It’s not just about Us!! - Bali Advertiser

Yes, that’s right; “it’s not just about us!!” Regular readers to the “Rotary News” will have realised over the weeks and months that Rotary International is about “serving the community”. Raising funds and funding projects to better the health, life and education of those less fortunate than ourselves. Plus the disaster relief work when it is needed.

However, Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset, is also very interested in learning what other organisations are involved in and if we can join with them in ventures/projects. Once a month we have guest speakers from various NGO’S, Foundations, Kommunitas and individuals who agree to come and inform us on what they do. These talks occur on the last Monday of the month when our meeting is at Maya Resort, Ubud. Here they have the facility of a screen and can use power point, video etc. As our meetings are for just 1 hour, we ask our guests to limit their talk to 25 minutes! As you can imagine for some this is very difficult as they have so much to tell us! So after the meeting has been closed there is often the opportunity if anyone wishes to remain for a Q and A session.

So now, let’s have some samples of those who come to talk to us, tell us what THEY DO.

Emas Hitam – Indonesia. Ecological solutions to poverty and development; educate and assist framers of several areas to plant moringa, – one of the richest sources of nutrients. Kadek and Wen deliver 10-15 day concentrated agricultural training to determine what help is needed.

Susan Tereba – talked about Dementia and Alzheimer’s. For the past 15 years had cared for her husband, and also enlisted the help of full time carers to assist her. She has written a book “Piece by Piece, Love in the land of Alzheimer’s”. Very interesting when it is first hand experience, for more information https//alz.org.

Chris Sperduto – Helmet Man!! Chris , also a Rotarian founded his “Helmet Man” project to educate young children, their parents and the school teachers in the importance of wearing a helmet and fastening it! Chris goes to preschools, elementary schools dressed in his red jump suit plus helmet and delivers an interactive session with the kids, parents and teachers. He fund raises to provide the helmets FREE to children and to date has distributed more than 10,000 helmets!

Melati and Isabel Wijsen founded at only the age of 10 and 12, the organisation “Bye Bye Plastic Bags”! They are also Interacts, the junior section of Rotary! They attended the Green school in Ubud. They have produced a booklet to explain their work and over 1,000 had been distributed. They have recruited women to make bags to replace plastic bags but of course the sewing machines are costly! For more information listen to their talk – https:// www.ted.com/talks/melati.

Bill Dalton- regular readers of Bali Advertiser will know Bill from his regular columns. Bill is the founder of Moon Publications which in 1973 he wrote the first Indonesian and Bali Travel Guide. Bill has travelled to over 80 countries, during past 26 years, explored many of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands visiting them many times as well as living on them. Considered the foremost travel expert on Indonesia, he talked of the many difficulties of collecting information and travelling in very remote areas, never mind living there!

Ron Lilley – Bali’s most famous “snake man”!! Ron’s mobile number is a MUST on any fridge door!! No snakes present I am happy to say!! His talk was so very informative, showing how there are many snakes in Bali and the difficulty of identifying them. His main pieces of advice – if you see a snake, in your home or garden DO NOT TOUCH IT!! Ring Ron and he will come to relive you of it and give you advice on what to do! From personal experience, not long after his talk, I had occasion to ring Ron, he was amazing!! SO GLAD his number was on my fridge!! You will find him on FB, I do not want to infringe his privacy by giving out his number in this article, I hope you all agree?

PROJECT KARMA. This is one project which just CANNOT be ignored or left out…Glen Hulley is an ex policeman from Victoria Australia. Along with other ex-police, specialist organisations they have set up an organisation to combat child sexual exploitation! The facts on this 35 billion dollar industry would leave you with your mouth wide open, as it did to all those present! This is a world-wide problem, very prevalent in SE Asia, with over 5 million children involved from as young as 4 years. They are smuggled into countries, locked in boxes, crates etc., to avoid customs, for the pleasure of the perverted! They work with Federal Police, customs/excise; teach local police and make the villagers aware of what is happening; to be on the alert and report anything suspicious. They have managed in Australia to have a register of known sexual offenders compiled so they cannot leave the country. If you want to read/learn more please research Project Karma on the Internet.

Debby Lukito Goejardi. Another project I just cannot leave out! Debby is a children’s book author since 2004 having written over 12 books and winning prizes for some of them. She has been sponsored by the Indonesian Education Department to visit Europe for research and presentations. Apart from this work, Debby along with Dewa Dharmayasa founded in 2012 the KOMMUNE KANADITYA –“motivate, inspire and empower.” They are based at the Pasar Badung ( traditional market) in Denpasar, working with the “carry-children”, children as young as 5 are made by their parents to work from 4-10 am and from 2-10pm in the market carrying, or out on the streets selling, which is of course illegal. Of 60 children only 8 attend full time school! They run a weekend programme on Saturday and Sunday mornings for 2 hours, along with a group of volunteers teaching the children to read, write, sums, craft, cooking skills etc., plus sexual education and awareness. They also try and provide health care for the children, food and outings. They also work with the disabled children in the special, school in Jimbaran, visit the children’s cancer ward in Sanglah hospital and the abandoned babies ward.

So there you have some of the awesome people in Bali doing amazing work! Unfortunately space does not allow me to mention every worthwhile organisation or to fully elaborate those I have mentioned! So you now you see the meaning of my title – “IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT US”?

If you are interested in attending our meetings, we meet the 2nd and last Monday of the month, we are a very friendly group with members from all over the world, you will be made very welcome!! No pressure to join!!

For more information: http:/rotarybaliubudsunset.org/ http:/www.facebook,com,groups/129279773753349

Written by Renee Heaton, member Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset.

You can read all past articles of Rotary News at

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