Each June we begin our yearly commitment to help the village children here in North Bali attend kindergarten, elementary, junior high and senior high schools . Tati and our daughter Putri visit the home’s of the children to observe their living environment and access their needs for assistance.
Many of the children’s providers or parents in the rural villages work in rice fields, vegetable gardens and as clove or coffee pickers. Most often these workers are paid off with the products they are harvesting and are unable to barter their good for cash to pay for school fees, uniforms, shoes and school supplies for their children.
Every year approximately 60 children will receive a bag of school supplies which includes: 1 dozen note books, drawing books, pens, pencils, erasers, correction pens, sharpeners, rulers and a pencil case. Those students who are in need, will also get new school uniforms and backpacks. All the students will receive new shoes, socks, singlets (white cotton tank tops) and underpants. The girls also get panties and short pants to go between their panties and their skirts, also training bras and bras, which guards them from unwanted advances by male students and teachers.
AHFC also provides the financial support for promising and self-directed students to attend local Universities and Trade Schools. Our sponsored graduates have achieved degrees in Accounting, Business, Education, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Nursing and Mid-Wife Certification. We are currently sponsoring a 3rd year and a 1st year University student in Business, a 2nd year Nursing student and a soon-to-graduate student in Hotel Management, who has been offered employment in Dubai upon graduation.
From our past experiences, we have found that focusing on providing the opportunity for children from poor families to attend school is the most effective way to change the direction and outcome of the children’s otherwise undeveloped mind set.