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.
Putu Gede Supariasa (Brother of Kadek Ariasih)
Putu Gede Supariasa (Nicknamed “Gede”) is a 15 year old 11th grader living in an incredibly poor area of Buleleng. When we met them, they were so poor that the coordinator burst into tears. Since then, they have gotten a bit of help from the government with building a very simple home, but otherwise the poverty is extreme. Gede is the oldest of three. He has a fifth grader younger sister and another sister who is not of school age yet.
Gede majors in hotel accommodation. Gede dreams big. He really wants to work abroad, so he could stop living in a poverty and support his family much better.
Gede’s parents are both disabled. His father cannot walk, while his mother also has difficulty with her hand, which grew to be smaller than average and cannot be fully used. They can only earn about IDR 300,000 ($21) per month by making Balinese offerings that they sell in the market.
Putu Dede Juniantara
Dede is a 16 year old 11th grader in Bongkasa, hoping to stay in High School, studying Tourism and Culinary Arts. Right now, he’s in training as a cooking assistant at a restaurant in Ubud, and he loves it. That’s his goal – to be a cook.
However, his parents are considering having him drop out. They had to take out a loan in order for him to even start high school last year, and it will take 3 years to pay off the debt. The father is a ricefield worker and the mother sells offerings. There are 2 younger children. It will be extremely difficult if they have to borrow more.
But Dedi knows this is his only chance at a better future for himself. He goes 25 minutes by motorbike to school, and 35 to work, but it’s worth it.
Ghania Fitria Salsabila
Ghania is age 16 and a 9th grader living in Denpasar, and the youngest of three.
Ghania’s father only finished school at the primary level. He dropped out after finishing grade 6. He left his children three years ago to find work in Jakarta, but the children haven’t heard back from him since. Ghania’s mother is a senior high school graduate. Unfortunately, her mother has a mental disorder, so she can’t work at all. Ghania’s mother is being taken care of by Ghania’s mother’s relative. So, Ghania’s parents are really not a resource of any kind for her.
Now, Ghania and her sister live with their aunt. The aunt has made many sacrifices to take care of the girls, and she is their only hope for a home.
Gede Edy Wiryawan
Gede Edy Wiryawan (nicknamed “Gede”) is almost 16 and now in his first year of High School in Tegallalang. Gede is the older of two. He has a little brother in the 3rd grade.
Even though he’s a boy, and most Balinese parents would do whatever they could to get a better education for the boys, Gede’s family wanted him to quit school after finishing grade 9 in July. They barely make a living, and have to take out loans for everything.
Until now, Gede hasn’t paid any other costs at school. That means entrance feels, monthly fees, supplies, and other items. Costs that seem moderate unless you don’t have the money. This situation may force him to drop out of school when his accumulated debt at school can’t be tolerated by his school anymore. They will make him leave.
Kadek Arianta
Kadek Arianta is a 9th grade 15 year old in Bongkasa, the younger of 2 sons. His older brother graduated only grade 9, and is now a low paid laborer like his father. His mother makes offerings and takes care of Kadek’s elderly grandfather.
Kadek really wants a better life, and knows the path is through education. His goal is to go into Tourism and then specialize in Food and Beverage. The chances of getting a job are strong with that specialty.
In the future, Kadek would love to become an Entrepreneur, someone who can own his own business and provide work for others. He dreams of possibly having a franchise when he’s an adult.
Kadek Oka Dwi Payana
Kadek’s parents divorced when he was young and his mother moved out, though she lives in the village. The only home they actually have is the shell of a building, and so they sleep with other family members. There are 3 families sharing the compound. Kadek’s dad is a laborer, and he helps him on weekends.
In school, he studies Hotel Accommodation and Housekeeping, as do many of the children in this area. It will be easier to get a job with this major, providing he can finish High School. Without a diploma, his future is dim.
His father has borrowed a lot for Kadek’s entrance fees, and they still owe monthly fees for 3 months. Now, the school is asking an additional fee for ‘improvements’. It’s depressing how hard it is for a poor family to ever break out of debt, and agonizing when the debt is for school, which will enable the son to work.
Made Andi Pratama
Andi is a 14 year old 9th grader in Bongkasa. Having seen first hand the effects of poverty on life, he wants badly to succeed. His older sister dropped out after grade 9, and is now a laborer in a laundromat. His parents are also labourers.
Andi wants to study Food and Beverage in Tourism school. That area offers a lower salary but better tips and better chance to make a living than other areas. If possible, he would like to eventually become a manager or a Tour Guide.
Andi is social and wants to interact with guests. He could do really well in this field if he is able to get a high school diploma and then qualify for a job. Without one, his odds of being a low paid worker are great.
Cirty Dianti
Things seemed to have turned around for Cirty as she had a sponsor who was helping her through school.
However her sponsor dropped out without warning, leaving Cirty with school bills her family couldn’t afford.
Thankfully sponsors Roger and Barbara came to save the day and responsor Cirty.
Gede Agus Juniarta
Gede Agus Juniarta (nicknamed “De Agus”) is a 17 year old boy from the far north west of Bali, Jembrana, majoring in Social Science and now in his last year of High School. He has a little sister in grade 5. De Agus currently lives with his sister, paternal grandmother and uncle.
De Agus usually helps his grandmother in finding grass to feed their livestock. They raise cows, which are owned by another person. They will receive half of the profit later when they sell the mature cows. De Agus also does the chores at home such as cleaning their home, washing clothes and dishes.
De Agus has volley ball club and boy scouts for his extra-curricular activity at school. De Agus really does well in volley club. His team won the 3rd place in the regency tournament.
De Agus shares a room with his sister and grandmother, while his uncle uses the other room that they have.
Luh Gede Risma Kusuma Dewi
Iluh is the older of two children. She’s a very smart student. She was ranked the 4th when she was in junior high school. Now in her new school at the public senior high school, she’s ranked the 2nd.
Like other children in our program, she has very high expenses in High School, way too much for her family to handle. They’re already deeply in debt from her grandmother’s cremation ceremony, and school has monthly expenses including fees, class cash flow, extra curricular fee per month, school religious ceremony fees, and the monthly cost at the internet café to find materials for her school assignment and print them.
Iluh helps her parents earn some more money by making offerings to be sold in the nearby warung and traditional market.
Kadek Ariasih (Sister of Putu Gede Supariasa)
Kadek Ariasih (Nicknamed “Ari”), age 11, is the second child out of three. She has an older brother and a little sister. Ari and her older brother used to be sponsored by the same sponsor. Unfortunately, the sponsor quit, leaving them unable to afford the costs of school and dearly wanting to continue.
They live in an incredibly poor area in the north in Buleleng and can see, by the desperate living conditions of their family, what the future will be like without an education.
Ari’s family relies on the grandparents to support their daily expenses as her parents are both deisabled and struggle to find work. However, Ari’s grandparents are old and not as productive as they used to, so they struggle a lot to cover the daily expenses for the whole family.
Wayan Teri
Wayan Teri is a 12 year old 6th grader in Bongkasa who looks much younger, probably due to malnourishment. She and her 7 year old sister, Kadek Tari, live with their elderly grandparents. Their grandfather grows vegetables and their grandmother sells offerings and works as a laborer.
Their father passed away when Kadek was 42 days old, and their mother died when she was 1.
They go to school on a donated bike, with Teri driving her younger sister on the front. She’s too young to drive her own bike to school yet anyway.
Because Wayan Teri is going to start Jr High next term, they need help with school costs. Because they’re so poor, living is tough. For now, their grandmother sends them with lunch, but that can be hard in Jr High as kids often have to buy their lunch, as well as pay ongoing expenses.
Gede Wawan Harta Permana
Gede, a 14 year old 9th grader living in Bongksa, is in mourning for his father. His dad was killed 6 months ago in a motorcycle accident, and Gede, his younger brother, and his 35 year old mother are still devastated.
His mother fears that Gede will drop out of school, because he knows that his mother cannot afford the costs for him and his brother. She’s terrified that not only will he be without a father, but he’ll also be without an education.
Gede says that he really does want to go to school, and that he wants to make the family life better. However, in Balinese tradition, there was a cremation for the father that has put them almost $2,000 in debt and they can’t get any loans to help with school.
Ni Ketut Nopi
Nopi is a 12 year old girl living in East Bali in Karangasem, the Regency where Mt Agung lies active.
She’s just started Jr High – grade 7 – and has been part of the BCP Backpack program for 2 years in order to allow her to stay in school. As a girl, Nopi’s education isn’t prioritized by her family, who could barely afford their food expenses.
Nopi was supposed to drop out in July, but she pleaded with her parents, wanting to go to school just like her older sister. Her older sister is sponsored through Bali Children’s Project, which is actually why she’s able to be in school.
Desak Nyoman Yumi Santika Dewi
Yumi is 16 and in grade 8 in Denpasar. Currently, Yumi lives with her uncle and aunt. Yumi is a bright girl. In her 7th grade, Yumi was ranked the 2nd in her entire grade. Yumi has a turbulant home life and is not sure she’ll stay in school, so grades have slipped.
Her father passed away in 2018 due to chronic asthma. Yumi’s mother didn’t care about Yumi’s education, so Yumi didn’t attend school for two years after she finished the 3rd grade. That’s why Yumi is already 16 years old, while she’s still in the 8th grade.
Later, Yumi’s paternal uncle forced Yumi’s mother to put Yumi back to school, even though Yumi’s uncle also had 3 small children of his own, Yumi, small as she was, was a precocious child and was willing to follow her uncle who offered her a better opportunity in life. Thanks to her uncle, Yumi could go back to school although she’s two years older than her peers. Yumi’s mother tried to fight this, but thankfully her uncle prevailed and Yumi went back to school.
Ni Kadek Trisnayanti
Trisna is a 12 year old 7th grader in Karangasem, the poor regency in East Bali where Mt Agung simmers. Trisna is the younger of two sisters. Last year, the BCP Backpack Program kept her in school or she would have been forced to drop out.
Trisna’s father had wanted her to quit school back in July, after she finished primary school. Her father could barely afford to buy food for the whole family.
Trisna appealed to her father so much to be able to go to school, especially after seeing how her older sister could continue school (even though her older sister got it through BCP’s sponsorship). So, her father relented and took out a loan from his neighbor to buy her junior high school uniforms. Trisna still uses the school supplies that she got from the Backpack Program in 2018 even now, as her father couldn’t afford more than the uniforms.
Ni Nyoman Mia Rastiani
Mia is 14 and in 7th grade in Marga, Tabanan. Mia’s dream is to become a Balinese language teacher. According to her, there is less interest among the younger generation to learn proper Balinese. She wants to help in preserving the Balinese language.
Mia’s hobby is reading. She likes to read any books that she can get her hands on. Mia is supposed to be in the 8th grade, but when she was in Kindergarten, she was sickly and had trouble going to school. So, she did not attend school for two years.
Both Mia’s mother and older brother work as laborers. They accept any labor work, such as unloading heavy stuff from trucks, doing field work, and so on. They earn way less than the standard minimum wage. Their earnings are only enough to cover their daily meals. Mia helps her mother in making Balinese offerings, so they can sell them later in the nearby warung.