- Details
- Category: Bangli center
With great excitement Kupu-Kupu Foundation opened its second center in Bangli region of Bali on 21st August 2009. Construction of the new center was made possible by the lease of a block of land for 15 years and the generosity of ‘Windhorse Company’ (U.K.). Windhorse sponsored the building of the Sangkar where the school is held. A Sangkar is the local name for the traditional building style as you can see in the photographs. Other facilities at the Bangli center include an office, a kitchen and covered eating area, 3 bedrooms for male and female staff and 2 spacious bathrooms.
Why Bangli?
Although Bangli has grown economically in the past 10 years, there are still limited options for transport or trade opportunities with other parts of Bali. Tourism has brought foreign currency and attracted much investment into Bali, but the money is often received in in wealthier regions, while the rest of Bali remains very poor.
The Bangli region is very isolated and transportation to other areas in Bali is much more difficult. People have many more difficulties with mobility - especially those who are disabled. From our Bangli center there is a bus that collects students on a daily basis and brings them to school. Without the bus many of the students would not be able to attend the center. The journey time is one to one-and-a-half hours in our bus, going around the small villages on the way to Kupu-Kupu Bangli.
Invitation:We would love you to come and visit us in Bangli. When you come to visit us, you will meet our local KupuKupu staff working at Kupukupu Foundation Center Bangli.
Kupu-Kupu staff at Bangli
Ernie: Ernie is the secretary based in the office and also loves to help in the school. She has a disability herself however this does not stop her travelling to the center every day to work. She also goes to church regularly and has a big warm smile. She likes to have opportunities to practise English language.
Komang: Elder sister to Ketut who works in the Ubud center, both sisters have disabilities. Komang loves to help take care of the students and the center and is very friendly, and welcoming. She lives in the center during the working week and goes back to stay with her family during the weekend.
Nengah: Nengah is based in the kitchen and is skilled at cooking and assisting in teaching and caring for the students. She’s sweet and gentle and before KupuKupu Bangli opened, she was as been a student at the school at Kupu-Kupu Ubud.
Notes about Bangli students’ disabilities
So far in the Bangli region, 732 disabled people have been recorded, 70 who have registered for the option to attend the school at KupuKupu Foundation and 83 who need bathrooms installed in their homes.
Of the 70 students who registered for the possibility to attend the school, there is space for only 35. Of the 70 students, more than 50% have Downes syndrome which we believe is a relatively high percentage of students. There are also a number of students who suffered from polio as a child, but they are all now aged above 20 years due to the implementation of the national government child immunisation programme. There is currently no government assistance made to disabled people or children in Bali and Indonesia.