Our Sponsorship Waiting List of children needing sponsorship is regularly updated. Please see below to see the children and read their stories. You can help change their lives. To sponsor, click here and remember to name the child you would like to sponsor in ‘I want my donation to be dedicated: NAME OF CHILD’.
Please set your sponsorship to ‘monthly’ and $40 USD.
Ketut Puspita
Puspa, almost 14, is the youngest of four sisters in Buleleng. Both of Puspa’s parents passed away when she was young, so Puspa has been raised by her sisters. She is now in 8th grade.
Two of her oldest sisters already graduated from senior high school thanks to scholarships at Bali Mandara, the best municipal senior high school in Bali and extremely competitive. The oldest currently works as a daily worker due to the pandemic, while the second oldest works as a shopkeeper. Puspa’s other older sister is still in high school and she also received a scholarship.
Puspa wants to apply to a local senior high school and major in Linguistics. Her sisters were supposed to help her, but because of the pandemic, they barely earn enough to buy their daily necessities. Even Puspa has to sell snacks from in the evening until 11 PM in the market. She could only earn $1 per day at most. They sometimes go to their aunt’s place to ask for food.
Kadek Juwet
Kadek Juwet, 16, is the younger of two brothers in Gianyar Regency. He has an older brother who only graduated from primary school and could only work as a laborer just like his parents. As laborers, they earn around $3-4 per day when they get a job. The family also raises livestock that are owned by another person. Kadek Juwet is tasked with foraging veggies to feed the livestock. His elderly grandparents, no longer able to work, also live there.
Kadek Juwet is supposed to enroll into a senior high school this month, grade 10. That would mean an entrance fee, monthly payments, various other charges, as well as school supplies. If learning is remote, it means a phone and money for data. If not, then transport and petrol. This is far too much for his family to afford, and he will have to follow his brother’s footsteps if he doesn’t get sponsored and drop out.
Nyoman Juni
Juni is a 12th grader in Tabanan, age 17. Her family came from Karangasem, but her parents moved to Tabanan years ago to work as a brick factory labourers. Juni was raised by her grandparents until her 9th grade. After graduating from secondary school, Juni had wanted to continue school in Tabanan, as her parents asked her to live with them since she’s older then and could help with their work.
Her parents had okayed her wish to go to school in Tabanan if she got sponsored through BCP, which she did. But then they had a change of mind when Juni was about to enroll in senior hign school as planned before, and asked her to drop out and worked in a warung babi guling (suckling pork restaurant) in Tabanan instead. Her parents said they were unable to afford her allowance to buy meals at school, petrol to go to school, and pulsa for her school needs.
Wayan Popot
Popot, 16, is an only child living in Gianyar Regency. He’s raised by his single mother, who divorced his father when he was 4 years old. His mother decided not to re-marry and chose to raise him on her own. They have been living with his maternal grandparents.
Popot is in his last year of High School and majoring in Hotel Accomodation and Tourism.
His grandparents raise livestock that are owned by another person. They get half of the profit later upon selling the livestock. Popot has been tending to the livestock to help his grandparents.
Putu Pande
Putu Pande, 14, is an only child in Tegallalang. His parents used to work as tailors. Unfortunately, the pandemic left them without any orders. They had to resort to becoming laborers, but they seldomly can get a job. His mother also makes offerings to be sold, but she could only earn money when there are people who order extra offerings from her.
Putu’s parents stay in his paternal uncle’s house, as they don’t have another room in their simple house. They’d rather have Putu take the only room that they have. The one room house was granted by the government. All three of them used to live in one room in the uncle’s house.
His parents still have around $590 debt in the village bank to afford their living expenses during this pandemic.
Mang Anis
Mang Anis, 14, is the youngest of three, with 2 older brothers. Both brothers are married and high school graduates, as their parents really wanted to help them get an education.
Mang Anis has just finished 8th grade and is hoping to start 9th, but with her sponsorship suddenly ended and the pandemic hurting her family’s finances even more, she can’t be sure.
If she can, she will then enroll into a senior high school next year. As a 9th grader, Mang Anis will be prepared to take the final exam so she could graduate from junior high with good grades and apply to her chosen school later.
Her father is a laborer, while her mother is a small merchant in the local market. They live in the Badung Regency.
Komang Anggara
Angga, 14, is the youngest of three living in Jembrana. His older siblings are married and have moved out to live with their own new families. He is going to start 9th grade this month, the last year of Junior High.
Angga will have to drop out of school next year if he doesn’t get sponsored. His parents are struggling a lot from their $3,750 debt. They took loans to build a simple house for them since the old one had become inhabitable, and to afford their living expenses as well as buying his uniforms and school supplies. Since his parents could only pay the monthly interest rate of the debt for almost two years, they can’t take any more loans to afford Angga’s future senior high school entrance fee and other expenses.
Angga’s family doesn’t have any smartphones, so Angga has to go to his friend’s house to access his online lessons and do his homework almost every day. A sponsorship would provide a phone and pay for data. Now that Bali is back on lockdown, phones are essential.
Putu Adit
Adit, 13, is an only child living in Jembrana. His parents are so poor, they don’t think they could afford the expense of having more children. His parents are also late in having him (late by Balinese standards). They had him in their mid 30s.
Adit is now in grade 8 and next year he’ll finish Jr High. His father graduated from junior high school, while his mother could only finish primary school. Adit will have to follow his father’s footsteps if he doesn’t get sponsored, and drop out after 9th grade.
His parents tried their best to get Adit to school as far as they could. They took loans to pay for his junior high school uniform fees and school supplies. Even now, they could only pay the monthly interest rate of their debt. They are not sure if they could find another loan so Adit could continue to senior high school.
Okky Rinanta (Rico’s Brother)
Okky, 15, is the younger of two brothers now living in Ubud. His brother has one more year of school, but Okky is just starting High School.
Okky’s family are actually from Jembrana in the poorer western part of Bali. Due to lack of job opportunities in their hometown, Okky’s parents decided to move to Ubud (central part of Bali) years ago, so Okky and his brother were enrolled into schools in Ubud. They live with their relatives who have spare rooms for them. Even in Jembrana, Rico’s family doesn’t have their own house, and they live in with their grandmother. Both their relatives and grandma own good houses.
His father used to work as a driver for tourists when the tourism industry in Bali was still flourishing. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, he could only work as a laborer, while their mother went back to Jembrana to open a shop.
Gede Sumerta
Gede, 12, is the older of two. He has a little sister in grade 4. He always takes care of his sister. Gede just finished Primary school and is hoping to continue on to Jr High in Buleleng. However, Jr High comes with many fees, all unaffordable at his level of poverty.
Gede has been living with his grandparents and sister only. His mother passed away when he was in the 2nd grade. Then his father passed away when he was in the 5th grade. Gede still misses his parents, but he never gives up with his life and strives to do better, including in his studies.
Gede really wants to continue school. Unfortunately, his grandparents can’t afford the expenses, so Gede will have to drop out if he doesn’t get sponsored.
Kadek Novi
Kadek Novi is a 17 year old 11th grader in Tegallalang in her second year of high school. She goes to a local vocational senior high school. She chose Hotel Accommodation (Front Office and Housekeeping Department) as her major.
Unfortunately, her sponsor suddenly quit, and now Novi is in a school requiring monthly fees but without support.
Her school is the only municipal vocational senior high school in her district. When school is in the building, they have so many students, yet not many classrooms. That’s why the classes are divided into two shifts to accommodate all students from grade 10 until 12.
Kadek Puspawati
Kadek Puspawati, 15, is the second child out of three sisters in Gianyar Regency. Her little sister is still in primary school. Her older sister graduated from senior high school through BCP.
Her older sister was supposed to help in paying for her senior high school entrance fee. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, her sister still hasn’t gotten a stable job, so she can’t help Kadek to go to school.
Kadek is due to enter Senior High School, grade 10, this month, and the admission and monthly fees are much too high for her family to afford. Kadek really dreams of becoming a chef, as her hobby is cooking. She will have to drop out of school if she doesn’t get sponsored this month.
Kadek Ari
Dek Ari is almost 17 years old and is in her last year of senior high school class of Science. She will have to drop out if she doesn’t get sponsored, although she only has one year left at school. Her family can’t afford her school expenses especially during this pandemic. Dek Ari’s sponsors unfortunately had to stop. Her parents can’t find any loans to afford her school expenses as well during this difficult time.
Dek Ari is the younger of two and is the only member in her family to ever reach senior high school level in education. Her parents only finished primary schools, while her older sister could only complete her education at the secondary or junior high school level.
Jawo
Dede Jawo is the older of two. He has a little sister who is a kindergartener.
His father works as a laborer, doing odd jobs. Sometimes he would work in a factory for canned fish as a daily worker, other times he would work as a brick laborer. His mother also does various labor work, such as being a masseuse, doing laundry for others, or selling food.
His parents also have debt for to afford medicine for his sickly grandmother.
Dede Jawo is tasked with chores while his parents work. His mother usually takes his sister along when she works.
Dede
Dede is the older of two. He lives with his mother and paternal grandmother.
His mother works as a merchant in the traditional market. Unfortunately, she’s been badly affected by the recession from the pandemic and is forced to do other menial labor work to at least buy food for their family.
After school, Dede works by carving woods to help his mother earns some more money. Usually, he earns IDR 200,000 per month at most. However, the demand has significantly declined and he only gets to wood carve once in a while.
Devayana
Deva, 14, is the younger of two. He has an older sister who dropped out of school after finishing junior high school due to their poverty. Deva would have to follow his sister’s footsteps next year if he doesn’t get sponsored.
Deva just finished Jr High, grade 9, and is due to start High School this month. High School comes with much higher costs – entrance fees, monthly costs, more uniforms, and other mandatory expenses. If kids can’t pay, they’re often publicly embarrassed by being asked for the money.
Both of his parents are laborers who earn less than the minimum wage. They also have debt to the bank around $360 to afford their living expenses.
Kusairur
Kusai is a bright 16 year old boy in Kedewatan who is on the brink of heartbreak, in fear of not being able to continue school. He just advanced to the second year in a local vocational senior high school (11th grade), but his sponsor had to stop.
Without a sponsorship, Kusai absolutely can’t continue his schooling. His father has told him that he cannot afford the fees or entrance costs, and that Kusai must stop school if he can’t get a sponsorship. The only alternative that his father offers is if the boy goes to East Java and enters a pesantren, which is a free Muslim boarding school with a dormitory.
His father can only afford to give him a monthly pocket money. If Kusai doesn’t want to go to a pesantren, then he will have to drop out of school entirely according to his father’s ultimatum because of the cost.
Diandra
Dian, 12, is the younger of two. Her older brother is sponsored through BCP. She shares a house with another BCP Kid as their mothers are single mothers who couldn’t afford to rent a full house on their own. They live in Tabanan, a gorgeous area known for its rice terraces.
Dian’s father passed away when she was two years old from cancer. Her mother decided to not get re-married and chose to raise her children on her own. Dian used to live with her maternal relative for a year when she was in the kindergarten, as her mother couldn’t afford the expense.
Dian’s mother works as a small merchant who used to make and sell chips. Unfortunately, the pandemic and recession badly affect her mother’s work. She now sells snacks or food that are required to be put in an offering.
Dek Adi
Dek Adi, age 13, is the younger of two brothers in Badung Regency. His older brother dropped out of school due to their poverty. But his brother took the GED, the equivalence of senior high school short course for workers, while he was still working as a laborer during the day.
Dek Adi, now in grade 8, will have to drop out as well and start working if he doesn’t get sponsored. Senior high school begins in the 10th grade, so Dek Adi has a year and a half until he graduates from junior high school and can enroll into a senior high school if his family could afford it.
His brother had planned to help with his schooling. Unfortunately, as the pandemic and recession happened, his family is already struggling to afford the bare minimum, so Dek Adi’s brother can’t help him.
Gus Omang
Gus Omang, 15, in Badung Regency is the youngest of three. His dream is to start High School in July and study Culinary Arts.
He has two older sisters. His second older sister just graduated from senior high school but can’t get her diploma, because she hasn’t paid her school fees for over a year. That’s the way the system works, even though she earned the diploma. His oldest sister is married and lives with her own family. She got furloughed and couldn’t help with his school entrance fee either. Gus Omang’s older sister was supposed to help paying his school fee, but due to the pandemic and bad recession all over Bali, Gus Omang will have to drop out this month if he doesn’t get sponsored.
As the nearest senior high school from his area was about to close the registration of new students, we used Emergency Fund (more like Gus Omang’s future sponsorship fund, because we will deduct his future sponsorship fund to set off his high school entrance fee), so Gus Omang could continue to school.
Intan
Intan, 13, is the oldest of three sisters in Jembrana. Her little sisters are still in primary school.
Intan is supposed to enroll into a secondary or junior high school this month, as she just graduated from primary school or the 6th grade last month. Unfortunately, her family is too poor to afford her uniform fees and school supplies. They have asked around to get loans to help paying for Intan’s school fees so she could continue school with no luck yet. At worst, they would ask her to drop out of school.
Her parents sell chickenS, but they rarely get any customer during this pandemic and recession. They also still have debt from when they started their business. They could only pay the interest rate for the last couple of years.
Intan’s favorite pastime is reading stories or fairytale books. She’s a bright girl, and reading is a very unusual hobby or interest in Bali. She was part of the volleyball club in her primary school.
Meitha
Putu Dian
Dian, 12, is an only child. She’s been raised by her grandparents since her father passed away when she was but a toddler, and her mother got remarried into another family, leaving her behind. She just finished Primary School (grade 6) and is hoping to continue to Secondary School (grade 7). The costs for that are much higher.
Her grandpa works only as a laborer, who raises other people’s cows. He gets half of the profit once a year from the owner when the cows are matured enough. Her grandma is too old and sickly to do labor work. So, Dian and her grandma make offerings to be sold to their neighbors, so they could still buy some food at the very least. Neither of them finished primary school.
They don’t have a dime to get Dian into a secondary or junior high school. Dian would have to drop out if she doesn’t get sponsored.
Doni
Doni, 12, is the oldest of three brothers. Doni and his brothers currently live only with their mother, as their father passed away earlier this year in January 21 due to an accidental electrocution. They live in Karangasem.
Doni is a quiet boy, but he’s always diligent with his school work and chores to help his mother. His father left them with an old motorbike that his mother now uses to take him to school when needed and to go to work.
His mother works as a laborer at the Lempuyang Temple. Her service is to carry offerings by the pilgrims to the peak. She also makes woven basket that she sells in the market. She earns around $1-2 per day, which is only enough to buy for their food.
Indah
Indah, 14, is the youngest of three with an older brother and sister. Both were forced to drop out of school due to poverty. Her parents are laborers. They usually forage bananas in the forest and sell them in the market. They live in Buleleng.
Indah’s parents want her to drop out of school after finishing her secondary or junior high school this month. They don’t have resources to enroll her into a senior high school and couldn’t find loans. This is once again becoming more prevalent in the poorer areas of Bali. Costs of school remain high but fewer families can afford them.
Indah’s family lives in her grandfather’s compound and they get a small and simple house with only two rooms, as they don’t have enough money yet to build their own house.
Indah
Indah, 14, is the youngest of three with an older brother and sister. Both were forced to drop out of school due to poverty. Her parents are laborers. They usually forage bananas in the forest and sell them in the market. They live in Buleleng.
Indah’s parents want her to drop out of school after finishing her secondary or junior high school this month. They don’t have resources to enroll her into a senior high school and couldn’t find loans. This is once again becoming more prevalent in the poorer areas of Bali. Costs of school remain high but fewer families can afford them.
Indah’s family lives in her grandfather’s compound and they get a small and simple house with only two rooms, as they don’t have enough money yet to build their own house.
Mang Budi (brother of Pebrianta)
Mang Budi, 13, is the youngest of three living in Kintamani. His older brother just graduated from secondary or junior high school (grade 9) and is supposed to enter senior high school, but their parents are asking both boys to put their education on hold for a couple of years, because they can not pay the bills.
His older sister could graduate from senior high school thanks to the scholarship for poor students at the time. The scholarship doesn’t exist anymore now. His parents can’t find any loans to pay for their children’s school expenses. They already owe $100 to their neighbor for their basic living expenses. His sister was supposed to help him with his school fee. Unfortunately, she got affected by the recession from the pandemic, so currently she only works as a daily worker or a laborer.
Mang Budi actually wants to continue school and graduate from senior high school at the very least like his sister. His dream is to become a police officer, just like his brother, so he could earn a stable and good income to help his family.
Putu Erna
Putu Erna, 12, lives only with her grandparents and aunt in Karangasem, as her father passed away and her mother remarried into another family, leaving Erna behind to be raised by her aunt and grandparents.
Her grandparents are already old and can’t work. Her grandmother is paralyzed and can’t walk. Her grandfather is sickly. Her aunt, as the sole breadwinner, works by making offerings and ceremonial accessories. Erna always helps her aunt to make them, so they can sell them in the market.
Erna’s aunt can’t afford Erna’s enrollment into the secondary or junior high school this month. She already struggles to afford the basic needs for the whole family during this recession caused by the pandemic. Erna will have to drop out if she doesn’t get sponsored soon, because she wouldn’t be able to enroll into a junior high school and would become a Primary School graduate only.
Pande Cika
Cika, 13, is going to advance to the 8th grade or second year of junior high school this month in Denpasar. Though her famiy lives in Denpasar, they had to return to her original home area to borrow money to pay Cika’s school debt, or she would have not been allowed to continue school or get her academic report. Because of Cika’s intense desire to continue school, her parents borrowed money for those costs.
Because of complicated residency requirements in Bali, Cika can only enter a ‘private’ school rather than a municipal one, although it’s more expensive. She really wants an education though, and her parents are struggling. They’re unable to pay the fees for the school required for Cika to attend.
Her father works as a street salesperson, but due to the pandemic, he’s been struggling to earn even half than his old income from before the pandemic. Her mother is a laborer and doesn’t always get to work. They earn barely enough to afford their food expenses.
Pebrianta (Brother of Mang Budi)
Pebri, 16, is the middle child in a Kintamani family. He is due to start Senior High this month. He has an older sister and a little brother. His older sister could graduate from senior high school thanks to the scholarship for poor students at the time. The scholarship doesn’t exist anymore now. So, Pebri has to drop out of school if he doesn’t get sponsored.
His parents can’t find any loans to pay for their children’s school expenses. They already owe $100 to their neighbor for their basic living expenses. His sister was supposed to help him with his school fee.
Unfortunately, she got affected by the recession from the pandemic, so currently she only works as a daily worker or a laborer. Pebri’s little brother is also on the brink of dropping out, as he’s supposed to enroll into a junior high school next month.
Mang Ega (Sister of Ketut Pradi)
Mang Ega, 15, is the third child out of five in a family in Kintamani. She has an older sister who finished senior high school, but couldn’t get any decent work, and could only work as a laborer for now due to the pandemic. Her older sister had hoped to help her younger one with school fees but can’t. Mang Ega is due to start High School – grade 10 – which has particularly high Entrance fees and monthly costs.
Mang Ega also has a younger brother named Ketut Pradi, who’s hoping to start 9th grade this month. Both of them are struggling to afford their school fees, particularly during this pandemic and recession.
Both of her parents are laborers who earn less than the standard minimum wage. Their already small income is badly affected by the recession, and they earn even less now. Meanwhile, they also have around $370 debt from when they had to put Mang Ega’s older sister into senior high school. There are also 2 younger siblings.
Ketut Pradi (Brother of Mang Ega)
Pradi, 14, is the fourth child out of five living in Kintamani. He has two older sisters, one already graduated from senior high school, and the other is supposed to enter the 10th grade or first year of senior high school if she gets sponsored. He also has a little brother in the 3rd grade, and a little sister in the 1st grade.
Pradi’s parents are already asking him to drop out of school so he could help with labor work. Instead. Pradi really wants to continue school. His parents also want him to finish school, as he’s the oldest boy in the family and is supposed to continue the family line. But they couldn’t find any more loans. So, Pradi and his older sister are expected to drop out of school after finishing junior high school.
His oldest sister couldn’t get any decent work and could only work as a laborer for now due to the pandemic. So, his older sister can’t help Pradi to afford his school fees.
Krisna Wijaya
Seri Arianti
Seri Arianti (“Kadek or Seri”), age 12, is the older of two sisters in Abiansemal. She’s going to grade 7 (first year of Jr High) next month in July and hoping to be able to start soon, otherwise she would have to drop out and wait for a few years to go back to school.
Seri and her sister were previously in our Backpack program, which equips children for school until grade 6. A backpack is $100 but after that, school costs really go up and the program won’t cover it. Her parents only graduated from primary schools and are working as laborers. Her mother makes offerings as well to be sold in the warung.
Seri will have to drop out after primary school in July next month if she doesn’t get sponsored, following her parents’ footsteps due to their poverty.
Nyoman Gunawan
Covid Cancellation
Nyoman Gunawan, a 15 year old 9th grader in Badung Regency, completed his end of semester exam last month. Gunawan plans to enroll into a local vocational senior high school of tourism.
However, since his sponsor stopped, he can’t be sure that his plans will happen and that he’ll be able to attend Senior High. There are significant fees, and the family is in debt, in addition to the toll the pandemic has taken.
Gunawan lives only with his brother, mother, and grandparents. His father just passed away 4 months ago from heart disease. His family had to take a loan to afford his late father’s cremation expenses.
Sri Artini
Sri Artini (Dek Sri), 12, is the oldest of four sisters. She’s now hoping to start Jr High, grade 7, in July in Jembrana.
She’s needed help to get any education for years, and was part of our backpack kids. She also received a bicycle to go to school 3 years ago. She’d been using it until the pandemic hit Bali and school have to be closed.
Dek Sri needs a sponsorship in order to continue her school. She is graduating from primary school this month, and she is supposed to enroll into a secondary or junior high school next month. If she doesn’t get sponsored, Dek Sri will have to drop out and wait a few years until her parents could save up some money for her school enrollment.
Meanwhile, her parents still owe $1,800 for their youngest ceremonial needs and fixing their house.
Agus Arta
Agus, 12, looks like a sweet and happy boy, which he is, but his life is dictated by the circumstances of his poverty.
Agus is the middle child of three brothers in Denpasar. His older brother dropped out of school in grade 11 due to poverty and left quite a debt at his former school from fees he could not afford. He plans to work and then get a GED, a High School Equivalency diploma. His other brother is going to be in the 3rd grade in July.
His mother passed away two and a half years ago due to cervical cancer. Before his mother passed away, Agus’ family was doing better financially, as his mother also worked by selling Balinese traditional food such as rujak and tipat. Surya’s father is a laborer and a daily worker. He earns around $130 per month.
Kadek Dwi
Kadek Dwi (Dek Dwi) is the younger of two siblings in Jembrana, with an older sister who works as a laborer in a shop and earns $85 per month. His father is a laborer and earns $110 per month, while his mother is a housewife. His sister’s income is used to pay off their $1,400 debt, which they took to fix their house. His father earns only enough to afford their basic needs.
Kadek is scheduled to start grade 7 in July, which is Jr High. It comes with new higher fees and regular added costs. Dek Dwi is now 12.
Dek Dwi has to drop out of school this month if he doesn’t get sponsored, as his family can’t take any more loans. No banks would grant their loan applications since they’re at their limit and they have no collateral.
Nyoman Pasek
Nyoman Pasek is the younger of two. He’s now 15 and looking forward to starting High School in July in Tabanan. He has an older brother who was supposed to cover for his senior high school expenses. Unfortunately, his brother was furloughed from his job as a technician in a villa due to the pandemic. He’s still unemployed and looking for a job.
For the time being, he does menial labor work. Komang’s father is a laborer, who’s been struggling even more to find work during this recession. His mother mainly sells Balinese offerings for their family’s side income.
Komang will have to drop out now after finishing his secondary or junior high school this month, as his family can’t afford the senior high school entrance fee. Meanwhile, Komang is a bright student. He’s always been ranked within the top 10.
Rico Wahana (Okky’s Brother)
Rico, 16, is the older of two brothers living in Ubud. His brother will be starting High School and Rico is due to graduate next year and then look for work.
Rico’s family are actually from Jembrana, the poor western part of Bali. Due to lack of job opportunities in their hometown, Rico’s parents decided to move to Ubud (central part of Bali) years ago, so Rico and his brother were enrolled into schools in Ubud. They live in with their relatives who have spare rooms for them. Even in Jembrana, Rico’s family doesn’t have their own house, and they live in with their grandmother. Both of their relatives and grandma own good houses.
His father used to work as a driver for tourists when the tourism in Bali was still flourishing. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, he could only work as a laborer, while their mother went back to Jembrana to open a shop.
Wayan Lestari
Wayan Lestari is a 13 year old 8th grader dreaming of graduating High School one day and then going on to earn a living. Her reality though is that, since her sponsor stopped, her parents will want her to quit school after Jr High (grade 9) and go to work as a laborer. If she gets sponsored, she’ll enroll into a vocational senior high school which will prepare her to enter the workforce.
Lestari lives in Badung Regency and is the middle child. She has an adopted older brother sponsored by BCP and a younger sister. Her parents are heavily in debt from struggling to pay their living expenses and repair their home.
Her father works as a laborer, earning around $6 per day when he gets a job, while her mother works as a tailor, earning less than $50 per month.
Ketut Supadmi
Covid Cancellation
Ketut, a 13 year old 7th grader, lives in Bangli Regency and is the 4th child of 6. Ketut will have to drop out if she doesn’t get sponsored, just as two of her older sisters had to do. Both of her older sisters work as housekeepers in Denpasar now. If Ketut drops out of school, in her parents’ perspective, she could at least work as a laborer and help bring home small income.
She has been able to remain in school because she was sponsored, but her sponsor stopped. Ketut was grateful to know that she had gotten sponsored because she could safely advance to a junior high school in her area, although it was in the middle of pandemic and recession. She would surely have had to drop out had she not been sponsored. Now she faces that dilemma again.
Dewa Candra
Dewa Candra, almost 16, is the oldest of three, with a sister and brother. They live in Badung Regency. Her sister who is about to advance to the 9th grade and her brother to third.
Her father used to work as a taxi driver. Now, thanks to the pandemic, he works as a laborer. Her mother sells snacks and cleans other people’s houses, but the demand for her labor has significantly lessened since the recession caused by the pandemic. When Candra and her siblings get a school break, her parents take them back to their hometown in Buleleng where they could at least forage veggies and plant-based food.
With their poor financial situation, Candra won’t be able to continue school next month if she doesn’t get sponsored.
Kadek Sinta
Sinta, age 12, is the younger of two and lives in Denpassar. Her older sister was married a few months ago, so she now lives with her father only. Her mother passed away two years ago from a lymphatic cancer.
Her father works as a garbage collector, hired by the village. He earns around $78 per month and it’s only enough to cover their basic expenses.
Even now Sinta still owes money to her school. Her father still owes their neighbor money to afford her junior high school entrance fee from last year as well.
Sinta has just completed grade 7 and hopes to be able to continue to grade 8 in July. But, at this rate, Sinta will have to drop out of school before she finishes her secondary education in grade 9.