•12:12 AM
•11:12 PM
I have had the privilege of being able to volunteer at Karuna Bali for the past 6 weeks.
During that time i have had some of the most rewarding, humbling and life changing experiences of my life. My role as a volunteer involved my attendance at a number of English classes at Campuhan College, with students of varying levels of language ability. Having no teaching experience aside from a TESOL basic skills course, I was nervous about the idea of teaching and unsure of my abilities. However, any fears I had were soon put at ease. Primary age students were receptive, confident and a delight be around. I love their energy and was constantly amazed by their ability to be still, relax, imagine and dream. The students here are encouraged in their individuality, opinions and creativity; things I have learn are uncommon in traditional Indonesian schooling. The environment created by the staff here is one of love, fun, support and acceptance. In six weeks, I heard not one raised voice, or witnessed any kind of punishment. It is simply just not the way things are done here. The students are treated with dignity and their behavior reflects that in turn.
I was also able to spend time with an amazing group of students on a one-year scholarship program. These students have already completed senior high school but are from poorer backgrounds, unable to afford university or further training. Campuhan College provides these students with extended English studies and also computer skills focusing on graphic design, desktop publishing and media production. I have been impressed again and again with their commitment and grace. Some of them had moved out of their family homes, staying with relatives or friends to be closer to the college and some still travelling over and hour every day. I had so much fun with them, not only sharing about our different cultures and experiences but also getting to know them all individually, creating strong friendships and many unforgettable memories. These are the people I will miss the most.They are the family that have made me feel welcome and given me a feeling of home in Bali. My favorite experiences in Bali have been spent with these students. I feel so blessed to have met them and I know it will not be long until we meet again.
The best of these memories with the scholarship students were spent on weekends, when I took part in the EduCare program. I accompanied a group made up of scholarship students, previous Campuhan College graduates and volunteers from Balinese universities to a rural village school with limited funds and resources. We would spend each Saturday in preparation and each Sunday at the school. In a class of around 50, I was once again amazed by the demeanor of the children. Once again the children were allowed and encouraged to express their personality and creativity and specific times were set aside for 'Imagination' and 'Reflection'.We taught them English, played games, talked about values, told stories, let them act out stories. On my first visit, I could see how much they were enjoying having us there, but it wasn’t until we went to leave that I really gathered some perspectives. All 50 of them gathered around the car, reluctant to let us leave. When we managed to finally get the car free of them, they chased us down the road until we were out of sight. This routine was again repeated each time we visited the school. On my final visit, I was moved to tears by the appreciation of the teachers and the students. I did not realize how much I would be missed after only a short time. There was not a dry eye in the whole school! I’m not sure I can put into words exactly what I felt that day, I’m just so grateful to have been part of such an amazing team, they are all truly inspirational.
When I first arrived in Bali I was shocked and overwhelmed. Ignorantly, I was surprised by
the level of poverty here, and I did not expect to see the conditions that some people live
in with little hope of change. However, there is change here, and it’s happening at Karuna Bali with Campuhan College and the Educare program. Where Bali appears to lack in wealth and possessions; acceptance, joy, love, peace, family and community are overflowing in abundance. I leave Bali with a heart that is truly happy and completely different outlook on life.
Bali has taught me to love more freely and appreciate what is really important.
If you think you can't make a difference, you are wrong. There is no gift more worthwhile than time, and no gift that is easier to give, and no gift is too small.
Jemila Rushton
Volunteer
During that time i have had some of the most rewarding, humbling and life changing experiences of my life. My role as a volunteer involved my attendance at a number of English classes at Campuhan College, with students of varying levels of language ability. Having no teaching experience aside from a TESOL basic skills course, I was nervous about the idea of teaching and unsure of my abilities. However, any fears I had were soon put at ease. Primary age students were receptive, confident and a delight be around. I love their energy and was constantly amazed by their ability to be still, relax, imagine and dream. The students here are encouraged in their individuality, opinions and creativity; things I have learn are uncommon in traditional Indonesian schooling. The environment created by the staff here is one of love, fun, support and acceptance. In six weeks, I heard not one raised voice, or witnessed any kind of punishment. It is simply just not the way things are done here. The students are treated with dignity and their behavior reflects that in turn.
I was also able to spend time with an amazing group of students on a one-year scholarship program. These students have already completed senior high school but are from poorer backgrounds, unable to afford university or further training. Campuhan College provides these students with extended English studies and also computer skills focusing on graphic design, desktop publishing and media production. I have been impressed again and again with their commitment and grace. Some of them had moved out of their family homes, staying with relatives or friends to be closer to the college and some still travelling over and hour every day. I had so much fun with them, not only sharing about our different cultures and experiences but also getting to know them all individually, creating strong friendships and many unforgettable memories. These are the people I will miss the most.They are the family that have made me feel welcome and given me a feeling of home in Bali. My favorite experiences in Bali have been spent with these students. I feel so blessed to have met them and I know it will not be long until we meet again.
The best of these memories with the scholarship students were spent on weekends, when I took part in the EduCare program. I accompanied a group made up of scholarship students, previous Campuhan College graduates and volunteers from Balinese universities to a rural village school with limited funds and resources. We would spend each Saturday in preparation and each Sunday at the school. In a class of around 50, I was once again amazed by the demeanor of the children. Once again the children were allowed and encouraged to express their personality and creativity and specific times were set aside for 'Imagination' and 'Reflection'.We taught them English, played games, talked about values, told stories, let them act out stories. On my first visit, I could see how much they were enjoying having us there, but it wasn’t until we went to leave that I really gathered some perspectives. All 50 of them gathered around the car, reluctant to let us leave. When we managed to finally get the car free of them, they chased us down the road until we were out of sight. This routine was again repeated each time we visited the school. On my final visit, I was moved to tears by the appreciation of the teachers and the students. I did not realize how much I would be missed after only a short time. There was not a dry eye in the whole school! I’m not sure I can put into words exactly what I felt that day, I’m just so grateful to have been part of such an amazing team, they are all truly inspirational.
When I first arrived in Bali I was shocked and overwhelmed. Ignorantly, I was surprised by
the level of poverty here, and I did not expect to see the conditions that some people live
in with little hope of change. However, there is change here, and it’s happening at Karuna Bali with Campuhan College and the Educare program. Where Bali appears to lack in wealth and possessions; acceptance, joy, love, peace, family and community are overflowing in abundance. I leave Bali with a heart that is truly happy and completely different outlook on life.
Bali has taught me to love more freely and appreciate what is really important.
If you think you can't make a difference, you are wrong. There is no gift more worthwhile than time, and no gift that is easier to give, and no gift is too small.
Jemila Rushton
Volunteer
•8:49 AM
For the last 3 years EduCare has been giving education assistant to some rural elementary schools in Bali and up to now there are seven schools have been benefited through this program and another 33 schools are in the waiting list. At present EduCare has received tremendous appreciation from teachers, students and department of Education and it has become highly recommended program to be adopted by primary schools where the foundation of education begin here.
The benefit of EduCare is extended not only to teachers and students of elementary schools but also to the volunteers who mainly are universities students studying to become teachers. Introducing this model of education approach at this stage is critically important as they the ones who will be the future teachers who will extend this model of education to their future students.
EduCare has given profound transformational experiences to every individual involved; they gained more self confident, more self respect and self worth in very short time. Based on the report given by the teachers at the universities whose students joined EduCare, the positive impacts on those students is outstanding. At present, EduCare has become well recognized program in several universities in Bali and on the 25th of June 2010 a MOU of cooperation between Karuna Bali and University of STIBA Mahasaraswati Denpasar was signed. This is truly a new chapter for EduCare, providing us with abundant of opportunities to improve the quality education in Bali. We believe providing the optimum learning environment that is supporting will inspire everyone to express their values and hidden potentials and allow them to shine.
I Wayan Rustiasa
Co-Founder
The benefit of EduCare is extended not only to teachers and students of elementary schools but also to the volunteers who mainly are universities students studying to become teachers. Introducing this model of education approach at this stage is critically important as they the ones who will be the future teachers who will extend this model of education to their future students.
EduCare has given profound transformational experiences to every individual involved; they gained more self confident, more self respect and self worth in very short time. Based on the report given by the teachers at the universities whose students joined EduCare, the positive impacts on those students is outstanding. At present, EduCare has become well recognized program in several universities in Bali and on the 25th of June 2010 a MOU of cooperation between Karuna Bali and University of STIBA Mahasaraswati Denpasar was signed. This is truly a new chapter for EduCare, providing us with abundant of opportunities to improve the quality education in Bali. We believe providing the optimum learning environment that is supporting will inspire everyone to express their values and hidden potentials and allow them to shine.
I Wayan Rustiasa
Co-Founder
•8:22 AM
Karuna Bali — Rural Village EduCare Program
A Volunteer's Perspective
It is Saturday morning and I have been invited to attend a preparatory meeting at Campuhan College in Ubud, Bali, for the Rural Village Educare Program. The meeting starts at 10:30am sharp. When I arrive at the college, the place is silent. Not knowing what to think, I sneak quietly up the stairs to the upper hall to find about 18 college students in meditation. This is how they start their meetings and I'm impressed!
Ten minutes later, and the students are designing a program for the next day, Sunday, that they will bring to youngsters in a school in some remote village called Jatiluwih. The director of the program, a visionary young man of 25 called Scholastica, has come up with the basic design for the program to address the body, mind and spirit. This, he explained, creates and maintains balance within.
This Saturday morning is like any other Saturday morning for these 19 - 23 year Campuhan College students. Students decide what team they want to be on: the English language team (addresses learning and therefore the mind), the games team (which moves the body), the story telling team where the youngsters get to act out the story (which addresses the creative aspect of the mind), the art team (which makes use of the mind and spirit) and the reflection team (which is a guided meditation and addresses the spirit). Great detail is given to the design of each team's program - what will be taught in the English language and how, what games will be played, what story will be told, and what guiding meditation will be given. Everyone is invited to comment until everyone is in agreement. This planning process takes two to three hours.
6:45 Sunday morning - the hour everyone has agreed to meet again at Campuhan College. The students arrive promptly one after another on their motor bikes. Video and camera equipment is picked up from the office upstairs and we're on our way. About one and a half hours later, we arrive at a small town in the hills of Bali, called Jatiluwih. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and almost has an atmosphere of otherworldliness about it.
We climb off our motorbikes and are greeted enthusiastically by a group of ten year old kids. They are neatly dressed in clean clothes, barefoot with great big smiles from their hearts on their faces. Their enthusiasm is contagious and a deep gratitude to be able to spend the day with these beautiful children, fills my heart. As soon as they see us they get busy - clearing the class room where we will spend the morning with them. They pick up brooms which are tiny and have very little brush left on them and start sweeping the floors. Furniture is moved to the walls to make space in the centre. Everything is done with a smile. They are like beautiful butterflies, these children.
Nine o'clock sharp, and we begin the morning with a song "I am a peaceful star, I am". It is sung with all the open hearted enthusiasm that I so love about these kids.
This is followed by a lesson in English language. One of the college students writes the days of the week on the blackboard, which isn't that black anymore. 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday......' etc. The leader of the team reads out the days in English and the children repeat after her. In unison, their voices are not at all shy but strong and joyful. Then they are taught 'before and after'. Each child is asked to come up to the front of the class and I get to ask each a question: 'What day is before Monday? What day is after Friday?' etc. If the answer is incorrect, the rest of the class helps out. Some are shy, some are proud that they know the answer and respond in a loud and clear voice and everyone of these children is so focussed, eager to learn and to get it 'right'.
After about an hour and a half of English class, we move outside for the games. A string is strung like a wash line between two buildings and pieces of rice crackers are hung on strings from the 'wash line'. At a distance of about 20 yards, a couple of children are blindfolded, turned around and told to move forward towards the rice crackers, under loud guidance from their peers. They have to eat the rice crackers without reaching for them with their hands. One kid hates the taste of the rice cracker and spits it out in disgust after he reached his goal, under loud laughter and applause from his team.
Next, we move into story telling with new team leaders. A story has been translated from English into the Indonesian language by someone of the team and is now narrated in Indonesian. The children get to act out the story and everyone howls with laughter. Then the children are asked what the 'moral' of the story is - sometimes there is more than one lesson and they all get it.
Art is the next item on the agenda of this morning. A bundle of crayons is spread out on the classroom floor. Each child is handed a package, which consists of a red plastic envelope that contains paper, a small notebook/diary, pencil, pen and an eraser. They take out a sheet of paper, move to the center of the floor and begin to draw with the coloured crayons. I am astounded as to the quality of their art for kids this age. One draws a turtle with amazing detail and shades of colour, another draws a typical Balinese farming scene of a farmer and his oxen ploughing a rice paddy, some draw butterflies, etc.
After art, it's time for writing and reflection and everyone takes out the diary from the red envelope and begins to write his/her experiences and thoughts of the morning. This is followed by reflection. All kids sit cross legged on the floor, close their eyes (some boys peek) and the guided meditation begins. 'Imagine you are a star in the big open universe...'
Our morning with these children has flown by. It is almost noon and there is one more thing left to do. One of the team leaders asks for a volunteer to say the closing prayer. A boy eagerly raises his hand and proudly comes up to the front of the classroom. He is handed a paper upon which is written the prayer in the Indonesian language: "Terimah kassi, Tuan", is repeated after each paragraph — "Thank You, Lord", while Scholastica accompanies him softly on the guitar. My heart melts even more - I don't want this morning to end. I am so humbled by these incredible children and my heart is as big and as open as the sky, as the prayer ends. The kids shake hands with each of the team leaders, thanking them for the time spent together. It's been a high energy morning and everyone's had so much fun. The Oneness was palpable, the Joy amazing and the Love incredible and so much.... so much gratitude from these children!!
After our time together comes to an end, the furniture is put back and the classroom is tidied up. We all leave together — the kids go home and the team leaders gather for lunch nearby at a local warung (local restaurant), where delicious lunches are served for about $1.50 a plate. The purpose of this lunch gathering is to discuss any observations that were made during the morning, with the main question: where is there room for improvement? was our purpose — to teach these kids in a fun and loving way — achieved? did we create a 'safe' environment for them to learn? what needs to be done differently? and also - where did we do well? Again, everyone's comments was welcome, including mine.
My admiration is huge — for this project and especially for the Campuhan college students who give freely of their time every weekend in order to facilitate a fun learning experience for these children who live in rural, and often remote, villages and to give these children a chance to expand their lives. The sense of community service, their creativity and genuine Love and care from the hearts of these college students truly is an example to the world.
I Love these students and I Love these children and I will return. I am deeply grateful and honoured to have had the opportunity to learn from these wonderful people that are the future of this country, Indonesia.
Patricia Lawrence, Kauai. Volunteer — March 2009
A Volunteer's Perspective
It is Saturday morning and I have been invited to attend a preparatory meeting at Campuhan College in Ubud, Bali, for the Rural Village Educare Program. The meeting starts at 10:30am sharp. When I arrive at the college, the place is silent. Not knowing what to think, I sneak quietly up the stairs to the upper hall to find about 18 college students in meditation. This is how they start their meetings and I'm impressed!
Ten minutes later, and the students are designing a program for the next day, Sunday, that they will bring to youngsters in a school in some remote village called Jatiluwih. The director of the program, a visionary young man of 25 called Scholastica, has come up with the basic design for the program to address the body, mind and spirit. This, he explained, creates and maintains balance within.
This Saturday morning is like any other Saturday morning for these 19 - 23 year Campuhan College students. Students decide what team they want to be on: the English language team (addresses learning and therefore the mind), the games team (which moves the body), the story telling team where the youngsters get to act out the story (which addresses the creative aspect of the mind), the art team (which makes use of the mind and spirit) and the reflection team (which is a guided meditation and addresses the spirit). Great detail is given to the design of each team's program - what will be taught in the English language and how, what games will be played, what story will be told, and what guiding meditation will be given. Everyone is invited to comment until everyone is in agreement. This planning process takes two to three hours.
6:45 Sunday morning - the hour everyone has agreed to meet again at Campuhan College. The students arrive promptly one after another on their motor bikes. Video and camera equipment is picked up from the office upstairs and we're on our way. About one and a half hours later, we arrive at a small town in the hills of Bali, called Jatiluwih. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and almost has an atmosphere of otherworldliness about it.
We climb off our motorbikes and are greeted enthusiastically by a group of ten year old kids. They are neatly dressed in clean clothes, barefoot with great big smiles from their hearts on their faces. Their enthusiasm is contagious and a deep gratitude to be able to spend the day with these beautiful children, fills my heart. As soon as they see us they get busy - clearing the class room where we will spend the morning with them. They pick up brooms which are tiny and have very little brush left on them and start sweeping the floors. Furniture is moved to the walls to make space in the centre. Everything is done with a smile. They are like beautiful butterflies, these children.
Nine o'clock sharp, and we begin the morning with a song "I am a peaceful star, I am". It is sung with all the open hearted enthusiasm that I so love about these kids.
This is followed by a lesson in English language. One of the college students writes the days of the week on the blackboard, which isn't that black anymore. 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday......' etc. The leader of the team reads out the days in English and the children repeat after her. In unison, their voices are not at all shy but strong and joyful. Then they are taught 'before and after'. Each child is asked to come up to the front of the class and I get to ask each a question: 'What day is before Monday? What day is after Friday?' etc. If the answer is incorrect, the rest of the class helps out. Some are shy, some are proud that they know the answer and respond in a loud and clear voice and everyone of these children is so focussed, eager to learn and to get it 'right'.
After about an hour and a half of English class, we move outside for the games. A string is strung like a wash line between two buildings and pieces of rice crackers are hung on strings from the 'wash line'. At a distance of about 20 yards, a couple of children are blindfolded, turned around and told to move forward towards the rice crackers, under loud guidance from their peers. They have to eat the rice crackers without reaching for them with their hands. One kid hates the taste of the rice cracker and spits it out in disgust after he reached his goal, under loud laughter and applause from his team.
Next, we move into story telling with new team leaders. A story has been translated from English into the Indonesian language by someone of the team and is now narrated in Indonesian. The children get to act out the story and everyone howls with laughter. Then the children are asked what the 'moral' of the story is - sometimes there is more than one lesson and they all get it.
Art is the next item on the agenda of this morning. A bundle of crayons is spread out on the classroom floor. Each child is handed a package, which consists of a red plastic envelope that contains paper, a small notebook/diary, pencil, pen and an eraser. They take out a sheet of paper, move to the center of the floor and begin to draw with the coloured crayons. I am astounded as to the quality of their art for kids this age. One draws a turtle with amazing detail and shades of colour, another draws a typical Balinese farming scene of a farmer and his oxen ploughing a rice paddy, some draw butterflies, etc.
After art, it's time for writing and reflection and everyone takes out the diary from the red envelope and begins to write his/her experiences and thoughts of the morning. This is followed by reflection. All kids sit cross legged on the floor, close their eyes (some boys peek) and the guided meditation begins. 'Imagine you are a star in the big open universe...'
Our morning with these children has flown by. It is almost noon and there is one more thing left to do. One of the team leaders asks for a volunteer to say the closing prayer. A boy eagerly raises his hand and proudly comes up to the front of the classroom. He is handed a paper upon which is written the prayer in the Indonesian language: "Terimah kassi, Tuan", is repeated after each paragraph — "Thank You, Lord", while Scholastica accompanies him softly on the guitar. My heart melts even more - I don't want this morning to end. I am so humbled by these incredible children and my heart is as big and as open as the sky, as the prayer ends. The kids shake hands with each of the team leaders, thanking them for the time spent together. It's been a high energy morning and everyone's had so much fun. The Oneness was palpable, the Joy amazing and the Love incredible and so much.... so much gratitude from these children!!
After our time together comes to an end, the furniture is put back and the classroom is tidied up. We all leave together — the kids go home and the team leaders gather for lunch nearby at a local warung (local restaurant), where delicious lunches are served for about $1.50 a plate. The purpose of this lunch gathering is to discuss any observations that were made during the morning, with the main question: where is there room for improvement? was our purpose — to teach these kids in a fun and loving way — achieved? did we create a 'safe' environment for them to learn? what needs to be done differently? and also - where did we do well? Again, everyone's comments was welcome, including mine.
My admiration is huge — for this project and especially for the Campuhan college students who give freely of their time every weekend in order to facilitate a fun learning experience for these children who live in rural, and often remote, villages and to give these children a chance to expand their lives. The sense of community service, their creativity and genuine Love and care from the hearts of these college students truly is an example to the world.
I Love these students and I Love these children and I will return. I am deeply grateful and honoured to have had the opportunity to learn from these wonderful people that are the future of this country, Indonesia.
Patricia Lawrence, Kauai. Volunteer — March 2009
•2:19 AM
Rural Village EduCare Program
Empowering people through education
Introduction
Based on census year 2006, Bali has been populated by 3.431.585 people. It means that life is getting more and more competitive in this small island. In fact, the competition is actually happening in all walks of life, even in education. However, there seems to be some places which do not have adequate access on education. Therefore, those who concern about making a better world should really hold hands and do something. In this case, Karuna Bali Foundation works together with Campuhan College to create a service-based program, known as Rural Village EduCare Program.
The Root of EduCare
Program On 2007, Rural Village EduCare Program, which was initially known as Rural Village Education Assistance Program, started to have educational activities in some small villages of Bali. The first rural village was Jatiluwih Village. There were 33 children participating in the program who received a special English learning as its main subject. It soon became children’s favorite program they ever have on every Sunday morning. The second was Kelabang Moding Village. At this Village, there were 33 school teachers who participated in basic computer training.
Three Elements make EduCare Program Unique
A) It has interesting learning ingredients such as English teaching, story telling, leadership activities, diary writing, as well as regular reflection. All these ingredients lead us to have heart to heart teaching and learning process.
B) The volunteers are mostly recruited from Campuhan College’s One Year students who get scholarship to study at the college, so they pay foreword through this EduCare Program.
C) Volunteering opportunities are also given to university students or people who would like to have a real teaching experience in rural schools. This system brings sustainability to the program.
Goals of Rural Village EduCare Program
· Giving English training to rural school children
· Inserting leadership and living values
· Creating an educative Sunday
· Giving opportunities to volunteers to play some roles through this service-based program
· Giving opportunities to local school teachers to know other kind of teaching styles
· Making a difference for a better world
Conclusion
The success of Rural Village EduCare Program is based on the process, result and relationship between each individual involving in the program. In short, sharing and caring could be ways to have positive changes that we want to see in this world.
Empowering people through education
Introduction
Based on census year 2006, Bali has been populated by 3.431.585 people. It means that life is getting more and more competitive in this small island. In fact, the competition is actually happening in all walks of life, even in education. However, there seems to be some places which do not have adequate access on education. Therefore, those who concern about making a better world should really hold hands and do something. In this case, Karuna Bali Foundation works together with Campuhan College to create a service-based program, known as Rural Village EduCare Program.
The Root of EduCare
Program On 2007, Rural Village EduCare Program, which was initially known as Rural Village Education Assistance Program, started to have educational activities in some small villages of Bali. The first rural village was Jatiluwih Village. There were 33 children participating in the program who received a special English learning as its main subject. It soon became children’s favorite program they ever have on every Sunday morning. The second was Kelabang Moding Village. At this Village, there were 33 school teachers who participated in basic computer training.
Three Elements make EduCare Program Unique
A) It has interesting learning ingredients such as English teaching, story telling, leadership activities, diary writing, as well as regular reflection. All these ingredients lead us to have heart to heart teaching and learning process.
B) The volunteers are mostly recruited from Campuhan College’s One Year students who get scholarship to study at the college, so they pay foreword through this EduCare Program.
C) Volunteering opportunities are also given to university students or people who would like to have a real teaching experience in rural schools. This system brings sustainability to the program.
Goals of Rural Village EduCare Program
· Giving English training to rural school children
· Inserting leadership and living values
· Creating an educative Sunday
· Giving opportunities to volunteers to play some roles through this service-based program
· Giving opportunities to local school teachers to know other kind of teaching styles
· Making a difference for a better world
Conclusion
The success of Rural Village EduCare Program is based on the process, result and relationship between each individual involving in the program. In short, sharing and caring could be ways to have positive changes that we want to see in this world.
