Remembering my Trip in 2005

Seeds of Hope orphanage in Bali.

I could feel the joy at the Seeds of Hope orphanage well up in me just looking at Christal’spictures. Thanks for the memories Christal!

Two years ago I had a zillion questions as we approached the Seeds of Hope orphanage on the Indonesian island of Bali. How do one couple feed and care for 75+ children every day? Oh, my guide said, the children do all the cooking. Hummm doesn’t sound quite right I thought. Turns out Ibu Sandra had a stroke and was unable to do the heavy work so they developed a roster of the older children to prepare the meals under her direction. Humm, I wasn’t impressed. Then trying to get my head around the cost to keep it all going I was told how the children learned the Balinese dances and performed for tourists at local hotels. Yikes, I didn’t like what I was hearing.

When I arrived, the children greeted us warmly and I could feel their excitement. There was Ibu Sandra with her quad-cane and a big smile on her face. She told me her recovery from a stroke had brought her from being immobilized to walking with a cane and she was so happy. The stroke she suffered gave her more time to be still and to talk with her children.
Then I met Julia who was in charge of dinner that day. A meal plan had been prepared and two young women were at work preparing the vegetables. How do you know how much rice to cook I asked, “ten kilo a day”, she answered. These young teenagers already knew what it took to cook for 75 plus guests! And they were having fun doing it.

Suddenly were called together. Before us were the children, now transformed by traditional costumes looking so poised and confident. The dances began. The young boys performed their première Sword Dance and at the end the crowd roared! Especially the older “brothers”. You wouldn’t believe the support they poured out. It totally amazed me how ordinary bare foot little kids were transformed into skilful dancers.

As a couple of teenagers zoomed down the driveway on motorbikes, Pak Tommy told me he wanted the children to grow up with love and confidence. He showed me pictures of all his “grown up” children telling me of their academic and employment successes.

I learned later that Pak Tommy’s father had given his land for the orphanage and an adjacent piece had been sold years ago but still lay vacant. It is Tommy’s dream to buy that land back and build a school on it.