Hundreds of years ago, bartering was how people survived, exchanging one commodity for another. Even in this day and age this can still be found in many countries where people lived isolated and simple lives.
For example: I grow corn, you grow bananas, we exchange and now both communities have variety of foods. However in the majority of the world with developing nations this does not occur! People work, they want to earn more and more money to fund their life styles!! Children are brought up in a very money orientated world, and sadly, I believe wanting everything NOW!! The old way of save then buy has been eradicated. Credit, buy now pay later has allowed this to happen, and adults as well as children ignore the fact the money has to be repaid and usually with interest!!
I am not saying it is wrong, as not everyone does follow this path. It is just as well people do have the ethos to work and earn as I am now getting to my point of PMP!! There are so many people who are giving so generously to all the PROJECTS around the world!!
Rotary the International organisation has over 1.2 million members and 35,000+ clubs around the world! The 6 main focuses of Rotary are:
- Promoting Peace
- Fighting disease
- Providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene
- Saving mothers and children
- Supporting education
- Growing local economies
As much as we would love to we cannot do everything so we have to focus on a few objectives and do our best with them. Rotary clubs world-wide depend on active membership, dedicated members, all working together to achieve a goal, and those goals are our PROJECTS!! But to achieve our project goals we need money!!! Our money comes from many sources, the yearly membership fees, which vary from club to club, donations from members, donations from non- members, donations from companies, businesses, fund raising events. For the many regular readers of Bali Advertiser, and those who read the “Rotary News” column, you will have knowledge of all the projects undertaken, by the Rotary clubs in Bali.
There are so many projects and always a new one will emerge as the need arises, and the need at present has arisen. With the eruption of Mt. Agung and the subsequent evacuation programme, the problems associated with many people in a small area are huge. Food/water/medicines/ shelter/ clothing/ sanitation/hygiene/the sick/the elderly/ the pregnant/ the children. The fathers/husbands who cannot farm or care for animals, or work in general. It is impossible for each Rotary club to address every issue, though we may try; funds are at a premium depending on donations from whoever can give a little or a lot!
Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset in conjunction with “Yayasan Kita Peduli/Rumah Sehat”( run by 2 of our members) which has a free medical clinic, school, between Culik and Amed in the regency of Karangasem, is deemed an official evacuation centre. The main problem is providing water to all the evacuees; think about how much water you use in a day from the minute you get up to going to bed? It is quite considerable? Yes? So how do we provide water for all those people? Initially the large 19 litre containers were supplied, they cost money, and use electricity and they have to be transported to Amed. Then there were many donations of the Nazava water filtration system. This is a 2 tier system, where ordinary tap water is poured into the top tier and it is filtered through a special ceramic filter. A great system, as after initial outlay, only tap water needed. But the problem here is who maintains them and keeps them clean and regularly fills them? Then an even BIGGER PROBLEM, the tap water is turned off every morning at 10 am by the government!!
So now I come to the PROJECT!!! Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset has approved a project proposal from some of our members to dig a bore to provide water! But, and there is always a but, it has to be financed! RCBUS has approved funds for half of the cost; and there is now a funding proposal submitted to the District for a District Grant. This is funds that clubs in a certain area can request, not always successful, sadly!
Once they approve and I am being very positive they will, then RCBUS can go ahead with the project. A suitable dig has to be found; assessment of the site, before any digging takes place and then the building of it and the pumps required pumping the water to the surface. This will not just be for this emergency situation but will continue to supply water for the local people and of course the free medical clinic and the school. A very quick word on the “school” it is for students finishing high school who require extra skills in English language and computer skills to enhance the chance of working. It is a 6 month intense course and students are often sponsored for the fees. Anyone can sponsor a student and information on that can be found on the web site. The medical clinic is staffed by qualified nurses and doctors, treating people, free, from the remote areas that otherwise would have no medical care. The nurses also go to the villages for those who cannot walk to the clinic, or have any transport. I hope then our faithful readers, you can see how my title “People=Money=Projects,” is so relevant? We are hoping that the funds will be approved in the very near future so we can proceed with this absolutely vital project! Water is necessary for health/ hygiene/cooking/washing, sanitation and I cannot stress this enough!
If you would like to contribute, attend a meeting, see what we do, we meet twice a month in Ubud, all ages welcome! We are a very relaxed club, no pomp and ceremony except for an agenda, meetings only last 1 hour with a social time before to enjoy a meal, if you wish. Once a month we have a guest speaker, who are very diverse and informative. So click on the following for all the information you may require!: http://rotarybaliubudsunset.org.
Written by Renee Heaton, member Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset.
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