New School Year a Critical Time in Bali
It’s been a critical time for Bali’s children.
With school finishing in June and a new school year starting in July, it’s a crunch moment as families struggle to afford pay for school entry and term fees.
In Bali, senior high school can get very expensive.
The school system is quite complex and there are different types of schools that children can access.
Rolling college into the last three years of high school, most children aspire to go to schools that include a specialist vocation.
There are schools that specialise in tourism, culinary, nursing, mechanics and more.
The idea is that graduating students can find work in the subject of their major straight after school.
Intan, Artini and Wijaya are 3 students awaiting sponsors
Pandemic Woes
As you might imagine, Bali has been hit harder than most in the pandemic.
People who were living in poverty before have even less access to work now. Competition has also increased as those who previously worked in tourism are also vying for local jobs.
It’s all meant that the income is even lower, right down to the poorest people in Balinese society.
If there was little hope of affording school fees before the pandemic, there is almost none now.
Sponsorship means students can stay in school
Sponsorship Lifelines
School sponsorships offer a lifeline to these families. They enable students to pay their fees and guarantee them a route through school.
Students who would have been forced to drop out and face a life of labouring suddenly have completely new futures in front of them.
It is only possible thanks to kind sponsors, who support children with $40 USD per month donations.
Giving them the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their dreams changes the course of their lives forever.
