YKIP’s Mission Of Hope: Empowering Bali’s Underprivileged Students In Crisis

With the pandemic raging, now more than ever, strangers pose a risk to our very existence. Yet, we cannot succumb to apathy. We must fight to care for our fellow human beings who are suffering more than us. 

While living in Bali, I had the pleasure of volunteering with YKIP (Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi), a foundation dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in Bali through educational support and services. Cakra Usada, YKIP’s communications officer, has welcomed me with all the boundless passion, humility, and generosity representative of the best of Indonesians; who are already the kindest people I have ever met. His role in YKIP’s efforts to help Bali’s most underprivileged has made their futures shine much more brightly.  Founded in 2002 in the wake of the Bali Bombing, YKIP has supported children from economically disadvantaged families, as well as victims of man-made and natural disasters and other at-risk students. Their funding and resources have enabled over one thousand students to pursue an education, providing them with the supplies necessary to excel. Since 2004, the KEMBALI Scholarship program has sponsored over 950 at-risk students to complete senior high school. KEMBALI graduates are also eligible to participate in YKIP’s Vocational or University Scholarship programs. By working directly with Bali’s schools, they ensure that funding and donations go to education fees and school supplies. Additionally, they organize career and higher education workshops in high schools to prepare students for the challenges after graduation. Reaching all corners of the magnificent island of Bali, YKIP has been a vital force for good in improving the education of Bali’s most underprivileged students.

COVID-19 has presented the students of Bali and YKIP with new and dire challenges. Speaking with Cakra last week, he revealed that he and the other staff members have been up all night worrying about their students. Currently, all schools in Bali are closed, just like most everywhere else. YKIP has had to delay the precious stipends that help their students survive and thrive until schools reopen. According to their COVID-19 impact report, 88% of the students that are part of YKIP’s programs are now studying online via WhatsApp group chat or Google classroom to access school materials. Unfortunately, many students live in the remote, mountainous regions of Bali with poor signal connection. Their parents are out of work and cannot afford internet packages for their children to study. The remaining 12% must physically go to school or to their teacher to receive an assignment, sometimes traveling for miles. Of course, protective gear such as masks are limited. YKIP has identified several key supplies that will improve the lives of their students, including food, masks and internet packages, but their funding has been severely limited recently. 

In the last year, I came to a moral realization that the fortune I’ve experienced in life is not without its responsibilities. Traveling around for a year to learn languages and foreign cultures has been a privilege, but just being a spectator to the world is not enough. Making an impact, no matter how small my contribution, at least offsets the negative footprint I might inadvertently leave behind. Too many tourists use other countries as their playgrounds, enjoying themselves while the local people face the indirect consequences of unbridled tourism behind the walls of their resorts. When I started to explore volunteer opportunities abroad, I went in with the mindset of helping wherever needed. Beach cleanups may be like removing a grain of sand in an ocean of garbage, but at least I could karmatically realign my role in the consumerist tendencies that may have manifested themselves in the tide. Yet, through my discussions with different charities, I soon discovered that not all foundations are equally well-intentioned. Some prioritize their own egos and reputations over their cause. Others are blinded by the perpetual pursuit of funding. YKIP is not one of these organizations. Their staff members’ dedication to putting students first (even over their own well-being), as well as their tireless efforts to improve and expand upon their programs, make me proud to volunteer with them. As a final note, YKIP is run by Balinese people for Balinese people, making their home-grown efforts all the more poignant as they best understand the cultural roles that play into the education system in Bali. 

Please visit YKIP’s website, where you can read about individual student success stories, as well as the educational costs involved in their programs. Please consider helping out today. You can donate to support their COVID-19 assistance for the impacted students and to continue to make their programs possible. You can also sponsor a child, spread the word on this amazing foundation, or volunteer your skills remotely! Website developers, translators, and proofreaders are all greatly desired and appreciated. Now more than ever, we must value empathy over apathy.