The East Bali Poverty Project (EBPP) is a nonprofit organisation established in 1998 by a British resident of Bali after an appeal for help by an isolated 7,200Ha mountain village, forgotten by time and progress. Participatory community surveys in 1998 with 1,056 of the 3,000 families in the 19 sub-villages revealed thousands of people living in abject poverty without water, sanitation, roads, schools, health facilities and electricity. Illiteracy was approaching 100%. Malnutrition and iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) were endemic – iodine being the essential nutrient for healthy child births, brain and body development.

When interviewed in November 1998 to determine their priorities and whether EBPP could help, over 1,000 families requested children’s education as a foundation for a better future. An inspiring and productive collaboration thus began with the most disadvantaged communities. From education as a starting base, we have grown and are running various environmental initiatives that harness human and natural resources for mutual benefit to improve living ecosystems, provide sustainable food sources for thousands of people, provide sustainable livelihoods for the present and future, and ensure the preservation of the local environment and ecosystems.

With the philosophy of “helping people to help themselves”, all programmes are designed as models that can be replicated, and executed by local people who transfer knowledge directly, and appropriate technology within their communities.

Mission

  • To empower illiterate and malnourished children through relevant education, improved nutrition, and basic stay-healthy principles; and
  • To reduce poverty and promote culturally sensitive, sustainable development within impoverished rural communities that have little or no choice to alleviate their own plight; and
  • To harness human and natural resources for mutual benefit by the reforestation of land devastated by the massive eruption of Mt. Agung in 1963, which denuded thousands of hectares.  To improve the living ecosystmens, provide a sustainable food forest for the thousands of villagers, provide sustainable livelihoods for present and future, and ensure rain water is captured and conserved for the benefit of the land, nature, ecosystems, and most of all the people.

Strategy

Community Motivation and ParticipationWe work with the community to identify their problems and develop attainable goals in accordance with their aspirations.  They participate fully in implementing sustainable programmes which empower them towards self-reliance.

Field Staff

EBPP field staff joined first as volunteers and were only taken on as staff members after they had proved their commitment to helping in the sustainable development.

EBPP now have 47 full-time field staff, all Balinese.  Forty one of these are from the village, another six from the adjacent village.  They are already familiar with the difficult mountain terrain and their strong ties to the community help them introduce new concepts to their families and neighbours.

Many have been sent on training programmes to improve their own abilities and also so they can then transfer their new knowledge to the community of Desa Ban.  Training courses have focussed on various aspects of organic farming, health and nutrition, appropriate building technology, accounting procedures and teacher training as well as English language training.

Goals

EBPP goals reflect their Philosophy: Sustainable, long-term change begins with education, education begins with children, and children must be healthy to learn. They are to:

  • provide integrated and relevant education for children as a foundation for future empowerment;
  • improve nutrition through a nutritious school meal and education for future growth;
  • ensure better health through health education, improved nutrition and hygiene;
  • eliminate iodine deficiency among children and reproductive-age women;
  • improve farmland organically for long term food security and eventual self-reliance

East Bali Poverty Project website is https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org.

Please help us to help them help themselves! If you would like to make a donation or help in any way please use our contact form to get in touch.

Contact East Bali Poverty Project:

David J Booth, Founder

East Bali Poverty Project
PO BOX 3850 Denpasar
Bali - Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 410071; Fax: +62 361 430785

 

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