Children's Home, & Shelter
At first, a shelter for street kids seeking relief from the streets, or some food and medicine; this followed by kids starting to live at YKPA as they put together some food, beds, and an all-age school room. Soon more kids came, some without parents, some with one, or two who didn't care for them, then some with disabilities, abandoned, sick or needing big medical / surgical care.
This expanded month-by-month without planning or resources. Foreigner expats helped with materials and funds, and slowly, more capacity and more kids to now...45 children live in residence at YKPA.
Besides their normal school, the children have extra fun classes at YKPA, including dance, computer, English, art, etc. These classes are sometimes given by local teachers, and other times by foreign student volunteers.
The dance class has become a hip-hop 'dance troupe', and they have won competitions around the Denpasar area.
Street Kids School Project
Street kids in Kuta Bali wanted "SCHOOL"! So YKPA started a class Saturday afternoon class where the kids felt 'safe'... on the beach. Many kids showed up for months before the class was forced to move. Over years, the classes moved many times. Successive ages of kids met in a rented shop near the Kuta slums.
These children consistently ask for this informal schooling because their lives are too chaotic for normal schooling. Todate, several girls have successfully passed the government elementary equivalency testing....a massive accomplishment for a child who must still beg in the street.
This 'helping' has become a Project, requiring donations for a teacher, rent, and other simple administration costs. Thankfully, donors contribute to making this keep going.
With the help of Donators, YKPA Founder Putu is creating a new bamboo school building in a Kuta 'slum' area. The opening is planned for June 2018 and the area street kids are looking forward to this.
Medical & Surgery help
There are children living mostly in remote like areas of Bali and nearby islands who have disabling or serious conditions for which care is available in Bali. Typically the parents are unaware of the care, or fear the cost or seemingly insurmountable difficulties of getting it.
YKPA staff find such children through outreach projects, or through collaboration with other NGO's. A parent and the child are invited to be taken to YKPA in Denpasar, provided accommodations, meals, and transportation for the medical and/or surgical care needed.
Frequently, the recovery can take many months until over one year, and typically the child becomes a resident of YKPA, going to previously unavailable school, as well as the other classes so important for children here...English, computer, etc. They visit their parents, or parents visit YKPA whenever possible.
Village Assistance
We visit the very poor villages from where the street kids come from and share clothing, food, and support.
Volcano Refugees - RESOLVED
THIS PROJECT IS FINISHED. Its listed here as an example of kinds of activities YKPA must do occasionally:
"The big volcano in Bali is trembling with many earthquakes. Some 100,000 people have been told to leave the area. The YKPA former street children have family in the danger area. Some parents have decided to stay, risking their lives to guard their homes and care for animals, but their children need to leave. The government set up shelters, but they are inadequate for many, so Putu (YKPA Founder) drove there multiple times and picked up 60 children and a few adults, setting up YKPA as a 'refugee' camp."
"YKPA's capacity has been fully overwhelmed, and many suporters are stepping up to help out. The children started school today Oct 7, in local Denpasar schools. This by itself is quite an undertaking (fees, uniforms, packs, shoes, etc), not considering the stress on these already stressed children.
Please consider helping. YKPA needs supplies, volunteers, and donations.
Update Nov 1, 2017: The volcano has been downgraded to safer, so all kids have gone back to their homes on its slopes! Understandable, while still worrisome. We must remember that 'refugee camps' are not stable places, and we must stand ready with adequate food, water and petrol"
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