This month, we are highlighting a plea for help from a family much in need.

Ni Made Mariana and Ni Nyoman Mariani are inseparable twin sisters. The two girls are so bright and dedicated to learning, spending all their free hours helping their parents so they can get together school costs.

But to secure their educational future, both are in need of a sponsor who can open up opportunities they’ve only been able to dream of so far.

Please contact us at info@balichildrensproject.org to sponsor the twins or their younger sister. You can sponsor Mariana & Mariani directly by going to our donate page and marking your donation ‘FOR MARIANA & MARIANI”. Sponsorship for one girl is $40 per month, or for to sponsor both is $80 ($40 each).

We’d like to publish a letter written to us by Mariana, kindly asking if you can help become their sponsor. We have translated the letter into English.

My name is Ni Made Mariana, I am 14 years old. I am in the 2nd grade of Junior High School. I live in a small village in Tegallalang, Gianyar. I have 3 sisters (1 older sister, 1 twin sister and 1 youngest sister). All my sisters are not sponsored but they need sponsoring. I live in a very simple house with my family (father, mother, aunt, and 3 sisters) so I live with 7 family members.

I am from a poor family, my father is only a wood carver (make eagle / Garuda statue) and his salary is Rp. 1.000.000/month, while my mother is a mid wife. It is so hard for my father to pay his children needs at school. Because my oldest sister (18 years old) will graduate from Vocational High school and she has to continue her study to University, my twin sister (14 years old) is in the 2nd grade of Junior High ayah, mariana, ibu, purnama adik ke4, mariani, sulatri,  bibiSchool, and my youngest sister (6 years old) will be in the 1st grade of elementary school this year. So I really need this sponsorship.

In my house, there are 3 bedrooms. My father, mother and my youngest sister sleep in the 1st room, my twin sister and my oldest sister sleep in the 2nd room. And I sleep with my aunt in the 3rd room. The condition of our house is so bad. We don’t have a toilet, so sometime we have to go to river to take a bath or do other activities. We have enough food but not so healthy.

Mariani kamarMy twin sister Ni Nyoman Mariani is sick. She has a defect in her right hand, so she can’t take something or do activities like writing, eating, etc with her right hand, but she still has a spirit to study. My father doesn’t have money to treat my twin sister to Hospital.

I usually get up at 05.45 in the morning, take a bath, brush my teeth, wear uniform, pray to the God and then go to school at 06.30 with my twin sister. I study at school every Monday until Saturday starts from 07.30 – 12.30. After study at school I work at Euro Design as a Sandpaper worker (sandpapering the wood) because I have to help my parents to pay my school needs. I work start from 13.00 – 16.30 and I only earn Rp 5.000 per 4,5 hours. And on Sunday I can work 9 hours start from 07.30 – 16.30 because I get holiday from school, so I can earn Mariani + ibunyaRp 10.000. After work I take a bath, eat, watching television and then study with my sisters and friends. I sleep at 21.00.

My hobbies are cooking and dancing. My favorite subjects are Balinese Language and Religion. When I grow up I want to be a cook or chef and I know to reach my dream I have to study hard. I want to study until university and if I don’t get this sponsorship, I don’t believe that I can continue my study because of my parents can’t pay it, so I really need this sponsorship.

I can’t speak English and I never do an English course because I don’t have money. But I really want to do an English course. So if I can get this sponsorship I will study hard, make my family proud and I really thanks to you.