Lift Niko’s Family Out of Poverty by Helping Open Their Shop

Introduction

Hi, my name is Kate, and I’m hoping you’ll help my dear friend Niko, a very sweet Balinese man who works hard every day to provide for his family. I became friends with Niko because he is so energetic, always smiling, gracious and kind. He was my driver while I was traveling in Bali, and he was always prompt, polite, and respectful.

Meeting Niko, I wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong. It was only when I visited his family’s compound that I saw how much they are actually struggling and living in poverty. They live with almost nothing, and sometimes do not even have enough food to eat. Niko, his mom and his wife all work long days and barely make ends meet. My heart was deeply moved to help this wonderful family, and this is where you come in.

How We Can Help

Niko’s mother, A-A Mas (means ‘Gold’ in Balinese) has had a life-long dream of opening a shop in Ubud. She makes beautiful traditional Balinese handcrafts from palm leaves. She sells these to other Balinese people for use as decorations and for ceremonial purposes. She has been doing this for a long time and it’s incredible to watch her work… She has developed an amazing level of skill, talent and precision in her craft.

She has dreamed of opening a shop to reach more customers, but the problem is, opening a shop is very costly in Bali. They will be required to pay up front for one whole year of rent, and this has so far been impossible due to limited resources. All of their funds currently go toward basic survival and they cannot even access the necessities some of the time, despite their best efforts.

Where the Money Will Go

6-10X The Impact

To give you an idea of the difference in Bali's economy, Niko told me he needs to make 300k per day to survive. This is the equivalent of $18. And sometimes that takes all day - one day I talked to him at 2pm and he had worked all day but only made 80k, or $4. (This is the slow season for tourism).

That means that even giving 5, 10 or 20 dollars can make a real difference. While it might not seem like that much money in the US, it has many times the impact in Indonesia.

Niko’s Story

Niko’s dad died when he was very young, which left his family with many challenges. Niko and his wife now have three children of their own, and just to provide for them to go to school and eat, requires him working 15-hour days. He drives a scooter for Gojek (similar to Uber or Lyft) and is still paying off the loan for his scooter. Gojek pays quite poorly, and takes about a 50% commission out of his earnings. His wife stays home, mothering their children and helping his mom with crafting.

Niko also cares for his disabled cousin, who is unable to work.

Niko’s mom has worked incredibly hard her whole life and made sacrifices for her family and for her grandchildren. Despite all the hard work, though, they are still struggling.

With our help, a life-long dream that previously seemed impossible would become possible, and would ripple out into their community. Every dollar really does make a difference, and will help change everything for this beautiful family!

The Possibilities…

Having a shop would make things easier for the whole family. If Niko’s mom can make more sales and reach a wider portion of their community with her wonderful handmade crafts, they can make more money and hopefully fix up the house. Their home is crumbling and they don’t have the money to fix it. They would also be able to provide more for basic necessities they are not able to get now like shoes and medical care.

Studies have shown that large, lump-sum payments are actually the most effective way to lift people out of poverty. This is because it enables people to start businesses and become more self-sufficient, offering them opportunities they would not previously have had.

Let’s come together and change these people’s lives! Financial stability would mean so much to them.

Conclusion

Please consider making a donation, no matter how small. Truly, every dollar counts. Any amount really will make a difference, if you feel moved to help.

And, it would touch my heart to see my friends succeed! I fell in love with his whole family – they are the most loving, kind and good-hearted people, and so deserving of a better life.

If you can’t donate, prayers for their success are also much appreciated.

For full transparency - once the fundraiser is complete, I will be sending the funds to Niko via bank transfer. I will cover any fees involved in this process, and my husband and I will also donate at least $500 of our own funds to help Niko and his family.

Thank you!!