ONE little girl eagerly started brushing her teeth with seemingly foreign dental tools but screwed up her face at the taste of toothpaste. It was a start.
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Most villagers in East Bali, high in the mountains, had never seen a doctor or dentist before, until ‘Healthy Day’. Sanitation, hygiene and health is poor.
Alfredton Rotary members were hopeful some of basic health care they were introducing would continue, but the bigger picture was working with these remote village communities to empower villagers in their own health care.
Rumah Sehat (healthy home) humanitarian project has been partnering with Rotary Clubs in Alfredton, Bali Taman, and Hope Island. The project has built and staffed a central medical clinic in Batukuseni and funds free healthy days, bringing medical, dental and allied health staff to remote communities.
Getting to such villages was “pretty hairy” at times in a bus, according to Alfredton Rotary past president Kathy Rivett, going up tight, winding roads on rocky, dry land. The landscape is so harsh that most villagers survive on small crops of corn and pumpkin – few greens and no protein.
Ms Rivett said it felt thousands of miles away from the pumping beach and bar tourist culture of major cities. Tourism and increased land value has displaced many working class families. Ms Rivett said some young may leave to get jobs in bigger cities but many traditional villagers were tied to the land of their ancestors.
A small Alfredton contingent has made the journey for a couple of years now. Each visit is to a distinctly different village but with similar health concerns: lots of skin conditions, eroding teeth, and lack of specialist access.
“It’s certainly different to what the typical Aussie sees in Bali and it’s even really different between villages, depending on the remoteness,” Ms Rivett said. “It could be like so many poor communities in countries across the world but Bali is so close, and popular with Aussies, which is why we choose Bali.”
Karen George has been in similar communities in Africa but said living conditions were still confronting, each and every time. Ms George said ‘cushy’ was a sound roof over your head and flushing toilet. But the people were always so happy.
This year, Ms George took her flute and played for school children, outside the banjar (community hall) where they were waiting to see the doctor.
The attentive and fascinated response was magical as Ms George played a little from Phantom of the Opera, and well-known songs like Amazing Grace and Greensleeves.
In return, the community presented her a bamboo flute, similar to a recorder, and with far less keys than a flute. Ms George said the music formed a special bond.
“When you can actually go and see where your money is going, how it will help and hear their stories, I think that's really important,” Ms George said.
Australian expats Sue and Ray Bishop were holidaying in Amed on Bali’s north-east coast when they overheard talk about the poor living conditions of Balinese villagers living on the mountainsides above the resort. They wanted to help and developed Rumah Sehat.
Ballarat’s Jill Oliver was holidaying in Bali with friends when she heard of their work and trekked to see one of Rumah Sehat’s ‘Healthy Days’. She suggested Alfredton Rotary became involved and has since raised funds for five healthy days, each in a different village, in the past three years.
The club also donated a small utility truck this year to help transport people to specialist health appointments in towns and medical equipment about the district. Members also brought strollers and wheelchairs for village use and, while a little dubious about their effectiveness on such rough terrain, are confident people were resourceful enough to maximise their use.
When Alfred Rotarians first visited the region, they arrived armed with lots of school books and pencils. This time, they took lots of clothes, medical supplies and purchased rice to share from local providers.
Doctors on healthy days kept talking about the benefits super food Kelor could make, as a tea or vegetable. Now, club members have received a Rotary grant to help village farmers cultivate the plant, which thrives in hot, dry areas.
“The idea is for farmers to grow the plant the first couple of years for their own use and benefit and after that, sell the excess for profit,” Ms Oliver said.
“Farmers can be very particular about it. They’ve all got their own crops they grow already and are not keen to change to something new completely...we’ve suggested they plant (Kelor) as borders around their crop. We’re asking the local university in Denpasar’s agricultural department to help show farmers how to best grow the plant.
“This is about working with farmers and their needs.”
Alfredton Rotary is also actively, closely and passionately involved in community projects across Ballarat – Bali is their international fundraising focus.
The club is a Rotary club with a difference, a little less formal and with a predominantly female base. It is the first satellite chartered club in the international body. Kathy Rivett said members had quickly bonded as friends, who like to get things done, in their weekly dinner meetings at the Lake View.
Rumah Sehat is an accredited Rotary Australian World Community Service project. Details can be found on rawcs.org.au (project 15, registered 2011-12, Batukuseni medical clinic.