Help Dreams Rise in Remote Bali

Ketut, pictured here, is one of our twelve EBPP Jatituhu School students who are benefitting from this programme. Born into an impoverished and isolated subsistence farming family in Jatituhu hamlet on Mount Abang slopes, she is the 8^th of 9 children (six girls and three boys).Every day before and after school, she helps out her family with household chores,raising cows, collects firewood for cooking, and walks for one and a half hours to fetch water.Although now 15 years old and only in grade 6 at school, she had attended the nearest government school from 7 years old, almost a 2 hour walk from home, and failed many classes due to poor attendance and lack of time to study at home and eventually dropped out. She joined EBPP School 4 years ago, in 2^nd grade.

Tragedy struck Ketut’s family 2 years ago when her mother became seriously ill and eventually died from a stomach tumour that her father had tried to treat with traditional medicines and many local healers. The high costs involved him selling their livestock and taking many high interest loans that he still struggles to repay. Ever since her mother died, Ketut’s responsibility in the house doubled, but she still attended EBPP School. However, when one of her sisters came back home after getting divorcedand helped with the family chores, Ketut went to Denpasar city to find a job to help her father repay the debts that he still had for her mother’s traditional medicine before she passed away. However, being unskilled and underage (15 years old),she earned very little and could not save any money to send to her father.

Soon after, an EBPP teacher found out where Ketut was working and he persuaded her to return to Jatituhu to finish school so she can get a better paying job in the future. After somepersuasion, she understood and agreed that education will help her have a better future. Her mother’s ill-fated death has been an inspiration for and since coming back to school last December, she now aspires to be a doctor so she can save other children’s mothers from illness. The loss of her mother motivated her to work harder in school and at home and since returning to school almost 3 months ago, she has attended school regularly and excelled in her studies, especially in Bahasa Indonesia and Hindus Religion classes. Now that she fully understands that she will definitely be sponsored to complete her schooling, she has been more motivated and has become a leader and example for her peers.

Ketut explained: “I understand that by attending and learning as much as we can in school, there will be better future opportunities open to me that will not require arduous work like my father had to endure. Also, education will help me build my confidence to get a job that will help improve my lifeand my family’s.”

A huge thanks to all our wonderful donors who have enabled us to continue education for these 12 students and we do hope that you will continue your support to our GlobalGiving UK campaign until we have achieved our full 2 year sponsorship target.