On January 14,2022, Rotary’s District Governor [DG], Cindy Bachtiar, visited all Rotary Clubs on Bali, including Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset [RCBUS]. She was accompanied by the Assistant district Governor [AG] s///, and representatives from several other Rotary Clubs from Bali.
DG Cindy held management positions in international banking for 13 years. She then relocated to Semarang Central Java, to raise her family alongside her husband. She also owns and manages Vina House, a business which houses offices and events such as weddings and conventions. She also established a business which develops housing for the middle to high end market. DG Cindy joined Rotary Club Semarang Kunthi where she was President for 2015-2016, the Assistant Governor for 2017, and chaired the District Conference for Rotary District 3420 in 2018. DG Cindy is an outstanding example of Rotary International’s credo – Service Above Self.
DGCindy began her visit with a site inspection of RCBUS’ Sewing for Living project, a visit she had specifically requested.The project teaches women to use sewing machines and to crochet so they can earn money while working from their homes.This supports the Rotary International focus RCBUS President, Hans Schmid; Past President, Kartika (Tika) Dewi; Secretary, Made Rohani; and Rotarian, Marion Hook, represented RCBUS. Local women who participate in the Sewing for Living project, spoke with DG Cindy and the people accompanying her. It was explained to her that all of the yarn used by the women was donated by individuals from Australia and the US. Australian Rotary Club of Alfredton donated sewing and overlock machines. US Rotary Club of Tucson Sunrise has donated over 40 kilos of yarn and fabric to the project along with financial support enabling the group to find new markets where the products handcrafted by the women can be sold. Financial support has been donated by Rotary Club New Tampa Noon.
DG Cindy personally invited President Hans and Rotarian Marion to discuss the Sewing for Living Project at Rotary District 3420’s district conference to be held in Semerang, Java, in May of this year. She also gave her permission for products handcrafted by the Sewing for Living women to be sold at the conference. DG Cindy and those with her purchased many of the products they saw at the Sewing for Living site.RCBUS is gratified that its Sewing for Living project is able to support two of Rotary International’s seven major focuses, supporting local economies and supporting women and children.
The meeting then continued at WedjaRestaurant. All shared lunch as they discussed some of RCBUS’ other projects: Long Sam* (formerly known as The WEHEA Project), the water project at Seraya Village, and the projects of our Rotaract Club. President Hans explained the planning process that would be used to establish the mission and vision statements for Long Sam, along with the identification of its motivation, financial status and needs, stakeholders, challenges, possible solutions to those challenges, and current position. He also explained Long Sam’s collaborative efforts with the local, regional, and federal governments; police; military; and people living within the reach of Long Sam.
Past President Tika discussed the water project in Seraya Village. RCBUS members, with the help of the Rotaracts, have installed 9 large water tanks which will enable the nine families who received them to harvest water from fresh water sources including rain. The tanks work with the aid of gravity, so no pumps need to be installed and then maintained. Tika explained that 30 more tanks are need in Seraya Village to ensure that all families have access to fresh water. To be able to provide the tanks, RCBUS will hold two fundraisers, one in early summer and the second annual Bogies for Bali charity golf tournament on 10 September 2022 at Handara Golf &Resort Bali.
The work of our Rotaract Club was also explained. The young Rotarians helped with the Seraya Water Project. They also delivered books and school supplies to various elementary schools in the area. Again,RCBUS is gratified that its Long Sam project, water projects and the projects initiated and completed by the Rotaracts are able to support two more of Rotary International’s seven major focuses, supporting water, sanitation and hygiene and supporting education.
*Long Sam loosely translates from a Dayak language to English to mean “in the vicinity of the Sam River”, a tributary of the Kelai River in Kalimantan.
Members of RCBUS are friendly people of action. If you are considering joining RCBUS and would like to attend a meeting to see what we are all about, please contact Marion Hook at marion.hook@gmail.com for more information. We meet every 2ndMonday at Warong Mina Ubud and every last Monday of the month at Sthala Ubud Bali, a five-star hotel managed by Marriott International. It is located in Lodtunduh Village in Ubud. If you would like to join this dynamic group of people from three different continents who love Bali and work to help the people who live here, information to do so can be found at http://rotarybaliubudsunset.org/how-to-become-an-rcbus-member/