Outreach volunteers at The Lighthouse Bali are busy gathering and distributing much-needed supplies for the Balinese who have been evacuated from their homes on the slopes of Bali’s majestic Mount Agung. Since the evacuations began in September, the volcano has sputtered with ash plumes ranging from quite small to a height of 3000 m above the top of the crater.
There is no telling how long this activity might continue – in the meantime, 70,000 people have been evacuated from the mountain and spread throughout 237 points of refuge, according to Indonesia’s National Board for Disaster Countermeasure (“BNPB”). The Lighthouse receives donations from private parties – mainly expats living in Bali, but also supporters of the organization from around the world.
In addition to providing support for those in crisis, Alice Dill Prasetyoko, the founder of The Lighthouse Bali, explains that the primary mission of their organization is to improve the health and well-being of people struggling with drug addiction, alcoholism, HIV and AIDS. To work towards these goals, The Lighthouse has two primary areas of focus:
1) Private drug and alcohol treatment programs for individuals struggling with substance abuse
2) Outreach to those in Indonesia struggling with basic urgent needs (as in the case of the Mt. Agung evacuees), and education to the Indonesian people about addiction, harm reduction, HIV and AIDS.
Alice and her Indonesian husband, Wira “Danu”, enjoy a remarkably high success rate with their private recovery clients, as well as a fantastic reputation in the industry of addiction services. While the majority of their clients are Australian, they have also worked with clients from Saudi Arabia, Holland, Hong Kong, England, America, Canada and other locations around the world. Often, their clients have tried a “go” with traditional rehabs and found the “one size fits all” approach just didn’t work for them.
The Lighthouse attributes its success to the individual one-on-one care provided to each client. They never take more than 3 clients at any one time, setting up private programs for each person in a private villa with support staff, counselling, education, recovery tools workshops, recovery community support… and self-care in the form of massages, wellness programs, healthy food prepared by a private chef and interesting excursions around the island. Treatment stays are tailored for the financial and time-constraint issues of each client – typically ranging from 28 days to 6 months (with primary and outpatient programs available).
Having worked in the traditional “group” rehab environment, both in America and in Southeast Asia, Alice saw the need for something different. “While a group dynamic works extremely well is many instances, not everyone fits into the same mould,” she says. “We are able to offer our clients a program that works specifically for them – some clients prefer swimming in the ocean instead of yoga for their morning exercise; one client might be better served with our British counsellor, while someone else might benefit more from our counsellor from Australia. We provide each client with a high level of respect, as opposed to the ‘boot camp with a babysitter’ type of approach often found in traditional rehabs. A huge part of our program is geared towards integration back into society and relapse prevention – areas often overlooked in other programs.”
When the client is feeling more stable in their recovery process, they are encouraged to participate in The Lighthouse’s community outreach programs – whether that is providing food and fun to children who live in a marginalized community, an animal halfway house, or those recent Mt. Agung evacuees – many options are available.
Outreach to those suffering from addiction is spearheaded by Alice’s husband, Danu, himself a recovering heroin addict. He and a team of volunteers often visit those in prison, including members of Australia’s infamous Bali Nine, and they give talks at local schools, neighbourhood centers and other non-profit facilities.
Danu has a remarkable story of addiction and recovery. His strength and enthusiasm for recovery are infectious. Having been homeless during his addiction, last year, Danu was invited to join Indonesia’s street soccer team at the Homeless World Cup games in Glasgow, Scotland – an opportunity of a lifetime and one close to Danu’s heart.
Competing with teams from over 50 countries, every player had his or her own remarkable journey through incredible hardship – be it addiction, disability, violence or poverty, coming together in sportsmanship and love to carry the empowering message of breaking stigmas. For more information on the Homeless World Cup, please visit their website: homelessworldcup.org.
Having worked in the non-profit environment for many years – mainly with a focus on addiction or HIV/AIDS education – Danu is perfectly suited to head the outreach efforts of The Lighthouse. With her past experience in the field of addiction treatment, as well as over two decades of personal recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, Alice falls right into the role of facilitating the private clients’ addiction treatment program. Together, Danu and Alice make an amazing team – one that thrives in their chosen area of expertise.
For more information about The Lighthouse Bali, please contact them: info@thelighthousebali.org
Telp : +62 858 5731 3512