February 2012 Bali Trip

I just returned from a most interesting and productive Bali Trip, followed by a exploratory week in Thailand visiting orphanages and other child care facilities there.  (I'll share the Thailand part of this trip in a separate report.)

The Bali orphanages are doing quite well.  I personally visited all seven locations (Denpasar, Blimbingsari, Singaraja, Untal-Untal, Melaya, Bangli, and Amlapura) plus the Foundation office in Kapal.  Here's some of the highlights of the trip.

IT Project:  Thanks to an introduction from our friend Wayne McRann, founder of Developing World Connections in Kamloops, BC, our proposal was selected and Widhya Asih will be the recipient of an awesome project.  Softchoice, a very civic-minded Canadian IT services company, will be sending a team of 12 people to Bali for two weeks beginning on April 8th.  While in Bali they will be installing a new IT system that will connect all seven locations to a central server housed in the Foundation office.  This great technological advance will provide the orphanage system and its staff with much greater operational efficiencies.  Moreover, this will create the capacity for a centrally managed, distributed learning system that will provide the children in all seven orphanages with specialized training opportunities for English, Japanese, and computer technology.  Needless to say, everyone is excited about this upcoming project.

I'll be there in April to assist in getting this work started.

New Libraries: A recent connection with Robert Lucas, Executive Director for a wonderful organization called "The World is Just a Book Away", led to our getting together in Bali.  As we got to know one another during our time at the Untal-Untal orphanage, I learned more about that organization's goal to put libraries in each orphanage in Bali.  I'm happy to say that all seven of the Widhya Asih orphanages, plus the foundation office, will be early recipients of this wonderful gift.  

Each library will include a minimum of 500 books and periodicals carefully selected to match the interests of the children in the orphanages.  Robert made sure of this by having long, in-depth conversations with many of the kids.

In addition to the the books, this generous gift will include construction of a room if necessary, shelves and cabinets for the books, tables and chairs, administrative processes for managing the library, and periodic updated and replacement materials.

Can't wait to get this project started!

Public Relations and Marketing:  We are so fortunate to have a Seattle colleague, Rebecca Wittman, volunteer an entire month of her life to help the Widhya Asih  (orphanage) Foundation achieve one of its important strategic goals:  Sustainable Funding.  With her extensive background in networking, public relations, design, marketing, fundraising, and the like, Rebecca is working closely with key staff members to help them achieve that goal.

Already, Rebecca has a brand-new brochure designed and at the printer.  Can't wait to see the completed copy.

Bangli -- Orphanage 6:  Once the absolute worst facility in the entire Widhya Asih system, Bangli is now on its way to becoming one of the best.  With the old facility completely torn down -- right to the ground -- construction is underway -- and was about 40% complete at the time of my visit.

The new facility, scheduled for completion in time for the new school year beginning in July, will house 18 girls and 12 boys, plus live-in staff.  Wahoo!!

New Girls' Dormitory at Blimbingsari:  Thanks to Evelina Stikova, a most generous San Francisco friend, Blimbingsari now has a brand new dormitory for girls.  With a capacity for 24 new girls to move into the orphanage, that location will now move very close to its goal of a 50/50 boy-girl ratio.

Pretty impressive facility, I'd say.  Now, we're in the process of funding bunk beds, mattresses, bedding, cabinet/closets, and shoe racks so that it will be ready for occupancy in late June.

Soka Village:  This remote village of about 100 families is near the site of the large tree plantation the Widhya Asih Foundation is managing as a profitable business.  The first ever deep well in this location is now being drilled as an orphanage project.  Twenty meters down at the time of my visit, with another 30 to 40 to go.

Once completed this well will not only give the villagers a source of clean water (so they will no longer have to use run-off irrigation water), but it will also provide enough water for a new fish-farming venture to further finance the orphanage operations.

Visits with the Girls:  One of the highlights of every trip for me is visiting with the girls and delivering gifts from their sponsors.  This time I arrived with more than 60 cards and letters containing personalized notes, photographs, and over $1,000 (converted to Rupiah) to give the girls a little pocket money.

Wow!  What a wonderful, generous group of sponsors we have here.

Well ... there's a few highlights for you.  All-in-all, I am quite proud of the progress the Foundation Director, Nengah Swikrama, and his staff are making in taking care of the more than 400 children under their care.  A huge task, well met by these skilled people.

Bali Fund Video

Recently a supporter put together a cool video for us.  Take a look and let us know what you think.

If you want to see the video in a larger format, just click on it.

Recent Bali Trip Report

I've just returned from a most productive and successful two-week trip to Bali.  Here are some of the highlights

Bllimbingsari and Melaya:  I visited the two westernmost orphanages (Numbers 2 and 5) where I saw many encouraging developments.  Improvements continue at Blimbingsari with a new duck house under construction and expansion of the agricultural area moving along  nicely.

During my regular "junking trips" a wonderfully generous woman gave me 10 Barbie Dolls.  You can only imagine what a hit those were with the little girls at Blimbingsari.  Here's a picture to help with that imagination.  You'll just have to use your imagination for the noises, however.

Under the able guidance of Director, Franky, Melaya continues to progress in many wonderful ways.  The children seem so healthy and happy.  And, they recently dedicated a new staff building.  Pretty impressive, I'd say.

Also, here's a photo of a very happy -- soon to be famous -- fashion designer, Sulis, with her new "tool kit", along with Foundation Director, Nengah Swikrama.

Untal-Untal:  Visits there continue to be a great pleasure as this particular orphanage, under the most capable direction of Tina,  is a wonderful demonstration model for what all orphanages will someday become.  Their gift shop is becoming a real money maker.  And, they continue to expand their business with Portland based Lantern Moon.  http://www.lanternmoon.com

"Turnover Time".  This is an exciting time of year at the orphanages.  All the children are anxiously awaiting the results of their National Exams.  Some will be moving up to another level of schooling as they begin junior high and senior high school.  Some will be graduating from high school and leaving for new beginnings with jobs in their communities.  Some will be starting their university and college studies.  There will also be many new beginnings as new children arrive at the orphanages to take the places of those moving on to the next stages of their lives.  Other children will be moving from one orphanage to another to be closer to the appropriate schools.  Lots of changes going on, many of which affect sponsorships.  So, please be patient with me while I get all the necessary information organized, including renewal notices, new "Identity Sheets", and other relevant information out to all of you.

Strategic Planning:  One of the primary purposes of this trip was to lead the Widhya Asih (Orphanage) Foundation through an annual updating for its Three-Year Strategic Planning process.  They did good work, and as Director Nengah Swikrama says:  "This keeps us all focused on achieving the same goals, all in service to our children."  Here's a couple of photos from one of the all-day meetings:

Important Financial Development:  During this recent trip I was able to meet with the full Synod Council at their quarterly meeting to discuss the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our Bali Fund and the GKPB (Bali Church).  This document cements our partnership in service to the children of Bali, and formalizes my commitment to work with the Church's other business and related activities in exchange for their giving greater financial support to their own orphanages.  With this MOU now agreed upon and signed, the Church will be contributing and additional $47,000 to the orphanages during 2011, and a larger amount in 2012.  This clears the way for me to return in September to work with their Harapan Foundation, a 6,300 student private school system, and their MBM Foundation, a community service organization focusing on community health issues and economic development in the villages.

I'm very much looking forward to this expansion of our service there in Bali.

Organic Farming:  One of the additional business ventures being considered as part of the quest for sustainability and  self-sufficiency is organic farming.  Along with a couple of the local leaders I visited an organic farming training center in Bedugal where we explored some encouraging opportunities.  Here's just a couple of photos of a most impressive facility.

Beautiful produce grown in a most productive and sustainable fashion.

2012 Sponsor Tour:  Our first ever Bali Sponsor Tour was such a success that we will be doing it again in 2012.  Planning is now underway and arrangements are being made.  I'm hoping we can keep the cost, including airfare, to under $3,000.  Although the dates are not yet fixed, figure on two weeks beginning approximately April 20th.  In addition to Pat & me, there will be only 10 spaces available.  So, if you are interested let me know as soon as possible.

More to do.  My Next Trip:  I'll be returning to Bali sometime in the later part of September to begin work with the Harapan and MBM Foundations, and hopefully to continue working with the Dhyana Pura Foundation provided they get the government approvals so they can convert from a college to a university.  And, of course, I'll fit in a bit of Orphanage Foundation work in there as well.  That will be a good time for any of you that want to send cards, letters, or small gifts to your girls.  Happy to hand carry them for you.  I'll send out a notice in plenty of time.

Laptop Computers:  I need more laptop computers to carry to Bali.  We're up to about 14 now, but we need lots more.  So, If you or your company is upgrading computers, I'm happy to receive the older versions provided they are still in good working condition.

Thailand:  On my way back from Bali I spent a few days in Bangkok exploring opportunities to be of similar service to the children there.  Although I have yet to find the right fit, I am making many good contacts there and new opportunities continue to surface.  Most likely I'll visit once more on my return from the September Bali trip.  If any of you have any suggestions or contacts for me I'll welcome them.

That's about it for now.  More to follow. Life is good.

Bali Sponsor Trip

We've now returned from our first ever (I hope this becomes an annual
event) Bali Sponsor Trip. Twelve of us traveled together to visit
the 15 girls we collectively sponsor.

After a brief stopover in Singapore, we continued on to Bali where
our first stop was in Sanur. There we had a nice leisurely day
followed by a superb dinner at Rasa Senang, the restaurant of a good
friend, Hans Dashorst.

The next day we traveled north by private bus first to the beautiful
temple of Tanah Lot and then over the mountains and around the
volcano to Lovina, stopping along the way to see another temple on a
beautiful lake and have a tasty lunch.

The lovely, serene Puri Bagus Resort in Lovina became our home base
for the next three nights.

On our first day there in Lovina we traveled west
through the National Park to Blimbingsari and Melaya where we visited
orphanages #2 and #5. Blimbingsari is home to 80 mostly elementary
school children, while Melaya houses about 100 junior and high school
students. We had great fun in both locations, listening to their
gamelon music, watching the girls perform traditional Balinese
dances, singing songs, blowing large bubbles, painting finger and toe
nails, exchanging gifts, and generally having a lot of fun. Two
sponsors, Pam Rups and Wendy Potter, got to meet their girls, Asti
and Dek Sur for the very first time.
   

Our second day in Lovina was more leisurely including an early
morning outing in small boats to see the multitude of dolphins
passing through the close-in waters.


From Lovina we passed over the mountains again to the central town of
Ubud ... location of Eat, Pray, Love fame. Before arriving in Ubud,
we stopped in Penestanan, a nearby village, to visit (thanks to the
generous invitation of our friend, Made Suartini) a traditional
Balinese family compound with four generations -- and about 18 people
-- all living together. On this wonderful occasion we were greeted
warmly, treated to fresh coconut water (still in the coconuts, of
course) and participated (along with more than 100 year old
"grandma") in making offerings for the upcoming Hindu ceremony to
take place the following day.
 


Settling into the Pertiwi Resort in Ubud we were located right on
Monkey Forest Road in the heart of the shopping, cultural, and
spiritual center of Bali. There was no lack of opportunities to keep
busy on our two free days there. Shopping was done in a grand way.
Many massages were had. Monkeys were entertained. Healers were
visited. Artists were admired. Fine dinners were plentiful. A good
time was had by all.
We spent our first full day in Ubud traveling to Untal-Untal, home of
orphanage #4, the place where our support began. Once again sponsors
got to meet their girls for the very first time. Kathy got to meet
Anggun, Mary and Mike got to meet Rina, and Curt and Tracey got to
meet Katriani, Edie got to meet Winda, CK got to spend time with
Debbie, Martha, and Vicka, and son Bill got to get reacquainted with
Novi and Sukesi. Pat & I, of course, got to spend time with our
girls Siska, Murtini, Dian, and Tiara. Many hugs. Many tears.
Many laughs.
 

As before -- lots of music (for us and by us), gifts, chocolate
candy, dances, Texas line dancing (thanks to Kathy), French Canadian
songs (thanks to Wendy), lots and lots of stickers and temporary
tattoos (thanks to Mary), more fingernail painting (thanks to Eleni,
Pam, and Tracey), lots of big ... huge ... bubbles (thanks to CK),
beautifully decorated flip-flops (thanks to Pat), and a great meal
with the girls (thanks to the staff at the orphanage).
 

One more day of sightseeing included an awesome Barong Dance, a visit
to Ibu Nani's Popilier to see how fine batik fabric is made -- and to
shop some more, then on to a source for beautiful Balinese silver,
and then to the last of our orphanage visits at Bangli, #6. Once
again, there was much music, Balinese dancing, games, American
dancing, more big bubbles, hugs, laughs, and an all-in-all happy
time. That evening we all ended up at the same restaurant for dinner
and an opportunity to share experiences and stories.
 

All too soon, on Thursday, our time was up and the group headed for
the airport for the long journey home.

Son Bill and I stayed over to carry on with some work we had planned
with the Orphanage Foundation leadership. One important development
bears telling here.

Each participant on the trip contributed $500 to the Bali Fund to
enable us to do something meaningful in support of the orphanages.
Our plan was to purchase and install at least three reverse osmosis
water purification systems thereby providing readily available clean
drinking water for the children.

Well -- things changed on that Thursday. Did they ever. Bill, who
works in supply chain management for Trident Seafoods, a very large
Seattle based seafood company, had an introduction to one of
Trident's suppliers in Bali, a large processor of fresh tuna. We,
along with Nengah and Yati from the Orphanage Foundation, visited
that very afternoon, toured their processing plant, and got
acquainted. Later that evening we all had dinner together.

Turns out that this company -- and it's leadership -- is very
socially conscientious with a keen focus on resource preservation and
support for the communities where they do business. Upon learning
about the purpose of our trip and our orphanage support, they made a
most generous donation to the Orphanage Foundation. Specifically,
making use of their sophisticated laboratory capabilities, they
volunteered to complete the installation of water purification
systems in all seven orphanages, to test the water quality monthly,
and to maintain the systems to keep them up to
appropriate standards.

So, that leaves us with the $6,000 we raised with this trip now
available for another high priority use. One top candidate for that
would be to drill the deep well at the village of Soka where we have
our tree plantation and are considering an entry into the fish
farming business.

But then ... that is another story for another time.

More to follow in the weeks and months ahead.

--
The Bill & Pat Bali Fund
9715 Cherry Street
Edmonds, WA 98020
425-771-7990
bill@balifund.org
http://balifund.org/

Bali Trip Update

I've just returned from my latest trip to Bali. Now, I'm working on getting over the jet lag from a quick passage through 16 time zones.

I was not able to visit every single orphanage during this trip, but I did manage to spend time in four of them: #4 Untal-Untal, #2 Blimbingsari, #5 Melaya, and #6 Bangli. Wonderful visits all.

I made sure that all 75 of the sponsor gifts and letters I carried with me were personally delivered. Needless to say, they were very well received by some very happy girls. I have already sent photos to those sponsors whose girls were available at the times of my visits. Some of the girls were away for a variety of reasons, including school, extracurricular activities, and family visits so I was not able to photograph them.

Something new at Melaya -- Traditional Balinese Dance Lessons. :-) What fun.

I returned with more than 100 cards, letters, and gifts for sponsors. I will get those forwarded on to you in the next couple of days.

Good news: We now have every single girl sponsored in three of the seven orphanages: #4 Untal-Untal, #5 Melaya, #6 Bangli. And, we have all the girls except one sponsored in an additional two orphanages: #1 Denpasar and #7 Amlapura. (Two more sponsors and we'll have all the girls in five orphanages covered!) We've also got a start on the girls at Blimbingsari. Total sponsorships are now approaching 150!

We still have many girls available and awaiting sponsorship. So if you have any family, friends, or acquaintances that might be interested in joining in on this effort, please send them my way.

We continue to make progress towards sustainablilty in the individual orphanages and for the Orphanage Foundation. The business potential with Lantern Moon continues to be promising. The gift shop at Untal-Untal is progressing nicely -- and profitably. A new business -- growing catfish -- is now under construction at Blimbingsari. Several other business activities are also under way in other locations.

I also visited the forest plantation project at Soka. Five full hectares of Albasia trees are now planted and growing nicely, with 4,500 trees per hectare (2.5 acres). The first planting is now 13 months old, with the trees already reaching 7 to 8 meters tall. Simply amazing growth considering that they started out as tiny seedlings. Looks like this project is still on target to produce a 10X return on the investment in five years. Just under four years now until the first harvest.

We're also making nice progress with an experimental tomato growing project.

Much of my time during this trip was spent working with the leadership group for the Dhyana Pura Foundation and its Dhyana Pura College to develop a Three-Year Strategic Plan. This college is run by the church in Bali, the same church that sponsors the Orphanage Foundation. In exchange for my work for their college, the church has committed an additional 350,000,000 Rupiah to support the orphanages, nearly doubling their current rate of financial support.

We're making good progress with this planning effort, and we may extend my work to help the college become a university and to assist two other major church holdings, namely a large high school and a beach-front hotel, provided they will further increase their financial support to the orphanages.

There you have it. A quick summary of a very busy and productive two weeks in Bali. As always, questions, comments, and related inquiries more than welcome.

Thanks again for being a part of this important work. It really matters. We're changing lives.

Hello All,

I am now back from a most productive trip to Bali and nearly over the inevitable jet-lag. (I don't know why it is, but I have virtually no difficulty adjusting on my way there … and returning home it takes me over a week to get my sleep schedule back to anything resembling normal.)

Quite a bit of my time was spent with Nengah Swikrama, the Foundation Director, working to develop a Three-Year Strategic Plan for the Foundation. It was certainly gratifying to have an all-day working session with his six key Foundation staff members and to experience their energetic participation and input in the process of refining that Plan. Next, on May 27th, Nengah and those staff members will have an all-day meeting with the seven orphanage directors to gain their participation and input before the Plan is finalized and adopted.

Once that process is completed, all of the key leaders of the Foundation, the seven orphanages, and the related CDC projects should be working in alignment towards common goals, with specific action plans and commitments for the upcoming fiscal year.

I am happy to share the particulars of this work with those of you who might be interested in more detail.

Speaking of the upcoming fiscal year, I will soon be sending out reminders and asking for renewals of your $400 sponsorships for the girls in the orphanages. If you want to send the renewals to me in advance of that, please feel free to do so.

I also visited five of the seven orphanages again this trip. For those of you who sent cards and gifts along with me I delivered every single one … and sent you photos of “your girls” receiving your gifts whenever possible. In several cases the girls were away on school related job training or visiting their families during a brief school break so I could not see them personally.

For me, it was gratifying to see improvements at each location I visited. Nice progress is being made at Bangli, clearly the worst of the seven locations, thanks to the fresh energy and attention Made Christine (formerly the assistant at #4) has brought to those children. The facility at Bangli remains poor and ultimately must be replaced. Nevertheless, the children are happier, hygiene is greatly improved, and everyone seems much more engaged now.

At #4, Untal-Untal, the previous director has been replaced by Tina … a wonderful new addition to the staff. Already, her presence is being felt and reflected in a renewed energy at this location.

On the subject of girls, Pat and I continue to strongly believe that the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty is to educate girls. Accordingly, Nengah and his staff have agreed to a strategic goal of achieving a population of at least 50% girls in each of the six co-ed orphanages. This is in addition to Number 4, which as you know is 100% girls.

I also visited the new Tree Plantation project in the Tabanan area of Bali. This is simply amazing. Three of the seven Plantation hectare (2.5 acre) sections have now been cleared and planted with the special hybrid Albasia trees. Those trees that we saw as knee-high seedlings last November are now 15 to 18 feet tall! The rate of growth is nothing short of amazing. And, most importantly, the cost projections are running according to plan. Initial thinning is scheduled for two to three year old trees, with final harvest at five years. A current projection based on market prices for these trees is a 10:1 payout for the project. So, an investment of about US$10,000 per hectare to clear the land, purchase seeds, grow the seedlings, plant the trees, fertilize them, and maintain the area until harvest will result in a yield of about US$100,000. I think that is a pretty wonderful return on investment and a giant step towards the Foundation goal of sustainability for annual operating expenses.

I will be updating our website shortly with more stories, photos, and several videos I took during this trip.

In addition to the 90 girls we have sponsored currently, there are still more than 100 girls without sponsors. Plus, there are numerous projects focusing on children's hygiene, personal hygiene, starting businesses at the orphanages, working towards sustainability, and increasing self-sufficiency that need funding as well.

The bottom line is this: We're making great progress in serving these wonderful children … and there is still much work to be done.

We need more sponsors. And, we need more contributors. So, if any of you have any friends, acquaintances, or family members whom you think would be attracted to our collective work here, please refer them to me.

As always, I assure you that 100% of the money contributed through our Bill & Pat Bali Fund with Give2Asia will be sent to the orphanages in direct service to the girls there. Nothing will be deducted for any administrative or fund-raising costs. We cover that.

Supporting Girls -- a Bali Update

Pat & I have been hiding out here in the Southern California desert for the past couple of months escaping at least a portion of the Seattle winter. Even though we are quite some distance from our home base, we've still been fairly busy with our Bali work of sponsoring girls in the Widhya Asih Orphanages.

Quite a few new sponsors have surfaced in the past two months. So, we're now sponsoring a total of 90 girls in three different orphanages. Imagine that! 90 girls getting a chance at education and a far, far better life ... all thanks to a marvelous group of generous sponsors and supporters. =D> Here are the details:

72 girls in Widhya Asih IV in Untal-Untal.

13 girls in Widhya Asih V in Melaya, in the agricultural far west of Bali.

5 girls in Widhya Asih VI in Bangli, about an hour north of Denpasar.

In mid-December, shortly before we left to head south, we were fortunate to hear Nicolas Kristoff speak at a gathering in Kirkland, WA. With the publication of his recent book Half the Sky, he and his co-author and wife, Sheryl WuDunn, have been getting a fair bit of publicity these days, including an appearance with Oprah.

If one were ever to question the benefits of supporting and educating girls in the developing world, a case more compelling than the one made by Krisoff and Wu Dunn would be difficult to find. Dealing quite directly with issues of cultural bias, lack of education, marriage at a very early age, human trafficking and sex slavery, exposure to HIV/AIDS, infanticide, maternal mortality, and deep-seated religious constraints, Kristoff and WuDunn present a compelling scenario on how we can make meaningful inroads into dealing with these seemingly insurmountable challenges and help these young women break out of the cycle of poverty and achieve productive, satisfying lives.

We highly recommend the book to you.

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Sky-Oppression-Opportunity-Worldwide/dp/0307267148/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267570034&sr=8-1

Another quite compelling piece is "The Girl Effect". I sent out a link to this video a few months ago, but for those who might have missed it, here it is again. Take a look ... it's only about two minutes long.

http://www.girleffect.org/video

Last year -- thanks to the involvement and generosity of such a wonderful group of friends and supporters ... we were able ... through the Bill & Pat Bali Fund ... to send more than $40,000 directly to the Widhya Asih Foundation orphanages ... all in direct support of educating girls.

I anticipate we will significantly exceed that amount for 2010. And, once again, Pat & I will personally cover all the administrative expenses associated with Give2Asia so that every single penny of contributed money will go directly to supporting and educating girls.

In the latter part of May I will be in contact with those of you currently sponsoring one or more girls to renew those sponsorships. In the meantime, if any of you have friends or acquaintances that might be interested in our work, please share your story with them. Feel free to refer them to me if they are interested in more information ... and, of course, our website http://balifund.org is readily available to them.