BIWA lends a hand in fight against poverty and AIDS
BIWA lends a hand in fight against poverty and AIDS
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
Over the last four months, Bali has been enshrouded in a gloomy
atmosphere after the deadly bombings in October 2002, which
caused overwhelming grief for the families and friends of the 202
victims, many of them foreign visitors.
On Sunday, March 9, Bali got a little bit warmer and seemed to
shine again when thousands of members of the Balinese community
and locals and expatriates turned out for a special event
organized by the Bali International Women's Association (BIWA).
The charity bazaar, the ninth held by the association since it
was first set up in l974, brought together all the association's
170 members, local businessmen, artists and humanitarian
activists to lend support to BIWA's goals to raise funds to help
underprivileged children and to support various HIV/AIDS
programs.
BIWA president Muriel Ydo told The Jakarta Post that she was
extremely happy and relieved to see the attention given by the
people of Bali.
The major fund-raising activities this year will focus on
three issues that are currently high on the international agenda:
preventing AIDS, safeguarding a clean and healthy environment and
alleviating the suffering of children.
BIWA wishes to ease the suffering and improve the lives of
Balinese children in need.
"Our aim is to be able to feed, clothe, shelter and provide
medical care for these children," she said.
"We haven't finished counting the proceeds from the charity.
We will be channeling the money through various organizations
dealing with HIV/AIDS and children," Ydo said.
She previously said the fund-raising activities were expected
to bring in at least Rp 500 million to improve facilities and
education opportunities for Bali's orphans. The fund will also be
channeled to establish programs to educate the people of Bali
about the dangers of unsafe sex and drug abuse and to promote the
importance of a healthy environment.
Muriel said that of course, BIWA could not do a lot to help
eradicate poverty or HIV and AIDS and other communicable
diseases. But at least, she said, people should be encouraged to
help find resources to make all related programs work properly.
"Stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS is our goal, education
and prevention is the means. Like it or not, we are all
interconnected. HIV/AIDS affects us all," she said.
Empowering the community through education and prevention,
she said, would help cut the risk of having a loved one fall
victim to HIV/AIDS.
At the bazaar, more than 100 vendors were selling various
items, ranging from toys, handicrafts, furniture and gourmet
treats to textiles, fashion accessories and electronic equipment.
"This means that everybody here in Bali is still working hard
despite the bombings. More importantly, they have contributed to
our effort to support all planned programs," Ydo said.
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
Over the last four months, Bali has been enshrouded in a gloomy
atmosphere after the deadly bombings in October 2002, which
caused overwhelming grief for the families and friends of the 202
victims, many of them foreign visitors.
On Sunday, March 9, Bali got a little bit warmer and seemed to
shine again when thousands of members of the Balinese community
and locals and expatriates turned out for a special event
organized by the Bali International Women's Association (BIWA).
The charity bazaar, the ninth held by the association since it
was first set up in l974, brought together all the association's
170 members, local businessmen, artists and humanitarian
activists to lend support to BIWA's goals to raise funds to help
underprivileged children and to support various HIV/AIDS
programs.
BIWA president Muriel Ydo told The Jakarta Post that she was
extremely happy and relieved to see the attention given by the
people of Bali.
The major fund-raising activities this year will focus on
three issues that are currently high on the international agenda:
preventing AIDS, safeguarding a clean and healthy environment and
alleviating the suffering of children.
BIWA wishes to ease the suffering and improve the lives of
Balinese children in need.
"Our aim is to be able to feed, clothe, shelter and provide
medical care for these children," she said.
"We haven't finished counting the proceeds from the charity.
We will be channeling the money through various organizations
dealing with HIV/AIDS and children," Ydo said.
She previously said the fund-raising activities were expected
to bring in at least Rp 500 million to improve facilities and
education opportunities for Bali's orphans. The fund will also be
channeled to establish programs to educate the people of Bali
about the dangers of unsafe sex and drug abuse and to promote the
importance of a healthy environment.
Muriel said that of course, BIWA could not do a lot to help
eradicate poverty or HIV and AIDS and other communicable
diseases. But at least, she said, people should be encouraged to
help find resources to make all related programs work properly.
"Stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS is our goal, education
and prevention is the means. Like it or not, we are all
interconnected. HIV/AIDS affects us all," she said.
Empowering the community through education and prevention,
she said, would help cut the risk of having a loved one fall
victim to HIV/AIDS.
At the bazaar, more than 100 vendors were selling various
items, ranging from toys, handicrafts, furniture and gourmet
treats to textiles, fashion accessories and electronic equipment.
"This means that everybody here in Bali is still working hard
despite the bombings. More importantly, they have contributed to
our effort to support all planned programs," Ydo said.