ubud, may 24
as a precursor to our coursework, we visited three NGOs in ubud and the surrounding area. below are some reflections:
1. the green school
the green school is a non-profit private school that teaches international students from pre-k up until high school. it was founded in 2006 by two australian ex-pats named john and cynthia hardy. the school is run almost 100% sustainably - students commute on buses that run on used cooking oil, classrooms are built entirely out of bamboo, and solar panels provide about 40 percent of its energy. the green school takes a very unique, student-centered approach to education, allowing the children themselves to create and run social enterprises that help the environment. i was really impressed by the school, and i think it provides a model of sustainability that could be applied elsewhere. after the visit, we talked about some problems we had with the school, such as its inaccessibility to students with physical disabilities, its relatively low percentage of balinese students, and the financial barriers to attending. despite these issues, i do think they’re doing some really good work, and i would love to see the same sustainable methods applied in other parts of the world.
2. PKP women’s center
the PKP center was founded in 2014 by sari pollen, who also runs the sari hati school for mentally disabled children. we were lucky enough to meet sari, who told us her incredible story. she went through a divorce about ten years ago, and under bali’s patriarchal system, she lost custody of her child and was cast out of her home. being divorced or unmarried carries a lot of shame for women here here in bali. sari spoke to us about how she teaches women to combat that shame, to come to know themselves and support each other. she runs skill programs that teach sewing, english, cooking, public speaking, and yoga. these classes allow women to improve their physical and emotional health and gain financial independence. i thought that this organization was an excellent example of how important it is for social enterprises to be run by leaders who understand and relate to the people they are trying to help. sari is using her knowledge and experience to help other women; because she has struggled through similar situations, she knows exactly what skills can help.
3. senang hati foundation
senang hati is a non-profit organization created to help people with disabilities gain self-confidence, physical and economic independence, and increased disability awareness in the general community. the organization was founded by putu suriati, a woman who was left wheelchair-bound after contracting polio in her childhood. senang hati creates programs that teach disabled people cooking, cleaning, english, and computer skills. it also has arts and theater programs, and runs “happy hearts” tours of bali for disabled people in accessible motor bikes. the organization generates funds by selling members’ artwork and handicrafts. we were lucky to meet putu, who gave as an introduction to the foundation and a tour of its campus. she told us about the unique struggles disabled balinese people face - in hinduism, disabilities are sometimes believed to be bad karma or the sign of an evil spirit, which facilitates stigma, shame, and rejection. she told us that until she was able to gain physical/economic independence, she was at home “waiting to die.” she put a huge emphasis on how important it was for her members to learn to take care of themselves and develop self-confidence. this organization is another example of how effective enterprises are when they are led by members of the marginalized groups they seek to help.
donation links (for posterity/family and friends who are so inclined)
green school
pkp women’s center
bhakti senang hati foundation (address only, no paypal)