Improving plight of poor children

Improving plight of poor children

The article Poverty alleviation program helps the poorest of
the poor in The Jakarta Post on May 4, 2000, while drawing public
attention to the little-known fact that there is abject poverty
in Bali, does unfortunately contain many errors, which I must
clarify for the benefit of all concerned.

I should start by stating the vision and mission of Yayasan
Ekoturin's East Bali Poverty Project: to improve the lives of
disadvantaged children living in abject poverty in isolated
mountain communities lacking the basic rights of running water,
sanitation, nutrition, education and health care. Our program
priorities were decided by the people: "education for our
children and better farming techniques so that we can have better
lives".

Our pilot "integrated education" program stated on Aug. 31,
1999, for 36 illiterate children in one of the most remote
hamlets. Local specialists, tutors and volunteers give classes in
nutrition, sanitation/hygiene, organic farming, arts and crafts,
as well as providing basic health care and health education. Each
child receives a nutritious meal, including vitamin supplements
and a glass of milk. The aim: a firm foundation for self-
sustainability.

Our second program, for 32 illiterate children in a hamlet
five kilometers away, was inaugurated on April 10, 2000, by the
Karangasem regent and is funded by a Charity Effort of Bali
Dynasty Resort. They aim is to raise sufficient funds for this
and the adjacent hamlet, a total of around 80 children. We plan
to extend these programs to another five hamlets for up to 500
children during this year if funding is available.

The average annual family income is Rp 400,000 (Ekoturin
survey, 1998) and not "Rp 121,500 monthly" as stated in your
article.

Construction of "infrastructure of roads, bridges and public
toilets" is not in our charter, yet is certainly on our "wish
list". However, through kind donations from the Rotary Club of
Bali-Taman, and the British Community Committee (BCC) in Jakarta,
and with full participation of the community, we have cement-
stabilized 1,800 meters of steep dirt tract and commenced erosion
control of another three kilometers by planting "vetiver grass".

Public toilets are a long way off, but we hope to possibly
introduce composing toilets, or pit latrines to the children in
our literacy programs as a first step.

Donors, without which our achievements would not be possible,
are far too numerous to list (more than 50 to date) in an article
and we regret the Post chose to mention so few. We apologize to
the many who were omitted, and hope you will continue to support
our efforts.

The British Women's Association of Jakarta, incorrectly
identified as "Bali's British Women's Association", does,
however, merit special mention due to their outstanding efforts
to draw this village's plight to the attention of various groups
in Jakarta, resulting in donations from BCC and the American
Women's Association, and an ingenious effort of four children at
the British International School, whose sponsored 24 hours of
silence raised enough money to buy first aid kits for most of our
remote communities.

The UNICEF assistance, funding our IDD elimination program
will in fact be for 5,000 children and reproductive-age women in
this one village, not in "the province's poor villages", as
stated.

Finally, Dr. GN Indraguna Pinatih, MSc., along with Dr. Denise
Abe, MPH, wife of our Balinese board member, advises on health
and nutrition-related problems/solutions, and have not "designed
a food supplement program for under fives and school-age kids
suffering from acute iodine deficiencies". We welcome inquiries
at 0361-419741 or you can e-mail us at:
info@eastbalipovertyproject.org.

DAVID J BOOTH

Founder & Vice Chairman

Ekoturin

Denpasar, Bali