some problems with motion sickness.
Negara is not what we expected. I think most of us thought that it would be a quite rural town. Not quite! It's another hopping place full of contrasts just not quite as hopping as Seminyak, although there are VERY few Caucasian people here so we really stand out. We spent the day exploring the town and scouting out potential spots for dinner. We can always eat at the hotel as our dining experience here, last night, was a very pleasant surprise. We have discovered that the local Balinese beer, Bintang, is excellent and cheap.
As we explored the town in small groups today we have all had different experience. As Rina & I were walking along we were offered a ride in the local taksi (Balinese spelling). The picture below will tell the whole story. Apparently, today is Mohamed's birthday - who knew! Susan, Lynn, Gino & Dale stumbled across the celebrations and were invited in. A local school teacher with excellent English escorted them and explained much of what was happening. Others found the fascinating market area, a local department store (surprisingly well stocked with everything).
We've just finished a lovely dinner at the Palem (Palm) restaurant and are all ready for bed now. Tomorrow at 8:00 am, we head off for the ride to the orphanage and our first day of real work. Wish us luck. More to follow as time/energy allows.
Paul & the gang
DWC Team
Bali, March 2012
Negara is not what we expected. I think most of us thought that it would be a quite rural town. Not quite! It's another hopping place full of contrasts just not quite as hopping as Seminyak, although there are VERY few Caucasian people here so we really stand out. We spent the day exploring the town and scouting out potential spots for dinner. We can always eat at the hotel as our dining experience here, last night, was a very pleasant surprise. We have discovered that the local Balinese beer, Bintang, is excellent and cheap.
As we explored the town in small groups today we have all had different experience. As Rina & I were walking along we were offered a ride in the local taksi (Balinese spelling). The picture below will tell the whole story. Apparently, today is Mohamed's birthday - who knew! Susan, Lynn, Gino & Dale stumbled across the celebrations and were invited in. A local school teacher with excellent English escorted them and explained much of what was happening. Others found the fascinating market area, a local department store (surprisingly well stocked with everything).
We've just finished a lovely dinner at the Palem (Palm) restaurant and are all ready for bed now. Tomorrow at 8:00 am, we head off for the ride to the orphanage and our first day of real work. Wish us luck. More to follow as time/energy allows.
Paul & the gang
DWC Team
Bali, March 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
March 2: We have arrived in Bali!
Well, here we are in Bali. We left Canada on Monday, today is Friday but only our 2nd full day in the country - how does that work!!??!! The flight from Canada was fairly uneventful and surprisingly comfortable. I, for one was dreading the 13.5 hours on the plane to Honk Kong but it really wasn't too had. After that length if time in the air the next 4.5 hours seemed like a stroll in the park.
Our Team Leader is Tom Fair, accompanied by his wife Pat from Kamloops, B.C.. The person who had "dragged" the rest of us (all Manitobans) into this adventure is Susan Fair, Tom's sister. The rest of us are: Gino, Susan's husband, Lynn & Dale, Cheryl & Gerry and Rina and I.
After taking a stroll around the streets of town yesterday, we were quickly abused of the notion that all of Bali is quiet peace and tranquility. I have never seen so many motor scooters in my life - all driving on the left, "hell bent for leather" and passing anything and everything in sight. Seminyak (where we are staying a few days before we start on the project) is far from a sleepy backwater town. Quite the hoppin' place!
Today we has a driver drive us around the area. We visited 2 temples which were quite interesting but just as interesting was the drive through rice fields, orchid farms, statue carving "factories" - all sorts of fascinating sights.
The exchange rate here is $1Can = about 9000 Rupiah. That sounds great but you have to carry hundreds of thousand, even millions of Rupiah around with you - the numbers are staggering and we're having a tough time figuring out what things are really worth. Despite the huge numbers the prices here are very reasonable. We went out to a great restaurant, last night, had great food, beers etc. and after we calculated the huge bill figured out that it has cost us approximately $10 per person!
Tomorrow morning we head out to Nagara, our home base while we work at the orphanage. We're looking forward to seeing the rural (and hopefully more peaceful) part of the country. We begin our real work here on Monday. Wish us luck!
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
March 2012 Team
Our Team Leader is Tom Fair, accompanied by his wife Pat from Kamloops, B.C.. The person who had "dragged" the rest of us (all Manitobans) into this adventure is Susan Fair, Tom's sister. The rest of us are: Gino, Susan's husband, Lynn & Dale, Cheryl & Gerry and Rina and I.
After taking a stroll around the streets of town yesterday, we were quickly abused of the notion that all of Bali is quiet peace and tranquility. I have never seen so many motor scooters in my life - all driving on the left, "hell bent for leather" and passing anything and everything in sight. Seminyak (where we are staying a few days before we start on the project) is far from a sleepy backwater town. Quite the hoppin' place!
Today we has a driver drive us around the area. We visited 2 temples which were quite interesting but just as interesting was the drive through rice fields, orchid farms, statue carving "factories" - all sorts of fascinating sights.
The exchange rate here is $1Can = about 9000 Rupiah. That sounds great but you have to carry hundreds of thousand, even millions of Rupiah around with you - the numbers are staggering and we're having a tough time figuring out what things are really worth. Despite the huge numbers the prices here are very reasonable. We went out to a great restaurant, last night, had great food, beers etc. and after we calculated the huge bill figured out that it has cost us approximately $10 per person!
Tomorrow morning we head out to Nagara, our home base while we work at the orphanage. We're looking forward to seeing the rural (and hopefully more peaceful) part of the country. We begin our real work here on Monday. Wish us luck!
Paul Hope
DWC Participant
March 2012 Team
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Last Days: Celebrations, fun and farewells
The project, the kids, the heat and the energy have made these last three days all blend together. Our desire to make significant progress on the project as well at our inevitable return to normal life is growing like uncertain shore on the horizon. While the idea of meals without rice, cooler weather, and friends and family are excitedly anticipated, what we have each learned about ourselves and this wonderful place will make for a bitter sweet departure. The projects walls continue to grow higher and higher. We are now standing on scaffolds of nailed together coconut boards which even the locals seem skeptical about. To our surprise Wyan joined the effort cementing layer after layer of bricks toward the sky. He has suggested that we donate a round of beer to the workers on the last day to celebrate, we have no objections. The wheel Barrows are maxed out at 12 bricks a load, however 8 is the standard in this heat. Micel and Exel are helping to keep us company on the return trips by riding in the barrow back to the brick pile. Perhaps the people whom are feeling our departure the most are the children. Their behavior has turned to a passive aggressive engagement. They are looking for things to occupy their emotions but at the same time seem to be closer to us than ever. Hugs, hands, pictures, and words are all exchanged frequently. When lunch times comes on the final day, there is much planned for the afternoon. The children are dressing up in the traditional sarongs and dresses to perform an incredible show. Just when we think its winding down, they grab us off our seats and make us dance with them. Wyan and the staff have some touching words that Lena helps to translate. The habits die hard as they still think we are all from Canada and refer to us as so. It is an inside joke between Lena and us; we all get a good laugh. They give us gifts of homemade bracelets and we in turn give socks and books; then hype the kids up on candy. Mary is turning 29 today and they sing her happy birthday for at least five minutes straight while moving in a quasi conga line around her. The whole Orphanage is involved. Then it is time to go. Some Kids have said their goodbyes and don’t hang on the departure, while other watch and wave. Nenden is not getting off so easily as we kid nap her for a dinner out in Negara. We wish and the baby a safe and happy arrival with the promise of pictures. It is time for the long drive back to Denpasar. It is the usual demonstration of organized ciaos. We meet for the last time at Wydha Asih headquarters to see the heart of the operation. It is impressive how much they accomplish with so little resources. Our time as a team has come to an end. One by one we split off as the next two days unfold. We look forward to the next adventure with Tommy Marx and DWC.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Day 12: Football anyone?
The timing of our drivers is improving, they broke inside of the 20 minute late window this morning. In anticipation of our day we had all eaten a good breakfast, which some of us almost lost on the subsequent drive. Our closest call of the trip occurred today when we found ourselves head to head with a bus passing a truck. The rule of passing is “they who hesitate will lose.” When the passes get to close for comfort (and we use that term loosely), the plan is as follows. The oncoming car as well as car being passed both slow and pull as far to the side as they can. The passing car then floors it if not there already doing so to complete the pass quicker. Though this sounds barbaric, it actually works. Oh yeah add 10 scooter into the picture as well.
Today the project went vertical with the construction of the buildings rear and side walls. Half of us hauled bricks and sand while the others showed their talents cementing the bricks in place. The locals at more than one occasion to us “plan plan” which means “slow down.” We responded by saying that our “plan plan” was to make progress today, and we were setting a new pace. They responded by joining the push and we all got a lot done. All members of the team are now certified brick layer in the eyes of the Indonesian government. The usual suspects, Micel, Gasper, Exel and the lot were nowhere to be found. They had gotten into something that kept them busy until lunch. The heat was present though, and we were happy it was the only distraction to negotiate. Finally lunch time came about with the faint but persistent ringing of the bell.
During lunch we asked Lena if the bell was also used as a fire alarm, to which she said there was no such plan in place. Once again the “move your butt or get burned plan,” let’s hope it works out as well as the swimming hole (heaven forbid). We were spend from the mornings work and still had a soccer game at 3pm. We gathered in Nenden’s office to sit on the couch, a move we like to call circling the wagons. The children have a post lunch energy high that can consume you if you’re not careful. Our strength in numbers helps to share the load of children as they move in and out of the office.
We rallied for another hour of work and before we knew it the van was pulling up to take us to Malaya for the game. We arrived and were met with a sea of kids eager to engage with adults from far and away. The Balinese refer to tourists as “Oraung Bule” which means people who are white. The origin is the same for the English word, “orangutan” Which when separated into Indonesian means Oraung – people; Hutan – from the forest. This is the way people are classified in the Indonesian language. It is not to compare anyone to apes, just a way to make sense of our physical differences. After another short meet and greet it was time to move out to the soccer field for the match. When we say field we mean pasture complete with cattle and the scattered signs of their continuous eating. According to Joe the German aid worker, field conditions are the best he has ever seen due to the wet season weather… there is actually grass. The kids are not dissuaded and teams are drawn in short order. Most of us play bare footed with the exception of three DWC members and one older boy whom actually had real soccer shoes. There is no feeling like running through a muddy hole, then tall grass and then stepping in a cow pie to get to the ball. Soon you put it all behind you and just have fun. The only girls that played were two members of our DWC group, but we did manage to get the sewing teacher out there, he was quite good. The game lasted 40 minutes which was three times longer than we had expected in the ambient conditions. After five minutes the sweat was so heavy you had difficulty just keeping it out of your eyes. These people are on a high carb. and almost none of them are overweight, now we know why. The kids play hard and with consistent training would produce a competitive team on any stage. Their skills are picked up by watching professional teams on TV and then applying them as they can on their own. In the end the score was 3 to 1 and as is sometimes the case in soccer, the weaker team won. Heads were hung low, but for only a moment as the children all know that in the end they are all on the same team. We returned rehydrated and said goodbye to our new friends. The sea of children reformed around the van making the experience one of the most difficult of the trip. There is so much we can share and learn from each other, and these kids are at the most critical age. Nenden said she has never seen them soo happy as she did today which brings a tear to some of our eyes. We pray for their success. The day was done and so were we.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Today the project went vertical with the construction of the buildings rear and side walls. Half of us hauled bricks and sand while the others showed their talents cementing the bricks in place. The locals at more than one occasion to us “plan plan” which means “slow down.” We responded by saying that our “plan plan” was to make progress today, and we were setting a new pace. They responded by joining the push and we all got a lot done. All members of the team are now certified brick layer in the eyes of the Indonesian government. The usual suspects, Micel, Gasper, Exel and the lot were nowhere to be found. They had gotten into something that kept them busy until lunch. The heat was present though, and we were happy it was the only distraction to negotiate. Finally lunch time came about with the faint but persistent ringing of the bell.
During lunch we asked Lena if the bell was also used as a fire alarm, to which she said there was no such plan in place. Once again the “move your butt or get burned plan,” let’s hope it works out as well as the swimming hole (heaven forbid). We were spend from the mornings work and still had a soccer game at 3pm. We gathered in Nenden’s office to sit on the couch, a move we like to call circling the wagons. The children have a post lunch energy high that can consume you if you’re not careful. Our strength in numbers helps to share the load of children as they move in and out of the office.
We rallied for another hour of work and before we knew it the van was pulling up to take us to Malaya for the game. We arrived and were met with a sea of kids eager to engage with adults from far and away. The Balinese refer to tourists as “Oraung Bule” which means people who are white. The origin is the same for the English word, “orangutan” Which when separated into Indonesian means Oraung – people; Hutan – from the forest. This is the way people are classified in the Indonesian language. It is not to compare anyone to apes, just a way to make sense of our physical differences. After another short meet and greet it was time to move out to the soccer field for the match. When we say field we mean pasture complete with cattle and the scattered signs of their continuous eating. According to Joe the German aid worker, field conditions are the best he has ever seen due to the wet season weather… there is actually grass. The kids are not dissuaded and teams are drawn in short order. Most of us play bare footed with the exception of three DWC members and one older boy whom actually had real soccer shoes. There is no feeling like running through a muddy hole, then tall grass and then stepping in a cow pie to get to the ball. Soon you put it all behind you and just have fun. The only girls that played were two members of our DWC group, but we did manage to get the sewing teacher out there, he was quite good. The game lasted 40 minutes which was three times longer than we had expected in the ambient conditions. After five minutes the sweat was so heavy you had difficulty just keeping it out of your eyes. These people are on a high carb. and almost none of them are overweight, now we know why. The kids play hard and with consistent training would produce a competitive team on any stage. Their skills are picked up by watching professional teams on TV and then applying them as they can on their own. In the end the score was 3 to 1 and as is sometimes the case in soccer, the weaker team won. Heads were hung low, but for only a moment as the children all know that in the end they are all on the same team. We returned rehydrated and said goodbye to our new friends. The sea of children reformed around the van making the experience one of the most difficult of the trip. There is so much we can share and learn from each other, and these kids are at the most critical age. Nenden said she has never seen them soo happy as she did today which brings a tear to some of our eyes. We pray for their success. The day was done and so were we.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Day 11: A visit to another Widhya Orphanage
Today we hit the ground running again, The remaining forms needed to be set, and the concrete filled in over the rebar. We finished this in short order and by the time the lunch bell rang all the concrete was set. The locals all seemed to split for the rest of the day indicating that we would begin again tomorrow when the concrete had dried. Wyan suggested that we go visit the Orphanage #5 in Malaya where the older kids lived. We hopped in the van and Wyan surprisingly jumped in the driver’s seat. Wyan drove in a manner that by Indonesian standards would be considered extremely conservative. It was almost uncomfortable based on our experiences over the last week and a half. Lena, Whom was along as well informed us that Wyan had purchased his first car ever just a month ago, and was still getting used to driving. This reminds you of just how financially difficult even owning a car in this part of the world can be. We arrived at #5 in a short while, after snaking slowly through one back road after another. When we got out of the van all ninety children came out to introduce themselves to each one of us. The excitement was easy to see in their eyes. They had new faces they could learn from and practice their English with. Many of them spoke very well, and had manners that would put an English butler to shame. The man in charge went by Frankie; he and his staff shared with us a rundown of the operation at #5. The children, upon reaching the age of junior high school, come to number five and stay there through high school and some vocational school afterwards. They grow their own food, and raise animals just like the younger kids, but also produce textiles and cement bricks to sell. The kids were eager to take us on a tour and show off their work living areas. Joel, another German aid worker, has been at Orphanage #5 providing English teaching the same as Lena has been doing for the younger kids. He is a good influence on the older kids and you can see how close they have all become. The children entertained us with a performance of music and dance that was impressive to say the least. The camaraderie between the kids of this age is like none ever seen by us before. They truly care and stand by each other as a basic necessity for getting through their lives. Their mission statement included healthy body and mind, spirituality, Life skills, higher education, and good Living conditions just to name a few. These tenants are apparent everywhere you go. We collectively wished to have another two weeks with these kids as well. The time came to go but not before we scheduled a soccer match for Wednesday afternoon during the hottest time of the day, 3pm. With that we headed for the hotel to stalk up on water.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Day 10: Back to the project & determined to make some progress
We returned from our weekend of fun ready to make some real progress on the project. The speed of progress from the first week was not going to cut it anymore; we had four days left and wanted something to show for it. The locals tried to set the usual pace, but when they saw the piles of gravel and sand growing relentlessly as well as the rebar and form boards set in place, it had been decided. Thin slices of coconut tree trunks were set around the rebar to make forms for the concrete. We mixed wheel barrow after wheel barrow and had half the forms filled by days end. The workers will pace themselves based on the heat, but take a long time to adopt simple adjustments that would also help prevent their tiring. For example, they preferred to have us empty a barrow full of gravel into the pile while at the same time filling another up from that same pile to add to the concrete mix. Next, they decided to fill the easiest forms first, making it more difficult the move concrete to the farther forms. In the end we decided that they have their reasons and most of all we are here to learn and help. After lunch we spent some time with the kids, playing Uno, Talking, Hexogram building, and of course soccer. At their young age these kids still are learning and understanding their world and environment. Most of their games and interactions are focused on understanding and learning, rather than perfecting a known skill. The inquisitive nature and explorative attitude is enjoyable to partake in. There is much we have forgotten from our childhoods.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Day 9: Shopping and Exploring
Late wake up, late breakfast, late start on our shopping day. Wyan and Nenden gave us a wish list for the Orphanage, and we set out to go mid-evil on it. Socks, writing books, pens, pencils, paint brushes… We got them all. After all that effort, there was a collective decision to catch a ride back to the hotel on a collection of horse drawn buggies. We paired up, loaded up, and the trio headed out. The ride to the hotel cost $1 per buggy, a bargain to beat the heat. Next on the plan was a drive to a local beach. The weather was not the best for beach goers, and soon after we arrived the rain began to fall. Luckily there was a bar about 50 yards (45M) away where we could enjoy our favorite Indonesian habit; drinking Bintang. The rain was short lived and our boredom motivated us to venture out and explore. We found a lady selling BBQ’d corn and decided to try it out. The spice was so hot that few of us got past the third bite. At 25 cents a pop it was worth the risk. The beach seemed to be a hangout of the younger crowd and as the sunset drew nearer more and more people showed up. We noticed from one of Tommy’s pictures that some of the crowd were not to happy with our presence. No words were exchanged or hostilities raised, but the gesture was clear and present. The time had come to head back and call it a day.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Day 8: Discovering Menjangan Island
Wyan surprised us today with a nearly on time arrival at our hotel. We stuffed down our breakfast and piled into the van for our trip to the northwestern coast of Bali. We arrived an hour later at the Mimipi resort area for a boat ride out to Menjangan. Based on the number of white people we saw at Mimipi, you could say we finally wandered into a tourist area; it was unusual for even us to get used to. The vessel that took us out to the island was a sampan style boat painted in a United Nations two tone. You could see Bilge water sloshing back and forth through the Boards on the deck. After a short trip we arrived at the snorkel spot. The guide took us out into some shallow water to view the various fish and coral that could be found. As we moved farther out, all of a sudden the reef dropped off from 8ft (1.5M) to about 80ft (27M) which provided an array of extraordinary marine life. We all must have spent an hour and a half out there, and mind you it was the first time snorkeling for one of the members of the group. The lunch bell was rung and we were all surprised to be handed a turkey sandwich; what a nice change from the usual… Rice. Around the island we went for another run at snorkeling a different reef. We got more awesome sights again as well as a pretty good sun burn on our back side. By the time we got back to the hotel most of us were aching for some relief. Despite our Grammy winning performances acting out sunburn pain, the drug store clerks ended up giving us anti gas cream which was not the problem we wanted to solve most at the present time. What an adventure.
DWC Team
Gregory, Tommy, Arnaz, Bob, Mary and Jen
Day 7: Fun filled day with mattress jousting and dancing!
Oh boy, it’s Friday, the weekend is right around the corner. This seemed to be the theme at all levels at the orphanage. We arrived to find the locals moving at just above idle speed and not really having anything important for us to do. Eventually they taught us how to put together the rebar assemblies that will be going in the concrete forms above the stem wall. They use four long lengths of ¼” thick rebar arranged in a rectangular formation. Short lengths of rebar are bent into a square which are wired in place to help the long length keep their rectangular formation. We finished this in short order, and spent the rest of the morning visiting with the staff and other people lingering around. All the troops (children) returned just prior to lunch, which was the usual circus. After lunch we engaged with the children as they did their various chores and tasks. One item of business was the airing out every mattress in both dormitories. As usual the children made a game of it by running into each other, jousting or diving on to them when they got to the grass. The most notable part though was when Exel, only five years old decided to carry back the whole lot of mattresses to his room. He hefted them one by one and made nine little trips to and fro. It was like watching a worker ant through a microscope. Each mattress was right at the limit of size, weight and dimension for little Exel. Once he got the thing over his head, he could only go at a certain speed, anything faster would induce an oscillation like that of a ship in high seas. Exel was always moving at, or just above this critical state which at more than one occasion had us running to help him. He would have none of it though, for his true motivation was to have an audience. As the afternoon progressed, the dance instructor showed up to teach her usual class of Balinese moves. Some of us decided to participate, most notably our uncoordinated leader Tommy. His years of gymnastics provided only a bare minimum for what he challenged to perform. Words cannot do justice but we can say it looked like a happy gorilla doing yoga and then chopping celery. You need to see the video. Our stomachs hurt from laughter and it was time to retire and prepare for the weekends adventures.
DWC Team
Tommy, Bob, Mary, Jen, Arnaz and Gregory
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Day 6: The Swimming Hole
This morning was the usual program with a 0730 pickup that happened around 0830. It appears the only thing you can rely on here is the heat and humidity; today was another hot one. We conquered the rock pile only to have a small dump truck show up and drop off another load of rocks. Micel and her entourage, who we have dubbed Widhya Asih’s Angels, have figured out how to double our efforts on this project. For every wheelbarrow of sand or gravel we take to the work site, the girls reward us with, at times, a four passenger ride on the return trip. Like a construction site version of the Partridge family, the journey includes a whole collection of songs from Balinese favorites to “head and shoulders knees and toes.” The locals are making good progress of the stem wall along with our help here and there. We balance the work between cementing the wall in place, and running sand and rock to the work site to keep the progress moving. The locals insist on us taking more frequent and longer breaks, but the heat is a far stronger motivator. The children had a better day today and are rewarded with a hike to the swimming hole after lunch. There was one requirement for the journey, ALL MUST WEAR SHOES! About half actually did. They spend 80% of time barefoot which has toughened their feet to the likeness of elephant’s skin. Scorching hot pavement, gravel roads and overgrown trails are not given a second thought as we begin the journey. Our trek takes us down a blistering hot road and through the jungle to a county park which looks like is hasn’t seen a gardener for 10 years. The swimming hole consists of three cascading pools no more than 3 feet deep each. The drop from the first pool to the middle is too steep and shallow for even the Indonesian standard. They all rally at the middle pool and queue up for the slide down to the bottom. Slide meaning a slippery 60 degree waterfall face with the texture of an industrial washboard. One after another the children chatter down the face of the falls to land in the three foot deep pool below them. Timing is based on the 'move your butt or get run over' plan which seems to work out just fine. We have all noticed that in Bali, children are given far greater latitude with activities that most of us would consider far too dangerous for even an adult. A “CPS” agent would have a heart attack in the first five minutes of open play time at the orphanage. This week we have witnessed crafts with hatches, spray paint indoors, a razor blade they can purchase as a toy, four children ages 8 to 11 on one scooter with no helmets and at best case flip flops on some of their feet. Oh yeah and we have a construction site which they float in and out of most of the time barefoot. Regardless of these hazards, the children here seem to be better prepared to judge and survive any environment than our own back home. As a matter of fact, the only people who have been making regular visits to the first aid kit this week are us. Perhaps we have much to gain from them as well. The time comes to return from the swimming hole, and the mass exodus packs up and heads back. Many children have captured crabs and other water creature as new pets.
We are wiped from the work and fun of the day, but the night market awaits our visit tonight. We are taking Nenden and Lena along with us to help translate and make sure this isn’t our final meal. Nenden is the Operations Coordinator at the orphanage. She does all the books, coordination of activities, mixes cement, and is also 7 months pregnant. We all enjoy her company and inquisitive nature; she is well educated by the standard here and seems to only want to learn more. When we load into the van, our numbers are one more than available seats. Team Leader Tommy decides to sit on the floor to make the numbers work. Nenden will not allow this for reasons we cannot begin to comprehend. Lena explains that she will refuse to ride with us if a man is forced to give up a seat for a woman (regardless of pregnancy.) A compromise is reached and Lena will occupy the floor for the ride to Negara. A trip to the pool is planned, but Lena and Nenden only want one thing, a warm shower. The orphanage has no hot water whatsoever. Lena has gone months without a hot shower, and who knows if or when Nenden last had one herself. With all that out of the way we venture out to the night market in Negara. Negara is not a tourist known area of the island, and we soon become an attraction at the market. Some of the taller members of the team have to negotiate the low canopies of the vendor carts while others decide on a dinner of fried eggs or goat. Goat wins the decision and we all sit down in a smoke filled corner of the market. We found Guinness beer for sale, and despite it being warm, took the option as Bintang has been the only option so far. The meal for 9 people was less than $10 USD, this included drinks. One of our best meals so far this trip, we are looking forward to what else we can discover on this island. A quick trip through market reveals a collection of cheap knockoffs and a vendor pushing “make your skin white cream.” They didn’t quite spend as much effort selling it to us. The night was over and a new day awaited tomorrow.
DWC Team
We are wiped from the work and fun of the day, but the night market awaits our visit tonight. We are taking Nenden and Lena along with us to help translate and make sure this isn’t our final meal. Nenden is the Operations Coordinator at the orphanage. She does all the books, coordination of activities, mixes cement, and is also 7 months pregnant. We all enjoy her company and inquisitive nature; she is well educated by the standard here and seems to only want to learn more. When we load into the van, our numbers are one more than available seats. Team Leader Tommy decides to sit on the floor to make the numbers work. Nenden will not allow this for reasons we cannot begin to comprehend. Lena explains that she will refuse to ride with us if a man is forced to give up a seat for a woman (regardless of pregnancy.) A compromise is reached and Lena will occupy the floor for the ride to Negara. A trip to the pool is planned, but Lena and Nenden only want one thing, a warm shower. The orphanage has no hot water whatsoever. Lena has gone months without a hot shower, and who knows if or when Nenden last had one herself. With all that out of the way we venture out to the night market in Negara. Negara is not a tourist known area of the island, and we soon become an attraction at the market. Some of the taller members of the team have to negotiate the low canopies of the vendor carts while others decide on a dinner of fried eggs or goat. Goat wins the decision and we all sit down in a smoke filled corner of the market. We found Guinness beer for sale, and despite it being warm, took the option as Bintang has been the only option so far. The meal for 9 people was less than $10 USD, this included drinks. One of our best meals so far this trip, we are looking forward to what else we can discover on this island. A quick trip through market reveals a collection of cheap knockoffs and a vendor pushing “make your skin white cream.” They didn’t quite spend as much effort selling it to us. The night was over and a new day awaited tomorrow.
DWC Team
Day 5: Balinese children express their Creativity
Once again our 07:30 pickup arrived around 08:45, we decided to give them another chance before we mentioned our need for better punctuality. Another hot one today with more wall construction out in the sun. Lina decided to pitch in as well, as we took the opportunity to inundate her with question after question. She was a good sport about it and provided much needed explanations to some of our curiosities of the trip. It came to our attention that the local help wanted to limit our participation in the project a little. These men are hungry for work and seeing us push to finish will only put them out on the street sooner. We took advantage of this to do our Valentines day activity with the children in the afternoon. We brought around three dozen water color paint sets as well as pink paper and stick-on decorations. The children needed no explanation and creativity ran wild. We learned some of their language like Coopoo Coopoo (butterfly) and shared many of our words with them. By the end, the pavilion was covered with watercolors and many masterpieces were on display. The children expressed their appreciation by dedicating many of their works to us. The quantity of individual works quickly showed that some of us were more popular than others. Also on the agenda was to share some heart shaped candies around. Realizing that the sugar would quickly send the children into orbit, we saved their deployment to just prior to the ride home. Time was up and our day came to an end. We wished the staff good luck and hopped in the van back to the hotel.
DWC Team
Day 4: Building the Foundation on Valentines Day
Wake up, ready and fed by 07:30, only to wait until about 09:00 for a ride to the project. More rocks, sand and children await us. Micel and her group of friends await us as well as Exel and Gasper. As is always the case with little ones, they are eager to help and make a game out of our work. Gasper is a ball of energy, he seems to be everywhere. A funny gate to his step, most likely from an equilibrium imbalance and a mouth too big for his face, Gasper is the most recognizable out of the 48 boys. Exel is not far away, running around in his Batman or US Army t-shirt and a persistent smile of crooked white teeth. Both boys make a game of running the empty wheel barrows back to the rock pile until Exel flips his on a ditch and travels over with it. At that point soccer, uno, or some other form of mischief seems more appealing. Micel however is in it to win it, sticking with the females of our group all morning, she helps run buckets of sand to and from. Micel can best be described as a cutie-pa-tutie with a golden smile. She is only shy when asked to speak English. One of the biggest differences between American children and Balinese children is their ability to show affection immediately. Within the first few minutes of our arrival, Micel and others grab one of our hands as we walk and work. At first, it is a strange feeling to hold the hand of a child we just met and at the same time it is the most wonderful and comforting thing in the world. By the end of the day, it is not long before almost every child has hugged, tugged, and crawled all over us. We can’t help but return to our own childhood years of being a kid when running around with all of these munchkins.
Today the building starts to get its foundation. There is a collection of people that have been hired to help us with this project. They are men from the local area who are happy to have the work before them. We are still unsure who is helping who, and at times it seems we are keeping up with the children’s roll of largely being in the way. Nonetheless, they entertain our enthusiasm with all sorts of tasks that we can manage. The sand pile we have been slowly adding to has been hallowed out leaving a crater in the middle. Water is added along with cement mix; after some mixing by hand you are left with a pile of wet concrete spread out before you. The rocks, large and small, are being arranged into the stem wall around the perimeter while cement is added between the rocks to hold them together. This job has moved all of us out of the shade and into the sun. The heat is intense, many breaks are needed, and all of us can honestly say that the wall is constructed out of our own sweat. There are many animals on the property, mostly raised and sold for operating funds. The heat and animal sounds make our work here seem like a 5 hour Bikram Yoga session to the soundtrack of Charlotte’s Web.
Finally it's time for lunch, and boy are we ready for the break. Lunch was normal until our group prayer at the end. What started as a prayer from one of the younger boys turned into a long diatribe from Wyan. It was difficult to tell when the prayer ended, but eventually all of us came to the staggered realization that the children were getting into trouble. We never did get the full story, but word on the street was that some of the boys were teasing some of the girls beyond that of the normal day to day banter. The fallout of their misbehavior was an afternoon of chores and the postponing of our Valentines day activity until Wednesday. Being flattened by our mornings work, and with the children out of the picture, we chose to do then next best thing, which was back to the hotel for more pool Bingtang and relaxation.
DWC Team
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