Debe's journey to Indonesia started over 34 years ago when she spent a school year teaching ESL and Bible classes in Jakarta, and vacationed on Bali during the Christmas school break. Ever since then she has wanted to do something in Indonesia as a way to give back because of the life-changing experiences she had there. As a matter of fact, one of her first acts as a new Rotarian in 2004 was to give presentations about Indonesia to local area clubs after the devastating 2004 tsunami. A few years ago, the opportunity to be involved in the study abroad program at EvCC presented itself, and she is now the Faculty Director for the program, in addition to the teaching she does at the college.
During the December trip the group stayed at four locations - Tanah Lot, Pemuteran, Lovina Beach, and Ubud. On future trips groups will be working with three schools in Pemuteran and Lovina Beach: an elementary school, a preschool and a high school. Each trip will be two weeks, and consist of fifteen hours of service learning, in addition to at least ten hours of training before the trip. Plus, the goal of the trips is to foster cultural understanding, international friendship and goodwill, and will feature a 3-day/2-night homestay in a Balinese family compound.
The group was able to travel to the south, west, north and central parts of the island. Other experiences on the trip included a dolphin tour; trek along the Champuhan trail; visits to temples, museums and art galleries/studios; attendance at cultural dances, theater and music performances; visits to waterfalls, parks, monkey forests and animal/bird/reptile parks; and not be overlooked was the amazing snorkeling at the west end of the island. Future groups of travelers will be able to do the same things.
One of the goals of the trip was to connect again with the Rotary Club of Bali Lovina and explore possibilities of partnering together. That was accomplished and some of the outcomes and possibilities include:
- On future trips, EvCC students and Rotarians will be working at the
school sponsored by Rotary to educate economically disadvantaged village
children: Window to the World School, which is set in a rice field behind
the village towards the mountains.
- RC of Bali Lovina has a Global Grant in process and would like us to
partner on it with them. This grant is for Phase II of the building project
and includes finishing the school library and music room; and building the
second building needed for elementary classrooms. Currently, the school
does not have electricity or running water, yet manages to educate 30+
students each day.
- Work with RC of Bali Lovina on their eyeglasses project, which
includes testing children, identifying those who need glasses, get eyeglass
prescriptions filled with a partner optical company, and deliver the
glasses to the students for fitting and adjustments. To date, they have
tested over 7,000 children and handed out over 600 prescription eyeglasses,
many to students who would be considered legally blind.
- A scholarship is needed to support a poor student, Ari, through
medical school. She is being sponsored by the RC of Bali Lovina, but needs
additional funds since her funding promised by the government has never
actually come through. Ari might be the first poor student ever to be
accepted into the Indonesian medical program.
It was Rotary's motto of Service above Self that drew Debe to Rotary, but it is the organization's focus on both local and international humanitarian projects, and its emphasis on fostering international understanding and goodwill that keeps her involved and engaged. She hopes that by our club getting connected with a long-term international partner, members will have greater global awareness, understanding, and develop relationships with those in another culture.
