The concept of thrift stores/op shops is well established in North America, England and Australia although it’s new to Asia. When the Smile Shop opened in Ubud at the end of 2006, it immediately drew a group of regulars, both Balinese and western, who dropped by once or twice a week to see what was new. The concept was an instant hit.
One person’s junk is another’s treasure, and many a gem has been gleaned from the bric a brac of a thrift store. I know of a woman who picked up a pearl necklace that turned out to be real. I myself have scored a Tibetan singing bowl, a Paul Ropp skirt and some brilliant books in a single week at the Smile Shop. There’s also the opportunity to experiment with exotic garments -- you can afford to make a lot of fashion errors at Rp 20,000 a pop.
Ubud now boasts three thrift shops, each raising money for a different cause.
The Pelangi Shop, which opened just before Galungan, is an arm of Pelangi Community School. The school was established by parents to offer alternative preschool and elementary education to children in and around Ubud. The bilingual school offers an inspiring holistic education in a rice field setting between Ubud and Mas. The 90 students are a mixture Balinese, mixed parentage and western children. The school is solely funded by tuition and kind donations from parents.
Pelangi Shop, located in the parking area just before Siam Sally’s in Pengosekan, was opened to raise funds to support tuition scholarships for children from poor local families. The shop offers gently used children’s clothes, books, shoes and toys, DVDs, factory over-runs of adult clothing, giftware, furniture and unique pottery from Gaya Ceramic and Sari Api. There is also a plant swap area. “Our kids grow like grass, so this is a great way to recycle things within the community while generating some cash,” points out Vivienne Low, whose daughter attends Pelangi School. “You can pick up a stroller or car seat here at a fraction of the cost of a new one, and when you’re finished with it we can sell it again.”
Adding to the buzz on Jalan Gootema, Ubud’s increasingly trendy lane, is the Jungle Shop. The Sumatran Orangutan Society’s (SOS) new thrift store sells an eclectic assortment of clothes, books, factory over-runs and just about everything else. DVD exchange will soon be available. Also featured is a range of unique SOS merchandise, some designed by the late Jason Monet.
Proceeds from the Jungle Shop go to a wide variety of SOS programs in Bali and Sumatra. The Bali office, located behind KAFE on Jalan Hanoman, offers outreach to travellers and access to government officials and international organizations that meet in Bali for campaigns and conventions. Also, Bali is a hub of Indonesia’s illegal wildlife industry and it’s helpful for SOS to have representation here.
But most of the work is in Sumatra, where the dwindling population of unique Sumatran orangutans survives. SOS programs include the training of 90 licensed guides at Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan, conservation education for school children through the OranguVan and producing thousands of activity, colouring and exercise books for students that raise awareness of conservation issues and are distributed without cost.
SOS is actively involved in rainforest conservation and rehabilitation. “Illegal logging has reduced Sumatra’s rainforests to a fraction of what they were 20 years ago,” points out SOS founder Lucy Wisdom, “Loss of habitat has pushed Sumatra’s elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses and orangutans to the brink of extinction.” SOS maintains a tree nursery providing saplings for local communities and works with the government to replant degraded areas of several national parks.
Shoppers can help support the reforestation program through the SOS ‘Buy a Tree’ campaign. A donation of Rp 20,000 per tree gets you a certificate and the knowledge that more trees will be planted in Sumatra’s parks.
The Smile Shop, Ubud’s flagship thrift store, continues to thrive. All proceeds go to support the surgeries of people with cranio-facial deformities. For more information on the Smile Shop, see my articles Rescued Smiles and Still Smiling on the Bali Advertiser website.
Who would have thought we could do our community service by shopping? If you’re moving house or just having a clear-out, please consider donating what you no longer need to these organizations. Anything clean/gently used/in working order is welcome. Please note that the shops have staggered the days they are closed so the op shop addict will always be able to get a fix!
Pelangi Shop – Please bring donations to the shop between 9 and 5, Monday to Saturday. Furniture can be picked up; contact 081 337 331 351. If you wish to contribute directly to the scholarship fund, please call Pelangi School at 0361 850 459. Check the website www.pelangischoolbali.com
Jungle Shop - Donations can be left at the shop, at Bali Buddha in Ubud or the SOS office behind KAFE on Jalan Hanoman. Larger consignments or furniture can be picked up; please call 0361 972906. The shop is located at the south end of Jalan Gootama and is open every day except Tuesday between 10 and 6. For more information about SOS, visit www.orangutans-sos.org
Smile Shop – located on Jalan Sri Widari north from Café Moka. Please bring donations to the shop between 10 and 4 Tuesday to Saturday or noon to 4 on Sundays. For more information see www.senyumbali.com
’Dragons in the Bath’, a collection of Ibu Kat’s stories, is now available in paper back from
* Kuta : The Bali Advertiser office
* Seminyak : Ganesha at Biku
* Ubud : Ganesha Books, KAFE, Threads of Life, Eve Body Treatment Centres
* Sanur : Dijon
