Bayu Foundation Teachingprojects in Bali | Just another Blog.com weblog

school supplies from Kate and her friends

Has the new year just started a couple of weeks ago, for Bayu Foundation it rocks and promisses great things !

In January, our Australian friend  Kate visited Bali and crossed the ocean with a heavy overload, carrying dozens of children’s books for the Bayu Mobile Library, which we are creating,and which will come in action as soon as we found a sponsor for a Bayu vehicle (hint !!).

    In that same month a blond angel descended on our doorstep, named Rana, offering her time and energy to the Bayu Foundation and the kids from Elisama Orphanage…

Twister at Elisama !

Rana is from the Netherlands and is a real wizard on the computer !! Well, at least we think so ! She has spent  several afternoons, hidden behind a laptop, converting  files, pimping them and giving the teaching materials a really professionnal look.

Rana at Elisam Orphanage

She also made us a great presentation which will certainly help us convince futur sponsors !!! Thank you Rana for donating so much of your time and efforts to our foundation and the children, during your 3 months travel through Asia ! Your help is priceless…

Thanks Rana !!

We have started 2011 well !

-          The teaching material box is ready, containing dozens of flashcards, grammar games, phonics games, class materials, memory games, reading books and much more ! And while writing the manual with directions of use for the teachers, new ideas keep poping up ! The use of the materials is endless.

Some of the Bayu flashcards

Classroom signs

-          Donations of some of our most loyal sponsors came in at the end of 2010 !

-           New books and teaching and crafts materials were donated by some of our friends from Australia. Suitcases full !!!

Thank you so much everybody !!

All this gives us  the energy and confidence to set our goals for 2011 high :

-          Finding sponsoring money for 6 schools and production of 6 Bayu teaching material Boxes, to be distributed in 2012, together with the training of the teachers of 6 schools

-          Finding sponsors for a Bayu Foundation car.

-          Finding a production and distribution company for our materials, in order to lower production costs and time and secure longterm distribution facilities.

-        Continuing to work with our existing school projects in Siangan Ubud and  Elisama Orphanage.

Playing and learning with the Bayu materials at Elisama

-        Starting a collaboration with Campuhan College in Ubud, in order to train their students to work with our material and implement it in the village schools where they run their projects.

Can we count on your input ?!

It has been a while since the latest update on the blog, but here we are again, to celebrate the end of the year with you and to update you on our whereabouts. 

clothes matching cards

Bayu has been doing great this year! 

We have done ex curricular multiple day programs in village schools, we have joined the kids from Elisama Orphanage on an almost weekly basis to study and have fun with them, and we have been working behind the scenes on a  new website and the English teaching materials box. 

Although not able to spend the time that we would want to put in to all the projects and activities (due to a major  bummer : working for a living !) we definitely have made a lot of progress again this year. So let’s say we are still on track ! 

Since the last post, we have been really busy, developing our teaching materials box for the local village schools and we are proud and happy to present to you ….. the first edition of the Bayu teaching materials : 

colors, vocabulary, games

learning English with the Bayu materials

 Well, at least part of it… 

The materials are well received by the kids and 2011 is the year in which we hope to donate the first boxes to Balinese village schools and train the teachers to work with the materials. 

The box has been developed in a way that the use of the materials are endless. Every set of flashcards, dolch word cards or class signs is multiple functional, in order to enhance the impact of the materials on the learning results of the children. And by doing so we hope to improve their English and learning abilities and most especially, their joy in learning. 

Thank you, everybody who donated time, energy, enthousiasm and money to the Bayu Foundation and by doing so to the children of Bali !! We wish you all a very happy, healthy New Year and hope you will keep sponsoring us in 2011, in any way tou can. 

Love, Natasja, Lian and al the kids here in Bali

Vrijwilligers verslag  -  Mei 2010

In mei 2010 hadden wij het genoegen een periode met Natasja’s organisatie, de Bayu Foundation, als vrijwilligers mee te draaien. Het werd een bijzondere ervaring waardoor we Bali van een geheel andere kant dan als toerist konden leren kennen. Het was voor ons de eerste keer om als vrijwilligers met kinderen in het buitenland te werken. Piet Hein had een basis kennis van Bahassa Indonesia, maar ik sprak letterlijk geen woord van de taal die ik zo nodig bleek te gaan hebben! Behalve wat levenservaring, een goede kennis van het Engels, en wat knutselspulletjes hadden we niet te veel in onze bagage bij ons! Niettemin verwelkomden Natasja en Lian ons buitengewoon hartelijk en gaven ons heel veel achtergrond informatie over hun plannen met de jonge organisatie.

Wij werden ingezet om met schoolkinderen uit de 4de en 5de klas (leeftijden 9 – 11) uit een landelijk dorpje buiten Ubud aan een vakantieprogramma Engels te werken. Hun basis kennis van het Engels bestond eigenlijk alleen uit wat losse woordjes. Maar de leergierigheid van de kinderen was enorm groot. Het valt op hoe gedisciplineerd hun schoolsysteem is vergeleken met Nederland.  Een van de grootste obstakels in hun voortgang met het Engels is het feit dat hun leraren de taal nauwelijks beheersen. Mede daarom heeft de Bayu Foundation een duidelijk bestaansrecht: er moet veel, heel veel met al deze kinderen (en hun leraren) geoefend en vooral in de praktijk Engels gesproken worden, anders komen ze, tenzij ze een grote zelfmotivatie aan de dag weten te leggen, niet veel verder. Voor hun maatschappelijke ontwikkeling is Engels natuurlijk van vitaal belang.

Het werd een bijzondere tijd. Natasja had een basis programma voorbereid en daarop improviseerden we verder. Het was voor deze school een eerste kennismaking met dit extra-curriculaire concept en de ontvangst ervan was enorm enthousiast. Zelfs zo dat ook leraren uit andere omliggende plaatsjes kwamen kijken!  Ze waren onder de indruk van de dynamiek in het leslokaal en de flashcards en hands-on leermiddelen die we gebruikten.  Tijdens de laatste dag, de sportdag, deden een heel aantal van de leraren ook met de spelletjes mee!

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In algemene zin troffen wij in de leerboeken en lesmaterialen weinig leerstof met een direkt praktisch nut en herkenbaarheid voor jonge kinderen. Het zou goed zijn als Bayu samen met de vrijwilligers stof van meer praktische toepassing zou ontwikkelen. Dus creativiteit bij de voorbereiding van de lessen is voor de vrijwilliger belangrijk en het is fijn dat daar binnen het programma van Bayu ruim de gelegenheid voor is…

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Rollenspellen, individueel laten praten en kleine excursies zijn goede manieren om de taal te laten leven. Indien mogelijk de klassen in kleine groepjes delen, want klassikaal met grote groepen is het veel moeilijker werken…

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Natasja en Lian, het is duidelijk dat jullie een geweldig ambitieuze en zware, maar ook uiterst voldoeninggevende, taak voor jullie hebben liggen. Wij wensen jullie heel, heel veel sukkes met jullie moedige onderneming en hebben zeer veel respect voor jullie doorzettingsvermogen en de persoonlijke opofferingen die jullie je getroosten om jullie idealen te verwezelijken. Dank dat we jullie een tijdje van dichtbij mochten volgen!

Piet Hein van Buuren
Sacha Otten

On our way to the turtles

As she does every year, our dear friend Wilhelmina visited Bali and as she does every year, she didn’t come empty handed. Bringing sponsor money from her and a lot of her friends back in the Netherlands, Bayu was, again able to organize some really cool activities for the children of the Elisama Orphanage.

This year we chose to take the children on a educational but above all fun trip to Serangan Beach, close to Sanur. Arriving with a big touring car, around noon, we were quickly and happily on our way to the turtle sanctuary and the beautiful white sand and quiet beach of this once small island.

And they really sound wonderful !

Full of knowledge about the lives of the endangered, huge turtles and having fed them their daily meal of seaweed, we arrived at the beach and it took us all less then a minute to jump and fall in the lovely sea, splashing and screaming and loosing our balance in the strong waves and on the sandy ocean bottom.

Soon, all the children had found their friends to play football, sing along with the guitar, swim, search for nice shelves and enjoy themselves. Because they live in a big house  without a garden in the middle of Denpasar city, an outing in open air and space is a welcome change of scenery!

Naomie busy baking

Wow, this is nice !

Boys being boys

Tired and hungry, we all changed back in our clothes and were treated to a nice meal of rice, vegetables, egg and chicken, prepared by our friends of Warung Pantai Indah and eaten with a last view at the beautiful blue sky and ocean…

Thank you so much Wilhelmina and friends for giving us this beautiful day !

(For more photos, view the Gallery)

A big hug to all from Serangan Beach !

Gathering the rubbish in Siangan village May 2010

15 February 2010 was a remarkable day of my life. I started a new life in Bali.

It was a difficult decision, because I still have two grand sons, a daughter and a son in law in Holland. But we Skype a lot and I hope, they will come soon.

I was born in (Makassar) Ujung Pandang at (Celebes) Sulawesi. All my life, I wanted to go back to my roots. My decision was, to go back when I was retired.

I first came to Bali, 29 years ago and this island, these people and this  beautiful nature had immediately stolen my heart. With my children was the first time I came to Bali. Later I often came to Bali, for holiday and to enjoy all the beautiful aspects of the island.

I saw the poverty and the need for education. My daughter Natasja and I started the Bayu Foundation four years ago. She has already lived here for 1  ½ year. I got the opportunity to come to Bali this year and I feel blessed for it.

Elisama Orphanage May 2010

Twice a week I go to Elisama, an orphanage in Denpasar, to play and to teach them English in a playful way, using the materials that we have gathered and developed over the last 4 years and that we also donate to the local schools. We also organize outings for the children. I work for the foundation, fundraising and administration etc.. So even busier than when I was still working!

Love Lian

Klungkung 2009

It has been a while, since I finally decided not to go back anymore to the Netherlands, but to consecrate all my energy in the teaching projects of the Bayu Foundation in Bali. Since December 2008, I have lived and worked among the Balinese people.

And I have not yet regretted this decision for a minute.

Indonesia, and especially Bali are among the most beautiful places in the world. The people are hardworking and friendly, the scenery is astonishing and never fails to amaze you. Most of the days are spent, living for the basic and simple necessities of life and there is hardly any time or energy to waist on stress or worries over superficial things.

Education is an important aspect of their children’s future and needs all the help it can get. Especially the remote village schools lack about everything, from books to teachers to lesson materials. Classes are over crowded and noisy.

Hindu ceremony for the foundation

So over the years Bayu has concentrated her efforts in assisting the local schools in improving their curriculum and educational skills. We donate lesson materials, we train the teachers to work with them, we organize multi day English and activity programs in the schools.

The response is overwhelming and already we have several schools waiting for our input and collaboration.

Working together with all these people who invest their energy and time in the future of the Indonesian children is heart warming and motivating. For me it is the best job in the world.

Primary school no8, Sanur 2010

Crafts project, making the ocean

During the school May holidays, Bayu, together with  friends and sponsors, Sacha and Piet Hein, set up a 4 day english course and activity program in the primary school of Siangan, a small village close to Ubud.Class 4 and 5 took lessons and participated in several activities from 3 until 5 in the afternoon.

First lesson class 4, Siangan

After a first shy afternoon, where the children were doing their best to get acquainted with these strange white people, talking in English all the time, they soon felt confortable and gave their best during all the lessons and crafts and games.

We worked with flashcards, print outs, and books, working our way through verbs, animals, easy maths, english conversation, bingo, crafts and more and more.

Not used to lessons where they must participate actively and using new materials, the children picked up the ideas of the lessons very quickly and we spent the most exhilirating and fun days together !

Sacha and Piet Hein and class 4 work on their cut and paste clothes project

The week ended with a morning of sports activities and the handing out of their certificate, and together with the children, the local teachers and Bayu and friends, we can look back and remember a wonderful and useful week.

Leaving the flashcards and numerous lesson ideas behind, we hope to join the school again soon for a further introduction to active and playful learning!

Everybody works together great !

A report about their finding working with Bayu Foundation will be sent to the department of education of Bali by the school headmaster. We are very proud of our collaboration with this village school  and their efforts to improve their educational curriculum! We will definitely continue our work together !!

Siangan school class 4 and 5, teachers and Bayu