Kabar wisata East Bali Poverty Project Bali memiliki dua artikel tentang EBPP dan pendiri dan chairman, David Booth MBE.
Pengalusan Hamlet, Karangasem
The Other Side of Bali
Pengalusan hamlet, Kubu sub district in Karangasem Regency is located near the saddle of
Mount Abang and Mount Agung. It is over 100 km
from Denpasar and two hours drive to the border
of Kubu sub district. Then, to get Pengalusan
Hamlet, it takes us an hour’s drive by off-road
vehicle along steep and stony dirt roads.
Geographically, this territory constitutes a dry and
barren land. Livelihood of the local people is unirrigated farming of cassava and corn and raising
cattle. Behind the barren land it has, in fact it also
retains an alluring panorama. Just have a look at
The crew of Bali Dynasty posing together with the on the right and left sides of the road, they are
Children of Pengalusan
overgrown by pine forest that once in a while are
graced with the melodious twitter of wild birds.
At the beginning of August, Bali Travel News had an opportunity to visit the territory together
with a social humanity foundation ‘The Eastern Bali Poverty Project’. Since 1998, this
foundation initiated its program in the territory that was immensely isolated from the outside
world. Its inhabitants found it very difficult to get water; sanitation, road, school, healthcare
facility and electricity. These make the people living there are far from proper category. Many
of them suffered from skin diseases, malnutrition, death of pregnant mothers and thyroid
problems due to iodine deficiency.
According to Komang Kurniawan, Team Leader of the project, his local team takes some six
months to ensure the local people are ready and willing to receive assistance from outside.
Through such approach, they are gradually taught about the healthy life behaviour, education
and dry land farming in the right manner.
Having now worked for eight years, much progress has been achieved. The communities come
to realize the significance of health by bathing twice a day to avoid skin illnesses, consume
healthy food to prevent thyroid as well as establish integrated healthcare posts for the
treatment of babies and pregnant mothers. Likewise, there are the establishment of water
reservoirs to store water channelled from mountain springs to rural areas to be consumed by
villagers.
Educational infrastructure of schools has been established to provide reliable and relevant
education. According to the Head of the Foundation, David J Booth, it was accomplished due to
participation and assistance of local inhabitants having high motivation to develop their
territory. "We are glad to see the result of our hard work. They get education, healthy life and
smiles of healthy children make us supremely happy," he said.
Other than subjects complying with the curricula, all schoolchildren are taught extra curricular
subjects such as health, nutrition, organic farming, art and English.
The Pengalusan project has been sponsored by Bali Dynasty Hotel, Kuta, since its launch in
September 2000. Its purpose is to give the community the opportunity to acquire proper and
healthy life, food security, self reliance and sustainable development of their region.
By now, all of East Bali Poverty Project’s 5 schools are able to commemorate the Independence
Day of the RI (17/8) by many kinds of activity such as folk party as other territories do. Their
events include art, comedy, pop song, drama and several competitions. All are centralized at
the dry river bed, near the border of Pengalusan Hamlet.(BTN/Rai)
‘Pengalusan Hamlet, Karangasem: The Other Side of Bali’, Bali Travel News, August 25 September 7 2006 Edition, p.23
The Other Side of Bali
Pengalusan hamlet, Kubu sub district in Karangasem Regency is located near the saddle of
Mount Abang and Mount Agung. It is over 100 km
from Denpasar and two hours drive to the border
of Kubu sub district. Then, to get Pengalusan
Hamlet, it takes us an hour’s drive by off-road
vehicle along steep and stony dirt roads.
Geographically, this territory constitutes a dry and
barren land. Livelihood of the local people is unirrigated farming of cassava and corn and raising
cattle. Behind the barren land it has, in fact it also
retains an alluring panorama. Just have a look at
The crew of Bali Dynasty posing together with the on the right and left sides of the road, they are
Children of Pengalusan
overgrown by pine forest that once in a while are
graced with the melodious twitter of wild birds.
At the beginning of August, Bali Travel News had an opportunity to visit the territory together
with a social humanity foundation ‘The Eastern Bali Poverty Project’. Since 1998, this
foundation initiated its program in the territory that was immensely isolated from the outside
world. Its inhabitants found it very difficult to get water; sanitation, road, school, healthcare
facility and electricity. These make the people living there are far from proper category. Many
of them suffered from skin diseases, malnutrition, death of pregnant mothers and thyroid
problems due to iodine deficiency.
According to Komang Kurniawan, Team Leader of the project, his local team takes some six
months to ensure the local people are ready and willing to receive assistance from outside.
Through such approach, they are gradually taught about the healthy life behaviour, education
and dry land farming in the right manner.
Having now worked for eight years, much progress has been achieved. The communities come
to realize the significance of health by bathing twice a day to avoid skin illnesses, consume
healthy food to prevent thyroid as well as establish integrated healthcare posts for the
treatment of babies and pregnant mothers. Likewise, there are the establishment of water
reservoirs to store water channelled from mountain springs to rural areas to be consumed by
villagers.
Educational infrastructure of schools has been established to provide reliable and relevant
education. According to the Head of the Foundation, David J Booth, it was accomplished due to
participation and assistance of local inhabitants having high motivation to develop their
territory. "We are glad to see the result of our hard work. They get education, healthy life and
smiles of healthy children make us supremely happy," he said.
Other than subjects complying with the curricula, all schoolchildren are taught extra curricular
subjects such as health, nutrition, organic farming, art and English.
The Pengalusan project has been sponsored by Bali Dynasty Hotel, Kuta, since its launch in
September 2000. Its purpose is to give the community the opportunity to acquire proper and
healthy life, food security, self reliance and sustainable development of their region.
By now, all of East Bali Poverty Project’s 5 schools are able to commemorate the Independence
Day of the RI (17/8) by many kinds of activity such as folk party as other territories do. Their
events include art, comedy, pop song, drama and several competitions. All are centralized at
the dry river bed, near the border of Pengalusan Hamlet.(BTN/Rai)
‘Pengalusan Hamlet, Karangasem: The Other Side of Bali’, Bali Travel News, August 25 September 7 2006 Edition, p.23