Lombok children need educating!
MA Swasta Malaka - A school for orphaned children need your help! $1.80 US, 25,000 Indonesian Rupiah or $2.5 AUD is enough to put one child through school for one month!
A week ago we came back from the island of Lombok outside Bali. My wife got to know about this school that takes on orphaned children as well as children with families from the local village. It's amazing to see how much can be given by people that already don't have a lot!
My wife and I together with two friends went over to Lombok and met with the principal, Zans, who invited us into his home and showed us around his village before visiting the students in the school. It was an amazing experience! Local women milking cows and de-husking beans as we walked a tiny path through the jungle past these huts where people live. And with the greatest urge to show us what they're doing, their livelihood and just the everyday tasks.
We went over there with enough backpacks, pencils, crayons and pencil cases to give away to the class we met! The children were lovely. Hungry for information about how Australia, where we live, is and what we do for a living, what it's like just a couple of hours flight away.
Walking around the school we noticed the run down buildings, the roof that's almost cracking and the lack of learning material for the children. I mentioned the deteriorated structures of the classrooms to Zans, the principal to which he quickly responded - "It's more important what happens inside the classroom than outside". Education comes first!
The school is privately owned compared to a lot of the other schools around which are funded by the government. This means that the kids themselves, or their families have to put up money for the kids to go to school. The children would help their family with farming or sell bracelets at night for 1000 Indonesian Rupiah each! (0.072 USD, 0.094 AUD) each!
A teacher's salary is about 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah per month($15 -20 AUD) which is just crazy!
I came to realise very quickly how much I dislike a western world's mindset that everything can be solved with money. But - It does help A LOT!
Even the smallest contribution can make a HUGE difference - and the fact that you know where it'll be going is so much better than putting into a huge charity where as little as 10% of contributions end up in the hands of those who actually need it.
Before we left the village, between the 4 of us, we handed the principal and his wife 1,200,000 Indoesian Rupiah ($113AUD or $86.50 US) - His wife welled up and started crying and Zans didn't know what to say. It's really not a lot of money for us in the scheme of things but for them it can make a MASSIVE difference!
Zans is not only the principal of the school but a great role model and contributor to the village in general. He and his wife do a lot for the local community so we know it will go to a good cause.
Next time we go to Lombok, which is in about 8 weeks, we will visit the school again, meet the students and continue to see how we can help. A little goes a long way.
Whilst we can not help every needy cause , this is what we have decided to dedicate our energy and time into. Our efforts are most definitely measurable, needed and eternally appreciated by this beautiful community.
We will keep you updated with ALL progress, inform you directly of how and who your contributions were dispersed along with giving you an opportunity to visit here yourself if you are ever on Lombok Island!
Please let us know of any queries or questions you might have and we will be happy to answer them for you.
Every Cent Counts.
