THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COOKBOOK EVER!
An award-winning 400-page community cookery book by Chef Dean Keddell raises funds for five Bali charities.
THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE FIVE OF BALI’S MOST EFFECTIVE CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS.In the last newsletter I promised to deliver the latest news from the five charitable foundations that thousands of generous people have been providing support for, through Our Bali Your Bali. I asked each of the founders a range of questions and as well as asking them to add anything they think supporters would like to know. There is some amazingly fantastic news here from some of the foundations, and some urgent pleas for help from others. It has taken me quite some time to put this all together, please forgive the delay in getting the information out to you all.
There is a lot to take in here but I ask that you stick with me as it is important that the extent of the work these foundations undertake becomes common knowledge.
After a short recap you will be able to read direct reports from the foundations themselves, I have compiled all the information I have received and are reporting it to you in the words of the foundations.
The Back Story
My name is Dean Keddell, I am an award-winning Author and Chef and the driving force behind a project that delivered desperately needed funding to five Bali charities that helped thousands of families survive the Covid pandemic.
When I closed my two renowned Bali restaurants, Ginger Moon Canteen and Jackson Lily’s, in March 2020, my biggest concern was how I could support my staff of 130. In my mind I had no choice but to help, driven by necessity, I penned a creative one-of-a-kind cookbook from Bali together with my teams, filled with cultural and personal stories as well as recipes passed down through the generations. The result was Our Bali Your Bali – Bali Kita Bali Kamu, a vibrant hardcover cookbook that shares not only the island’s cuisine through its pages, but the very heart and soul of the people of Bali.
In the spirit of community, I have shone a light into a world that is so dark for so many. 100% of the profits from my book’s sales (and book tours) are donated to those battling poverty. I provide this support by donating funds to five of Bali’s most productive and worthwhile charitable foundations. Hundreds of thousands of people have been touched by Our Bali Your Bali. Our Bali Your Bali achieved something else too, this book inadvertently captured a moment in time, amazingly this book has now become a piece of history.
Today, tourists have returned and some of the pressure thankfully has receded. Whilst the memories of what the people of Bali had to endure during the pandemic will stay with them for a lifetime, things are no longer all bad. I continue to work closely with the foundations, and the fundraising continues as poverty is still prevalent and many are still in great need. AUD 700,000 has been raised so far and I am working now to raise another AUD 100,000. There are 600 books in stock in Australia and Indonesia, all of which have been paid for, meaning all the revenue from these book sales will go directly to the foundations. And I have just gone to print again for the 6th time, more books are on the way for lovers and supporters of Bali and humanity - hot off the press!
The Gourmand Book Awards are the world’s most prestigious book awards and are compared to the “Oscars” for film.
“The Gourmand Awards gives an overview of the best around the world. In total, it has been estimated that there are over 100,000 food and drink culture book and documents every year, in print or digital, free or paid,with or without ISBN. There were 1558 selections from 227 countries and regions, 1393 entries for Food Culture and 165 for Drink Culture.There is approximately 1% chance to be selected on this Gourmand Awards list!”- Gourmand Awards.
GOURMAND BOOK AWARDS, RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA 2023.
The 29th Gourmand Book Awards have recognised Our Bali Your Bali - Bali Kita Bali Kamu as one of the world’s most important cookbooks. I was invited to present on the opening night of these Gourmand Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 27 - 29, 2023 during the Saudi Feast of Ten Days. On the last day of the awards, it would have been possible to knock me over with a feather as I learnt Our Bali Your Bali had been awarded The Best Fundraising Book in the World 2023, I was honoured once more to be representing Bali & Indonesia on the world stage and for a further chance to raise funding for those less fortunate.
Our Bali Your Bali in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mini-Documentary: Click Here
Images from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Click Here
GOURMAND BOOK AWARDS, UMEA, SWEDEN, JUNE 2022.
The 27th Gourmand Book Awards, was held in Umea,Sweden during the Umea Food Symposium June 2-5, 2022. Our Bali Your Bali received accolades in the categories The Best of the Best 2022 as well as The Best Fundraising Cookbook 2022 in Asia.
Our Bali Your Bali has been recognised on the world stage as a phenomenal cookbook, the charity aspect aside, this is a book to sit up and take notice of. The enormity of this achievement cannot be understated. This vibrant 400-page hardcover cookbook shares not only the island’s cuisine through its pages, but the very heart and soul of the people of Bali.
Images from the Gourmand Awards 2022: Click Here
These awards are truly wonderful, but my goal remains unchanged, I am raising funds for Bali’s most vulnerable and whilst I have touched the lives of many thousands, too many still have too little, for me giving people dignity is where the true reward lies.
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WONDERFUL PEOPLE
My trip to Riyadh was very successful, more so than I could have ever imagined.
There were quite a few people at Marriott International that went out of their way to help me, not only did they provide me with accommodation and the means to get around, they gave me a kitchen and a restaurant for a night! So, once more, a very warm thank you to Marriott International and the teams at Marriott Diplomatic Quarter and Marriott Riyadh for their generosity.
During the opening night of the Gourmand Awards I was fortunate to run into Ibu Eka Moncarre, a lovely lady from La Maisin De L’Indonesie in Paris, and a beaming light proudly promoting the wonders of Indonesia. Through Ibu Eka I meet His Excellency, Dr. Abdul Aziz Ahmad, Ambassador of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and some of his team. I presented the Ambassador with a copy of Our Bali Your Bali, and he graciously accepted my invitation to an Our Bali Your Bali dinner at the Marriot DQ in his honour. The invitation was the easy part, I then had 2 days to scramble to create a menu and prepare an Indonesian feast (or as close to Indonesian as I could get in Saudi Arabia). Whilst the Bali – Riyadh fusion experience was greatly appreciated, the food for me was not the highlight of the evening. Dr. Abdul is a charming man with a delightful sense of humour, and a view of the world I found fascinating. The Ambassadors team of well-travelled, personable professionals’ also helped to make this trip so very special; a big thank you goes out to Bapak Sidqi for helping to make this all happen.
Finally, I would like to thank Edouard Cointreau and his Gourmand family for providing me with the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.
What a truly amazing experience Our Bali Your Bali - Bali Kita Bali Kamu has turned out to be, and the surprises keep on coming.
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A report from Margaret Barry OAM DSJ
Bali Children Foundation Founder
Today, things in the North of Bali, Bangli (Mt Batur) and Lembongan districts are far better than during COVID-19 and even better than before COVID-19, the reason is the massive return of tourist to Bali. How much of this is thanks to Dean’s media work and the spotlight he shed on Bali?
The return of tourism is driving income back to the villages through business, remittances, and youth opportunities. For example, for Year 12 BCF Sponsored Scholarship student graduates from June 2023, 87% already are in University, College, Apprenticeship or formally employed. In three months after graduation, this is an exceptional result and is far higher than last years or June 2019 graduate outcomes.
BCF worked on remedial Literacy and Numeracy from 2021 until June 2023 in Bali and Lombok. Originally,we worked on grades 1 to 3 but soon understood that students in grades 4 to 6 were also delayed. By June 2023, we'd covered 5,063 students across both regions, and 92% of them had achieved a minimum competency score of 60% or more in Reading, Writing and Counting. A great outcome in the poorest and most remote villages, all of which were heavily impacted by a lack of income during Covid. Here is a graphic of that result:
In Bali alone, 93% of students on BCF Remedial Reading Writing and Counting reached basic competency of 60% across the 3,884 students included in the program. On average Bali children in the BCF Literacy & Numeracy programs averaged 74% capacity on their tests. Again, this is an extraordinary outcome.
However, this still means that 7-8% of students in BCF's programs - Government partner schools (or 432 students) are below basic competency. For 2023-2024 school year, we are using EdTech devices and Apps to help this group continue their Literacy and Numeracy journey.
Compared to Bali in general,we know from Government figures that 4% of students dropped out of Elementary school, while no BCF students dropped out of Elementary school.Beyond that, we have no Bali-wide performance data at this time, but we know that rural schools have been deeply impacted, and students who were not on BCF Remedial programs have taken an education hit from which they will never recover.
From International data on Indonesian education (PISA scores), on a 6 out of 6 score, for the last figures recorded in 2018, we know that 40% of Indonesian 15-year-old students scored 1B Literacy or below. A 1B score means that 40% of Indonesian 15-year-olds cannot use written materials for their work or daily life. They can write a basic sentence and their name but are classed as functionally illiterate. On a score out of 100, the students score around 16% out of 100% for Literacy capacity. Their scores for Math and Science were equally dire.
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING:
In Bali alone, 93% of students on BCF Remedial Reading Writing and Counting reached basic competency of 60% across the 3,884 students included in the program. On average Bali children in the BCF Literacy & Numeracy programs averaged 74% capacity on their tests. Again, this is an extraordinary outcome.
However, this still means that 7-8% of students in BCF's programs - Government partner schools (or 432 students) are below basic competency. For 2023-2024 school year, we are using EdTech devices and Apps to help this group continue their Literacy and Numeracy journey.
Compared to Bali in general,we know from Government figures that 4% of students dropped out of Elementary school, while no BCF students dropped out of Elementary school.Beyond that, we have no Bali-wide performance data at this time, but we know that rural schools have been deeply impacted, and students who were not on BCF Remedial programs have taken an education hit from which they will never recover.
From International data on Indonesian education (PISA scores), on a 6 out of 6 score, for the last figures recorded in 2018, we know that 40% of Indonesian 15-year-old students scored 1B Literacy or below. A 1B score means that 40% of Indonesian 15-year-olds cannot use written materials for their work or daily life. They can write a basic sentence and their name but are classed as functionally illiterate. On a score out of 100, the students score around 16% out of 100% for Literacy capacity. Their scores for Math and Science were equally dire.
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING:
FOOD
Food Relief –March 2021
Food Relief – January 2022
Food Distribution- April to September 2021 Food relief, 5 villages Sidetapa, Cempaga, Tigawasa,Pedawa, Kayuputih - 483 families per month
Food Distribution- February, March and one when Dean comes 2022- Food relief, 5 villages Sidetapa, Cempaga, Tigawasa, Pedawa, Kayuputih - 483 families per month
EDUCATION
Our Bali Your Bali Library and English as a foreign language room
Library upgrade
Remedial Reading, Writing & Counting curriculum
English as a Foreign Language room upgrade
English as a Foreign language teaching one year
Benefiting 156 children
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY:
EdTech for the 432 BCF students who are still below basic competency (the program costs AU$220 per student). Cost AU$95,040
EdTech for Grade 1 students in remote schools to ensure they reach minimum capacity for Reading, Writing and Counting early, and that guarantees their chance for foundational learning at Elementary school and a sound progression into high school. We have another 45 schools to fund the EdTech program at a cost of AU$5,500 per school or AU$247,500 for all 45 schools.
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A report from Rama Handoko
Chief Operating Officer at ROLE Foundation
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING:
Repairs to classrooms (roof, ceiling & floor)
Uniforms & learning materials
IT equipment
Food ‐ breakfast, lunch dinner
Accommodation (building, electricity, water, internet)
Student workshops & activities
Expense allowances
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY
In terms of what we need right now, it will be a new campus building. Our lease will be up in August 2024, and there's a chance that the landowner would not want to extend the lease (has been a tough negotiation so far). If we can secure the lease, we will stay here for another 5 years, but that will be all. We want to move out of the building since it's old and the cost of maintenance is high. We won't fix much of the building if we don't have a guarantee that we can stay for more than 50 years.
We are thinking of building a new campus and dormitory at Zero Waste Centre to make everything more centralised. We talked with a few landowners for a long lease, and it looks promising. We are aiming to build the campus with Eco-Blocks,we are currently researching this as there is a question of the plastic blocks being heated by sun, the results will be in shortly.
The worlds’ first Eco-Block school is in Lombok, Indonesia, to learn more Click Here
The total cost of this new campus is still being calculated AU$?
Sponsorship for students – Bali Wise have a maximum of 30 students per semester. The total cost per student per 6 months is AU$ 1,000
or for all students AU$ 30,000
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A report from David Booth
Founder of East Bali Poverty Project
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING:
March 2021
Purpose: Monthly staple food supplement for all 170 students in 6 EBPP schools and their families due to hardships of Covid-19 pandemic
Project result: 1,042 Food Staples packages from April-October 2021
Beneficiary: 4,690 people
October 2021
Purpose: Monthly staple food supplement for all 170 students in 6 EBPP schools and their families due to hardships of Covid-19 pandemic
Project result: 568 Food Staples packages from Nov 2021-Feb 2022
Beneficiary: 2,556 people
Purpose:
Oct 2021 - 27 shelters for East Bali families whose homes destroyed by earthquake
March 2022 - 30 shelters for East Bali families whose homes destroyed by earthquake
April 2022 - 1 shelter for EastBali families whose homes destroyed by earthquake
Project result: 58 shelters built
Beneficiary: 262 people
September 2022
Purpose: Desa Ban Zone 3 Ground water Survey to Facilitate Permaculture & Agroforestry
Project result: Identified 2 ground water sources
Beneficiary: 350 families
December 2022
Purpose: Food security and sustainable economic development for Manikaji farmers, students and their families
Project result: Train Manikaji farmers & Manikaji School students in dry-land Permaculture, terracing the farmland,planting various vegetables, etc
Beneficiary: 350 families
August 2023
Purpose: Toward 2023 malnutrition outreach & intervention to the 3,800 families in Ban village
Project result: Developing a replicable“family model” to eliminate malnutrition among the 3,800 families living in the 15 sub-villages of Ban village, through a comprehensive 5-year interactive malnutrition study (2023 is Year 4), in partnership with Udayana University Medical Faculty.
Beneficiary: 3,800 families
PRIORITY PROJECTS & FUNDRAISING TARGETS
1. Support 76 Manikaji children’s continued education – Our 76 students in Manikaji remote EBPP school on Mount Abang rely on EBPP for their education, from age 6-18, due to government schools being too far away and no public transport available in this large East Bali mountain village. Most parents are illiterate and look to their educated children for a better future and to escape the cycle of poverty. It only costs AU$ 630/student/year. Estimated cost AU$42,760. We’ve so far raised, including commitments from our monthly recurring donors,the total of AU$34,590;
Funds still needed: AU$8,170
2. Malnutrition outreach and intervention - Developing a replicable “family model” to eliminate malnutrition among the 3,800 families living in the 15 sub-villages of Ban village, through a comprehensive 5-year interactive malnutrition study (2024 is Year 5), in partnership with Udayana University Medical Faculty, working with pregnant women and their families, families with babies under 2-years-old and adolescent girls. Estimated 2023 cost AU$65,000 We have so far raised AU$52,485;
Funds still needed: AU$12,515
3. Improve dirt road infrastructure for 700 families & 3 schools: Improve unsafe dirt roads for safer access for our students to go to EBPP Manikaji, Darmaji and Jatituhu schools and for the communities’ safe access to local and regional health facilities and enable improved farming outputs and economic development by transporting harvested surplus crops to local and regional markets:
1,600 metre concrete road from Manikaji Kaliaga to Manikaji School: AU$13,500
3,600 metre dirt road from Manikaji School to Darmaji School: AU$30,330
1,500 metre concrete road from Darmaji School to Jatituhu School: AU$12,646
4. Food security and sustainable economic development for 700 families: The 1,100 hectares steep and sandy volcanic ash farmland supporting the 3 most isolated and disadvantaged sub-villages of Manikaji, Darmaji & Jatituhu, high up the central Mount Abang slopes has no rivers or mountain springs and only crops of cassava and corn can be planted during the 4-5 months rainy season. EBPP, working with the highly motivated farmers groups, want to provide training and resources for the farmers and EBPP students in sustainable dryland permaculture and agroforestry to grow nutritious foods, cash crops and multi-beneficial trees to sell to local and regional markets using the upgraded road infrastructure (see No. 3 above).
Estimated cost AU$76,700
A report from Drh I Gede Nyoman Bayu Wirayudha
Director Friends of the National Park Foundation
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS BEEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Staff salaries
Labour costs – handyman
Volunteer costs
Drinking water
Ceremonies
Animal/ bird feed
Animal shelters/ pens
Medicine for animals
Bee hives
Seeds/ seedlings
Building maintenance
Equipment maintenance
Servicing/ repairing motorbikes
Utility bills
Fuel
Transport costs –equipment/ plants/ animals/ building materials
Pest control
Cleaning/ hygiene materials
Laundry
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY
"The funding we seek today is laser-focused on our volunteer facility because we understand that is the key to our self-sustainability. By investing in our volunteer facility, we're not merely improving its physical infrastructure; we're bolstering our ability to generate the necessary funds to propel our mission forward. In this "new normal," we are forging resilience, and we need more funds to transform our volunteer facility into a testament to our unwavering commitment to change."
All sites need painting and termite treatment - Cost AU$300
The Bali Bird Sanctuary Nusa Penida – Replace the roofs of 2 buildings and make the stairs safe - Cost AU$1,000
Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary, Tabanan – water heaters, tents & sleeping bags
Cost AU$1,200
Click Here to view our wish list, there are many thing required to ensure the smooth operation of our sites.
*A note from myself - I know through my funding that the yearly running costs for 3 sites (The Bali Bird Sanctuary, Nusa Penida/ Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary, Tabanan/ Bali Wild Life Rescue Centre, Tabanan) exceeds AU$42,000. With no government funding a constant supply of donations is required to keep these places running.The preservation of birds, animals and forests relies solely on the generosity of people like yourselves.
Director Friends of the National Park Foundation
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS BEEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Staff salaries
Labour costs – handyman
Volunteer costs
Drinking water
Ceremonies
Animal/ bird feed
Animal shelters/ pens
Medicine for animals
Bee hives
Seeds/ seedlings
Building maintenance
Equipment maintenance
Servicing/ repairing motorbikes
Utility bills
Fuel
Transport costs –equipment/ plants/ animals/ building materials
Pest control
Cleaning/ hygiene materials
Laundry
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY
"The funding we seek today is laser-focused on our volunteer facility because we understand that is the key to our self-sustainability. By investing in our volunteer facility, we're not merely improving its physical infrastructure; we're bolstering our ability to generate the necessary funds to propel our mission forward. In this "new normal," we are forging resilience, and we need more funds to transform our volunteer facility into a testament to our unwavering commitment to change."
All sites need painting and termite treatment - Cost AU$300
The Bali Bird Sanctuary Nusa Penida – Replace the roofs of 2 buildings and make the stairs safe - Cost AU$1,000
Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary, Tabanan – water heaters, tents & sleeping bags
Cost AU$1,200
Click Here to view our wish list, there are many thing required to ensure the smooth operation of our sites.
*A note from myself - I know through my funding that the yearly running costs for 3 sites (The Bali Bird Sanctuary, Nusa Penida/ Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary, Tabanan/ Bali Wild Life Rescue Centre, Tabanan) exceeds AU$42,000. With no government funding a constant supply of donations is required to keep these places running.The preservation of birds, animals and forests relies solely on the generosity of people like yourselves.
A report from Sven Fautz
Project Manager, Scholars of Sustenance, Bali
THE SITUATION TODAY
Based on the information from (the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics) September 2023,the poverty rate in Bali declined to 0.30%. The ongoing economic recovery in Bali after COVID-19, especially in the Tourism sector is the main reason. But the economic growth is very slow outside Badung region – compared with other regions in Bali; there are still other problems that people must face after covid. The price of basic necessities is increasing and now for some people the prices are unaffordable.
While some areas have recovered to pre covid levels in tourism numbers, and economically, a lot of areas will still feel the effect of a literal standstill during covid for many more years to come. A decline of the poverty rate of 0.3% can hardly be called successful if this number is even correct as it is difficult to get proper verified statistics.
Question (from myself) required for context: Are people going hungry still? Is there enough food being rescued to feed those without? Have the hotels become any more sustainable or do the wasteful buffets and food practices continue. If there is less food coming from hotels how is SOS filling this gap?
Apart from the fact that Bali's economic development is still slow, worldwide high inflation levels have also occurred in Bali and the rest of Indonesia. Last year’s significant rise in electricity and petrol prices, have also impacted a lot of people here in Bali. This caused a lot of prices to rise of even the most basic necessities and made some individuals,families or whole communities struggle even more. SOS is working hard to addmore donations of good nutritious food and regularly adding more recipients.
Some hotels have also become more conscious in handling food purchases and potential wastage and try to reduce as much as possible, but for sure there is a lot more room for improvements. Some hotel donors that used to give SOS a lot of surplus food are now given little,the explanation being mainly they plan better and became more efficient, but we know there is a lot more surplus food that we are currently getting from them available. We are retraining old hotel partners and still adding new hotel donors every month, but also are focusing on manufacturers and retailers to befood rescue partners and fill the cap. SOS is still growing at a rapid pace,our recent expansion to Jakarta is only the first one in Indonesia, we already have future plans to extend to various other cities and regions of Indonesia.
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS BEEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
JACKSON LILY’S X SOS by Dean Keddell
During COVID I provided funds to SOS but I also went out on the road with the SOS crew. From the slums of Denpasar to the mountains in East Bali there have been many experiences from these times that will stay with me forever. I think the most precious time was the end of 2021 through to the middle of 2022. For six months myself and a small team of six of my staff provided three hundred meals a day from Jackson Lily’s, we produced tasty, well-balanced meals for many thousands, we cooked like we were cooking for our own families (and in some instances we really were). Some interesting dishes were served during that time adapted from food donations and sustained through my book sales, dishes such as sushi nasi goreng, fried catfish, sambal tomat & gluten free pasta, beautiful fresh vegetables of all kinds direct from the farmers in Bedugul, and believe it or not, Swedish vegan meatballs (from Sweden)! Not only were we feeding people that had nothing to eat we were supporting each other, our teams and their families through the darkest of times. Our Bali Your Bali funding paid the operational costs of the Jackson Lily’s kitchen, paid the staff of six a salary and ensured food care packages went to as many families as possible.
Donations from Our Bali Your Bali allowed Jackson Lily’s to operate as the sole SOS kitchen during the worst of covid (SOS had three kitchens before covid, but all closed once the effects of took hold). When all said and done the amount of money I donated to SOS and to the operation of the only SOS kitchen in Bali at this time equates to over 100,000 meals.
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY
We have identified 3 areas where we need to most help financially:
1st. A new cooling truck to be able to add an extra route for additional pickups from our partners and drop off at additional distribution points. 2nd. A new motorbike with cooling box, for additional and faster pickups/distributions and; 3rd. We need to have some kitchen upgrades and repairs.
1st. The Cooling truck will be a total of AU$45,000 which will include the truck itself, cooling box, taxes,registration and operational expense for the first year.
2nd. A new motorbike will be a total of AU$4,500 with cooling box, taxes, registrations and operational expense for the first year.
3rd. Kitchen upgrade will be AU$3,500 that will include a new washing facility, plumbing and installation/upgrade of the current drainage system in our rescue kitchen in Sanur.
Project Manager, Scholars of Sustenance, Bali
THE SITUATION TODAY
Based on the information from (the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics) September 2023,the poverty rate in Bali declined to 0.30%. The ongoing economic recovery in Bali after COVID-19, especially in the Tourism sector is the main reason. But the economic growth is very slow outside Badung region – compared with other regions in Bali; there are still other problems that people must face after covid. The price of basic necessities is increasing and now for some people the prices are unaffordable.
While some areas have recovered to pre covid levels in tourism numbers, and economically, a lot of areas will still feel the effect of a literal standstill during covid for many more years to come. A decline of the poverty rate of 0.3% can hardly be called successful if this number is even correct as it is difficult to get proper verified statistics.
Question (from myself) required for context: Are people going hungry still? Is there enough food being rescued to feed those without? Have the hotels become any more sustainable or do the wasteful buffets and food practices continue. If there is less food coming from hotels how is SOS filling this gap?
Apart from the fact that Bali's economic development is still slow, worldwide high inflation levels have also occurred in Bali and the rest of Indonesia. Last year’s significant rise in electricity and petrol prices, have also impacted a lot of people here in Bali. This caused a lot of prices to rise of even the most basic necessities and made some individuals,families or whole communities struggle even more. SOS is working hard to addmore donations of good nutritious food and regularly adding more recipients.
Some hotels have also become more conscious in handling food purchases and potential wastage and try to reduce as much as possible, but for sure there is a lot more room for improvements. Some hotel donors that used to give SOS a lot of surplus food are now given little,the explanation being mainly they plan better and became more efficient, but we know there is a lot more surplus food that we are currently getting from them available. We are retraining old hotel partners and still adding new hotel donors every month, but also are focusing on manufacturers and retailers to befood rescue partners and fill the cap. SOS is still growing at a rapid pace,our recent expansion to Jakarta is only the first one in Indonesia, we already have future plans to extend to various other cities and regions of Indonesia.
OUR BALI YOUR BALI FUNDING HAS BEEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
JACKSON LILY’S X SOS by Dean Keddell
During COVID I provided funds to SOS but I also went out on the road with the SOS crew. From the slums of Denpasar to the mountains in East Bali there have been many experiences from these times that will stay with me forever. I think the most precious time was the end of 2021 through to the middle of 2022. For six months myself and a small team of six of my staff provided three hundred meals a day from Jackson Lily’s, we produced tasty, well-balanced meals for many thousands, we cooked like we were cooking for our own families (and in some instances we really were). Some interesting dishes were served during that time adapted from food donations and sustained through my book sales, dishes such as sushi nasi goreng, fried catfish, sambal tomat & gluten free pasta, beautiful fresh vegetables of all kinds direct from the farmers in Bedugul, and believe it or not, Swedish vegan meatballs (from Sweden)! Not only were we feeding people that had nothing to eat we were supporting each other, our teams and their families through the darkest of times. Our Bali Your Bali funding paid the operational costs of the Jackson Lily’s kitchen, paid the staff of six a salary and ensured food care packages went to as many families as possible.
Donations from Our Bali Your Bali allowed Jackson Lily’s to operate as the sole SOS kitchen during the worst of covid (SOS had three kitchens before covid, but all closed once the effects of took hold). When all said and done the amount of money I donated to SOS and to the operation of the only SOS kitchen in Bali at this time equates to over 100,000 meals.
WHAT IS NEEDED TODAY
We have identified 3 areas where we need to most help financially:
1st. A new cooling truck to be able to add an extra route for additional pickups from our partners and drop off at additional distribution points. 2nd. A new motorbike with cooling box, for additional and faster pickups/distributions and; 3rd. We need to have some kitchen upgrades and repairs.
1st. The Cooling truck will be a total of AU$45,000 which will include the truck itself, cooling box, taxes,registration and operational expense for the first year.
2nd. A new motorbike will be a total of AU$4,500 with cooling box, taxes, registrations and operational expense for the first year.
3rd. Kitchen upgrade will be AU$3,500 that will include a new washing facility, plumbing and installation/upgrade of the current drainage system in our rescue kitchen in Sanur.
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If you’d like to donate directly to any of the 5 charities, please let me know and I will connect you directly to the founders. Alternatively you can find contact information on the Foundations websites (Links below).
THE FIVE CHARITIES
Bali Children's Foundation - helping thousands of local children to complete school and to find employment.
Bali Wise by R.O.L.E Foundation - empowering marginalized women through skills education, to develop sustainable communities.
East Bali Poverty Project - building communities from the ground up, whilst enabling people to help themselves.
Friends of the National Parks Foundation - working to protect wildlife and their habitats, at the same time supporting local communities.
Scholars of Sustenance - combatting the effects of poverty by providing nutrition to those in need.
MUST WATCH OUR BALI YOUR BALI MINI-DOCUMENTARIES ON YOUTUBE
SCHOLARS OF SUSTENANCE (Paradise On Hold Episode 1) - Click Here
EAST BALI POVERTY PROJECT (Paradise On Hold Episode 2) - Click Here
If you click only one of the links in this document let it be this one.
OUR BALI YOUR BALI IN RIYADH (29th Gourmand Book Awards) - Click Here
INFORMATION LINKS:
Chuffed fundraising page: https://chuffed.org/project/bali-needs-our-help
YouTube channel – mini-documentary series + media appearances: Click here
FaceBook: Click here
Instagram: Click here
BYE FOR NOW
None of us need to change the whole world, we just need to change someone’s world. If everyone improved the life of just one person,the world really would be a better place.
I have so many stories to tell from my visits to North Bali with Margaret Barry, to East Bali with David Booth; from my book tour visits with the lucky ones who got to meet Dr. Bayu, Narul and their teams in Tabanan, and Ibu Fena and Pak Rama at the Bali Wise recycling centre in Nusa Dua. And of course, Bo Holmgreen and his team at SOS. But I’ve written enough for now (is this a newsletter or another book???). My teams and I have many happy (and sometimes conflicting) memories from a time of great sadness for Bali and its people.
The trauma caused by these hard times is sadly still with many of us, for my teams and I we find solace knowing how many people we helped and continue to help.
Whilst needs have changed the goal of Our Bali Your Bali remains the same, we are still bringing hope to people living in extreme poverty, and even more importantly, countless communities now know they are not alone.
Books are still for sale at Ginger Moon Canteen, Jackson Lily’s by Ginger Moon, and Temple by Ginger Moon; and distributed around the globe by the wonderful people at A & O via my fundraising platform CHUFFED. Bring a very special piece of Bali into your home, whilst helping to make someone’s world better.
THANK YOU FOR READING/ TERIMA KASIH TELAH MEMBACA
