Photos by David E. Parry
When writing on projects using the words as "uplifting," "inspirational" or "downright bloody fantastic" rarely, if ever, enter the vocabulary consultants cynical development. This maxim was true until I visited the East Bali Poverty Project (EBPP) located on North remote and inhospitable slopes of Mount Agung and Mount Abang Bali. The project is the brainchild of David Booth MBE, a British engineer fully dedicated, multi-talented dreamed of providing the necessities of life in some of the poorest villagers in the whole archipelago and in their resistance the mountain, seemed to have been forgotten or ignored by the government.
The origins of EBPP back to 1998, when David committed with the people of Desa Ban, a desperately poor community of 15,000 illiterate people living in abject poverty in sub-19 isolated villages spread over 7,200 ha arid and rugged land of Mount Agung and Abang, the former which erupted in 1963 covering the area of several meters of ash and destroying the forest and life down to its peak. The only access to the outside world was via steep, narrow mountain paths and isolation generations, combined with poor soils, steep slopes and lack of convenient sources of fresh water, had created terrible poverty conditions dominated serious health problems, including probably the highest incidence of goitre in the world (85%), skin diseases such as impetigo widespread, endemic malnutrition and an alarming rate of infant mortality by 30% before a year, ten times the national average.
At first, the elders of the community priority in education for their children as a way to a better future. But it was clear that no real progress could be made and the children could not meet properly until basic health problems were treated and access to other villages, many perched on the ridges geologically recent lava flows, and the outside world have been improved.
The first issue in health was to fill key gaps in the dietary iodine, vitamins and minerals through a program of 'awareness' education supported by a steady diet of iodized oil capsules, sponsored from 2001 to 2033 included the Jakarta office of UNICEF, iodized salt, multi-vitamin tablets and a daily glass of milk enriched child to accompany their nutritious daily meal at school. A system of regular health checks to assess and advise on infants' and children's nutritional status, provide maternity advice and set up a regular dental program was also initiated from 2000, facilitate these actions, attention should be paid to providing good access to the villages.
The project has set foot traffic of existing mountain slopes in mountain roads that could accommodate motorcycles and vehicles 4-W-D. The first road was built in the village of Daya saddle between Mount Agung and Mount Abang between November 1999 and March 2000; it provided the first road access in history for thousands of people to leave the village for supplies and future knowledge. This involved the villagers working together under the traditional system 'Gotong Royong' of the self-help community, surveying new road sections and provide work to widen the road, the preparation of the subbase and lay the parallel twin 60 cm wide strips of concrete 6 cm deep under the supervision of David Booth and his small team of Balinese volunteers. Shoulders roadside and adjacent slopes have been stabilized with vetiver grass amazing. The life span of roads built averages up to ten years on the straight and slightly inclined sections, but only about four years on very steep sections and elbows before major repairs are needed. To extend the life of roads, it is planned to use a wire or woven bamboo chicken and of reinforcing materials / Local on these sections in the future.
This eradication model of integrated community poverty and financed by the private sector is now in its 13th year. The results of direct small grants for specifically targets selected and managed by the communities themselves are quite staggering. Iodine deficiency and its debilitating effects, goitre and cretinism, have been eradicated; 800 sanitary tanks concrete collecting rain water with a capacity of 33,000 liters were built by local people in schools and villages; running water was supplied by gravity feed to many mountain villages sources rejuvenated; and more than 1,000 children were educated privately in six primary schools in the hamlet EBPP secondary school level with some going on to university. In fact, in 2011, EBPP had their first three graduates (all young ladies), back to their villages to work as teachers and help expand private programs for primary and secondary education in the region as there yet no assistance from the local government section.
These remarkable achievements are often in marked contrast to the dismal record of most major donor agencies that the US 2.5 million was spent during the 13 years of the $ EBPP is often spent in a year on administrative burdens, illegal fees and reports of expensive consultants, which are rarely, if ever, appropriate to the actual elimination of poverty.
Jakarta Expat launches an appeal for funds for this amazing project that has transformed the lives of thousands of villagers from one of despair and unimaginable suffering to one of hope for themselves and generations future.
Rp 75,000 will provide materials and labor to build a mountain road bi-meter reinforced concrete strip. the price of two beers in a bar or a haircut, and the project needs 9,000 m for the 4.5 km long steep mountain roads to Darmaji Jatituhu hamlets and accessible to vehicles and motorcycles-D 4- W. The team from Jakarta Expat and managing Bars Bugils (Eastern Promise, De hooi, Cazbar, De Burse) in Jakarta will be involved to raise funds to build part of the road and we hope our readers will join with raise funds by sending donations or by transfer to Giro EBPP bank account or PayPal details on our website of EBPP "How can I help" menu:
http://eastbalipovertyproject.org/how -can-i-help / how- to donate /
If you make a donation, please refer to Jakarta Expat. All donations will be acknowledged with a formal receipt email and on the donor section EBPP Homepage to www.eastbalipovertyproject.org.
In addition, progress measured in meters of road will be built in Jakarta Expat reported together with a brief report and photographs. For companies that wish to donate larger amounts, other more formal means of recognition such as a plaque bearing the company logo can be arranged. official financial reports on the details of any given expenditure are available on request to EBPP or for display in their office Denpasar. The EBPP 2010 accounts, audited by Ernst & Young in Indonesia, are available on request. Over the next 10 years, the project hopes to build some 20 km of mountain road to connect the other sub-villages of Desa Ban the outside world. Let's help these villagers move into the fast lane!