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By Barbara Howarth

The first time I visited Bali was nearly eight years ago. It was right after September 11th. My husband, Randy, and I had planned a diving vacation. Nothing was going to stop us and after enduring dire warnings against traveling abroad during such uncertain times, we set off. That first evening in Jimbaran Bay with the table torches lighting the beach like fireflies, any concerns I ever harbored were released. I was forever marked with the peace of that first night. One year later, those same family and friends commented after the Kuta Beach bombings, “I’ll bet you are glad you are not there now!” All I felt was a strong but uneasy feeling to return and my heart went out to the people of Bali because I knew that was not the Balinese. They were victims much the same way that the people working in the twin towers were victims on September 11th. How was I to know that half a world away, my life would be so touched by one wonderful, generous man?

Ketut, Barbara, Ketut's wife Nyoman
& sonI would tell everyone what beautiful people the Balinese are and that I would not hesitate to go back in a minute if given that opportunity again. That opportunity did indeed present itself a year ago. I am always amazed at how serendipity can intervene when your heart has a plan of its own. It was my fiftieth birthday and my husband and I were trying to decide if we would go to a place we had never been or back to Bali. My yoga teacher, Shiva Rea, announced she was going to be doing a trip to Bali on the exact week of my birthday. Perfect!  With this, the events were set in motion.

I don’t think I need to go into much detail for anyone reading this article, of the qualities of Bali. It is an absolute feast for the senses. The scent of sandalwood, the flowers placed in the cracks of stone figures and the enduring smile and grace of the people of Bali. I am amazed at the way the hundreds of motorbikes flow evenly, defying the laws of traffic. Instead, they emulate the way water flows around obstacles in a river. I suppose I am like one of those motorbikes riders. Helmet in place and ready for anything I might crash into, I find myself freely flowing in the river that is Bali. It was this sense of adventure that week that had me doing six hours of yoga each day, scuba diving, river rafting and hiking. I was invited by Megan and Charlie of the Yoga Barn to visit the Yayasan Widya Guna, teach yoga and meet Ketut and the children. To call this a life altering experience would be too mild a term. You know when you meet “the right one,” find the perfect home or hold your child for the first time, you think, oh yes, THIS is LOVE. It hits you profoundly and permanently and everything else in life seems to fall away in that moment. As I write this, those familiar tears are flowing again. Some of my group did not want to visit for fear of witnessing the tragedy of an “orphanage.” That is far from what I experienced. I saw sincere joy, excitement and kindness. I witnessed pride and curiosity and was overwhelmed by my reaction. Ketut and the Yayasan entered my heart and has not let go. Last year, I was able to participate in a fundraiser for a new dormitory. That seemed like a monumental task. The children danced and played the gamelan. I vowed that evening that Ketut would hear from me again and that was it. I felt bonded to this amazing man who was motivated to help the children of Bali. We never know where our life will flow, if our hearts are open and we let that love be a conduit through us. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I am really steering this motorbike of mine but I am open to this journey.

Barbara &Kadek DwiI came back again this past March to Bali. Now ALL my friends know of the Yayasan.  I am sponsoring a beautiful girl, Kadek Dwi. I met Earnie Giles and Frances Blair. It is wonderful to see that there are so many others like me who have fallen in love with the Yayasan as I have. That dormitory building is complete and is a solid manifestation of how much can be done when that river flows! When I visited this time, it was during Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. I loved participating in all the temple events preparing for Nyepi. That day is marked with the island going dark and absolutely no one leaves their home or hotel. It is a day for reflection and reverence for the coming year. It was a time for me to reflect on these last eight years and how I feel so bonded to Bali and the Yayasan. The following is an odd story but hang in there with me. One of my daughters and her husband go to Mexico quite often. She has made a habit of bringing home stray dogs and has actually adopted three of them. Two were living on the streets before she adopted them. Mexi and Earl are great dogs and we always comment on how apparent it is that they are so grateful for having a home and food and the love we all lavish on them. What they really have is the grace of perspective. That is what I have now. I have the perspective to know that I can make a difference. I am welcomed by not only Ketut and the children but the members of WINS.  Most of all, I feel profoundly grateful to be given this experience and to know the capacity of love.

By Yvonne Toebosch-Joordens

I am from The Netherlands and studied Communication Management in The Hague. After graduation, I started working in Marketing and Communication for several companies. When I came to Bali as part of a trip trough Asia, my mother-in-law, Elsbeth Toebosch who is a physiotherapist in Holland, asked me to provide some structure to the physiotherapy project for disabled children she had started in Bedulu in conjunction with The WINS Project. I spent two months working in Bali and I loved it with all my heart.

Physiotherapy SessionAfter extended research with the local Balinese and seeing the poor hygienic conditions in which these children live, Elsbeth was convinced she could do something for them. Using her medical background, she trained a local physiotherapist and two assistants. The program is designed for children from birth to fourteen years old. The physiotherapist and assistants work with the children based on their individual needs. The program is conducted on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Some children come all three days. Others come only on one or two of the days.

There are currently twenty-one children receiving physiotherapy. The WINS Project wishes to increase the number of children that are served in the near future but the initial focus must be on the development of a proper treatment program that stresses professionalism on the part of the providers. For most children, it is the first time they have received physical therapy since their families are too poor to pay for it. The parents always accompany the children since one of the aims of the program is to teach the parents how they can help the children when they are at home. In this way, it will be a continuing process.

If one visits the Yayasan while the sessions are in progress, they can see, feel and hear that a physiotherapy program is alive and well in Bedulu. The children play enthusiastically. It is a lively atmosphere! It is wonderful to see them them interacting and to notice the progress that is being made.

The near-term goal is to get sponsors and other donors to fund the continuation of the physiotherapy project in Bedulu as well as starting a special education program which is so important to the future of these children. A solid structure that can be adapted at the other WINS Education Centers will be built and a network with other local organizations created so more can be achieved for this special group of children.