Membantu Bali

The word ‘Membantu’ is the Indonesian verb for ‘helping’. This word best describes our mission and purpose. For us, ‘helping’ is the heart of all the work we do in Bali through a variety of local Balinese agencies.

Who we are

The Membantu Development Fund, recognized as “Membantu Bali”, is the overseas aid arm of Coffs Harbour Christian Community School(CHCCS) that has Indonesia as its primary focus, and in particular Bali.

Where it began

Membantu Bali has grown from an outreach program for senior students in 1999, to a lasting commitment to providing genuine assistance to hundreds of Balinese children and their families. This commitment has changed not only their lives but those of our CHCCS students and our wider school community.

What we have achieved

Over the years, students and their families, staff and the wider school community from CHCCS have raised tens of thousands of dollars to fund these programs of assistance.

Fundraising events include CHCCS’s annual ‘Run for Membantu’ (our cross country carnival) and school community fund raising initiatives such as Indo Week and Bali Day. CHCCS has also established the Coffs Coast Conference and Camping Centre (The Centre) and the Coffs Coast Beach School to direct profits into our aid projects in Bali.

In addition to fundraising, CHCCS annually sends to Bali teams of school students to work alongside the Balinese people on these projects.
Membantu Bali is dedicated to providing real support to the people of Bali by genuine acts of service and by funding projects that address important needs, including

· Food security
· Safe and adequate water supply
· Primary health care
· Education
· Essential infrastructure works at orphanages and schools
· Transport and communications for orphanages and local communities

Simple everyday items that we take for granted such as sanitary needs for girls, basic medicines and first aid supplies are often in short supply in poor communities and orphanages in Bali. Through Membantu Bali we have been able to provide ongoing support for these basic human needs.

Recently CHCCS has developed a sister-school relationship with Harapan School which has its largest campus of 6000 students in Denpasar. We currently run a program where students from CHCCS can participate together in lessons with students at Harapan School using Skype. We have a teacher exchange program where we bring a teacher from Harapan School to help us in Coffs Harbour with our Indonesian language & culture program (we are building a program from Kindergarten right through to Year 12), and we send teachers to Harapan School for short visits where they can teach English language and build cultural bridges.

Where we are going

Membantu Bali is a vision that is growing and developing as we move forward. From donations of a few hundred dollars here and there, and outreach activities painting toilets just a few years ago, we now raise many thousands of dollars each year and fund projects that include the purchase of buses for transporting children to school, building entire toilet blocks in orphanages.

But more importantly we are building lasting relationships that bring our cultures together in harmony and mutual support. We are helping to raise a new generation of children with opportunities for valuable education and an awareness and tolerance for others from different backgrounds. As we continue to raise funds needed to carry out the many current and future projects that we have planned, we hope that others may catch our vision and join with us in supporting Membantu Bali.

How you can help?

If you would like to get involved in Membantu Bali or if you would like some more information, then please contact us by email to admin@membantu.org or phone 02-6653 4000.