Pengalusan Hamlet, Karangasem
The Other Side of Bali
Pengalusan hamlet, Kubu sub district in Karangasem Regency is located near the saddle of Mount Abang and Mount Agung. It is over 100 km from Denpasar and two hours drive to the border of Kubu sub district. Then, to get Pengalusan Hamlet, it takes us an hour’s drive by off-road vehicle along steep and stony dirt roads.
Geographically, this territory constitutes a dry and barren land. Livelihood of the local people is un-irrigated farming of cassava and corn and raising cattle. Behind the barren land it has, in fact it also retains an alluring panorama. Just have a look at on the right and left sides of the road, they are overgrown by pine forest that once in a while are graced with the melodious twitter of wild birds. At the beginning of August, Bali Travel News had an opportunity to visit the territory together with a social humanity foundation ‘The Eastern Bali Poverty Project’. Since 1998, this
foundation initiated its program in the territory that was immensely isolated from the outside world. Its inhabitants found it very difficult to get water; sanitation, road, school, healthcare facility and electricity. These make the people living there are far from proper category. Many of them suffered from skin diseases, malnutrition, death of pregnant mothers and thyroid problems due to iodine deficiency.
According to Komang Kurniawan, Team Leader of the project, his local team takes some six months to ensure the local people are ready and willing to receive assistance from outside. Through such approach, they are gradually taught about the healthy life behaviour, education and dry land farming in the right manner.
Having now worked for eight years, much progress has been achieved. The communities come to realize the significance of health by bathing twice a day to avoid skin illnesses, consume healthy food to prevent thyroid as well as establish integrated healthcare posts for the treatment of babies and pregnant mothers. Likewise, there are the establishment of water reservoirs to store water channelled from mountain springs to rural areas to be consumed by villagers.
Educational infrastructure of schools has been established to provide reliable and relevant education. According to the Head of the Foundation, David J Booth, it was accomplished due to participation and assistance of local inhabitants having high motivation to develop their
territory. "We are glad to see the result of our hard work. They get education, healthy life and smiles of healthy children make us supremely happy," he said.
Other than subjects complying with the curricula, all schoolchildren are taught extra curricular subjects such as health, nutrition, organic farming, art and English.
The Pengalusan project has been sponsored by Bali Dynasty Hotel, Kuta, since its launch in September 2000. Its purpose is to give the community the opportunity to acquire proper and healthy life, food security, self reliance and sustainable development of their region.
By now, all of East Bali Poverty Project’s 5 schools are able to commemorate the Independence Day of the RI (17/8) by many kinds of activity such as folk party as other territories do. Their events include art, comedy, pop song, drama and several competitions. All are centralized at the dry river bed, near the border of Pengalusan Hamlet.(BTN/Rai)
