Bali Life Foundation is a Bali-based non-governmental organization (NGO). Bali Life Foundation was built out of the story of empathy, compassion, and humanity. In 2005, Indonesian-Australian couple Siska and Brad Little met a 9-year-old boy living on the streets of Kuta, Bali. Their shared desire to improve the lives of this boy and other street children in Bali led them to establish Bali Life Foundation, a shelter for street children affected by structural poverty. In 2013, when Brad & Siska Little decided to move back to Australia, this vision is continued by Piter and Lyna who have the same vision & compassion for underprivileged people. Today, Bali Life Foundation has grown from simply a shelter for street children to an organization that accommodates a variety of social projects.
Bali Life Foundation now has three base locations: Uluwatu, Denpasar, and Suwung. Each location has a different main project. The Uluwatu location serves as the primary location for the Children’s Home, which accommodates children from unfortunate backgrounds. The Children’s Home is the heart of Bali Life Foundation, their earliest and largest project. Funding for the children housed at the Children’s Home is provided by donations and sponsorships, allowing them to allocate $100 per child per month, covering living expenses, education, and healthcare.
The second location is Denpasar, which serves as the primary location for the Street Kid’s Center and Women’s Workshop. This project was established in response to an urgent problem: poverty in Bali forces children from low-income families to live on the streets, homeless, unsafe, and forced to work to survive. These children have to earn money, from begging and pickpocketing to, most tragically, sex work. Bali Life Foundation acts as a refuge, providing not only shelter but also basic education for these children. Furthermore, Bali Life Foundation empowers mothers and teaches them skills such as English, basic financial management, and various handicrafts, with the training held every few months. Bali Life Foundation fully supports the mothers’ activities by providing trainers and training facilities, and by selling their crafts to collaborators such as hotels, villas, and coffee shops throughout Bali. The Street Kids Center and Women’s Workshop were established to improve the economic well-being of families.
The third location is Suwung, which hosts the Suwung Community Center project. The Suwung landfill has become infamous for its mountains of trash, which come from major Balinese cities like Denpasar and Badung, accommodating up to 2,000 tons of waste per day. Unfortunately, the people living near the Suwung landfill live below the poverty line. Bali Life Foundation, through the Suwung Community Center, provides free education for children and certified sewing courses for mothers.
Bali Life Foundation do not limit their work in Bali only. They serve not only in Bali but also Lombok, Palu and Sumba now. Today, Bali Life Foundation has supported the lives of hundreds of children, provided education for over 10,000 children, and transformed the lives of hundreds of families in Bali and beyond. Bali Life Foundation calls its work a community service mission. Their mission of Hope, Dignity, and Purpose drives Bali Life Foundation to continue this service for a better future for Bali, Indonesia, and the world.
