Welcome to the latest news from Rotary Club Bali Seminyak (RCBS). There have been dramatic changes here in Bali since our last published message. Our calm environment has been rattled by Mt. Agung’s apparent interest in erupting…we just don’t when or even if! In the meantime, RCBS has responded by delivering dozens of water filters to evacuation camps, collecting monetary donations and coordinating with other Rotary clubs in Bali through a District Rotary Committee led by Rotary Club Bali Kuta.
Over a hundred thousand villagers have been evacuated from their homes and are now living in tents, or with family or friends. Throughout Bali, the land of a thousand temples, every village is holding special temple ceremonies dedicated to calming the mountain and keeping all of us safe.
The project work of RCBS continues with some amazing results, especially influenced by the sex life of pigs and goats. Female piglets given to 10 poverty level families have matured and YES!!! Lots of baby piglets! The new piglet arrivals will be distributed among many more poverty level families and soon will vastly improve their economies. Children will better fed and clothed and parents will be able to keep children in school. A big OINK OINK to our prolific pigs.
On Nusa Penida, our project goats are just figuring out how to make baby goats. Sex was clearly not these goats’ highest priority… but at long last there are four little goats. Alas, three of the four babies are males. Perhaps there’s an extra supply of goat testosterone in the goat herd? At least we now have evidence that the goats know how to ‘do it.’
The Puhu Global Grant, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene, is moving right along and over 500 children have been examined by the local Government Clinic (Puskesmas). Doctors, dentists, nurses and technicians check children from head to toe…including vision screening! Where a health problem was identified, the clinic will follow-up with parents.
Another batch of 600 reading books was delivered to an elementary school in Tabanan. There simply are not enough government supplied books that entice children to read. In this oral culture, it is so important to get our young peoples’ cute little noses into books!
Thanks to the generosity of the Australian Consulates’ Direct Aid Program (DAP), RCBS is competing with many other clubs and organization for project funding. RCBS submitted two project applications. Now we’re waiting to learn if one (or maybe both?) of our projects will be selected for funding. Fingers crossed!
Working at a great distance, a Global Grant on the island of Flores is moving towards completion. It will bring water to over 5,000 people. And another possible Global Grant, also on Flores, is meant to create hundreds of new jobs through increased tourism. We’re still polishing the application…to be continued.
Have a bit of open time? Join us at a meeting. We meet every Wednesday at noon at the gorgeous The Trans Resort and Hotel on Sunset Road, Kerobokan. Click on:
http://rotaryseminyak.org/events/calendar to see our calendar.
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