In the Beginning... 2007 - 2022

by Roger Miles

People always ask "how did this begin?" So it was like this:

Following the second Bali bombing in October 2005, Suzanne and I (Roger) had organised and managed a tour of 100 people, largely Americans to Bali for two weeks. It was the last tour group Bali saw for many months, with the western countries adding Bali as a “high risk” holiday destination resulting in the complete collapse of the local tourist industry, which being Bali’s greatest income earner, flowed into all aspects of Bali life.

Following the tour, we stayed on in Ubud. Daily we saw first-hand the impact of lack of business, restaurants were abandoned with staff standing ideal and taxi being polished with no mileage changing on the clock. We decided to explore an idea of helping these predominant young men and women to see beyond tourism, to gain knowledge of computers, email and the internet through the relatively new world-wide net extending their interest to life outside their old vision of what could be available to earn a living. They needed new skills and which we felt could offer.

 

 

At Toko’s small restaurant just across the street from where we were staying we found an unused internet café complete with a young computer teacher, Wayan Wrustiasa. We asked, if we sponsored young Balinese would he teach them computer skills. And so it began, four students for six weeks at a time at $20 per student each. There was no shortage of students.

Some months later we returned to Ubud, Bali and were invited into a lunch meeting with Toko and Wayan. Tourists were returning and our students, occupying the internet café needed to be relocated.

 

 

Highly supportive of our project, Toko gave us two options, he would remove his car from the garage and we could turn the space into a custom classroom, how much I asked, around $1,500 he said, or we could continue the approved but abandoned extension of two additional floors on top of the main building and have eight classrooms, a large meeting are, and supporting offices and have a real school. I laughed, and thanked Toko for his generosity when Toko said around $25,000US.

I returned to the workshop I was attending in the seminar room in the rice field, I popped into the loo and was chatting to another participant I did not know who asked me where I had lunch, I briefly shared the conversation and Toko’s offer to which he asked if that was something I would really like to do.

Caught off guard, yet impulsively I said “Yes, I wanted to help these young people have a better life”… To which the Gene said, “Let’s go back at next break and tell Toko to get started” and he would pay for the construction of the school.

 

 

When I asked Wayan if he could make it work he told us his story. At nineteen he worked in an export office and was befriended by an American client who suggested that he take computer classes to be better able to develop his skills. At that time Wayan was supporting a sick brother and a family and had no surplus funds for education and could not leave his job for training, a very typical Balinese scenario. The American insisted and offered to pay both his salary and training costs to allow him the three years of opportunity. He was then offered work in the American sponsored college to set up and run a new English department. From there it was a natural progression to being offered the Directorship of the College.

After three years running the college, Wayan found himself desiring to start his own computer business which he did and today employs a dozen people. Now having achieved that goal, Wayan feels a passion to give back to others the same opportunity that he was given. Imagine his surprise now that this dream has become possible.

 

 

All our dreams manifested, Wayan and his wife, Iluh, Suzanne and I, partnered together to be responsible for creating and managing our Bali school, now the NGO/ not-for-profit Karuna Bali Foundation birthing for Suzanne and I a long lasting relationship for us with two unique people.

 

 

Here we are – seventeen years on, with a faculty team of twenty vibrant young enthusiasts, hundreds of young students have passed through the doors and now also, responsible for developing Living Values Education throughout Indonesia... truly a miracle manifested.

In the suburb of Sanginggan, Ubud, Bali long since the hammers have fallen quiet at Toko’s boutique hotel and restaurant complex, sawdust and the usual accompanying builders debris removed, Bali comes alive in the early morning, water drips from the blossoming flowerboxes that now surround the windows of the upper floors of the building which host the classrooms of the Campuhan College.

The magnificent carved teak doors stand open onto the main road letting sunlight and fresh air stream through the building.  There are only three or four motor scooters in the front yard and stillness pervades, yet soon many more scooters with our students will start arriving into the courtyard as the morning lessons begin and the College will come alive.

I want to express the joy I feel at the opportunity I have been given to play with this awesome project and indeed, with these amazing people.  Nothing has been a problem, no challenge is ever envisaged, always a smile whether it is a local woodworker cutting a recess section in teak with a small hand axe or a toothless older lady varnishing the window frames. We talk about living in the Now, these beautiful Balinese live life just one step at a time.

We have only employed local Ubud tradespeople and Balinese products in the construction and equipping of the College and the funding for the development of the Bali Outreach/Karuna Bali project continues far greater benefit than we could ever have imagined, with flow on effect assisting so many families in the community and out into areas that we cannot begin to consider.

Interesting that we are creating a great educational facility beyond just the physical building, a college personal development program where the young Balinese can embrace the world of the 21st century and engage it. In the process each of us involved from the beginning are the one being shown how to truly be in the moment and seeing the Holy Perfection of Loves outpouring.

Now the College is always in full use. The second floor OPEN HEART space plays host to events and seminars, the third floor classrooms are all in use, the forth floor library has become the adopted for the language classes. Students have recreational areas and the overall presentation of the facility, the buildings and gardens has more an atmosphere of a boutique hotel than that of a place of learning.

The College director, Taka Gani, herself a senior Living Values Educational trainer is developing our faculty into Living Values facilitators and encouraging further student activity, establishing new adult education programmes which we are able to offer to the wider Balinese village communities. At one step at a time, as our objectives are achieved, we attract sponsorship for new intake of students to attend the next semester. The support always seems to arrive in timely perfection.

Of course, like any entity, ongoing nurturing and support is always essential. the College requires approx. $4,000/month to maintain faculty, admin staff, meet overheads, supplies and upgrades of teaching materials for the months ahead. This would be best achieved by 400 people tithing just $10 a month through a simple monthly credit card transaction, perhaps you could help us with this? 

Email us: suzanne@elohim.com or place your donation through the www.karunabali.com website.

 

 

You could further help by sharing this adventure with friends – just mention the amazing manifestation that Karuna Bali has become share our excitement with them and the website address for funding support whether the interest is in a personal sponsorship for an individual or financial support for the day to day operation. 

Everything has been going incredibly well, so successful and with an ongoing momentum of new ideas and exciting opportunities. This huge undertaking which in the beginning was completed on schedule in less than six months (in a third world country that alone is a miracle) and has always within our means to support.

As we have grown, and been recognised by the Indonesian Department of Education under the category of “alternative school” it became necessary for us to register for the NGO status, requiring also for us to adopt an Indonesian name. From “Bali Outreach” to one of Indonesian language – we chose “Karuna Bali” – “Karuna”, meaning Compassion and “Bali” for the location... but for us Bali meant, “Bringing Alive Loves Inspiration” which says it all.

Thank you to all who have helped bring about this wonderful miracle not only to the people of Bali bur impacting others throughout Indonesia.

Donations can be simply and securely made through – www.karunabali.com