The following is a letter we received from East Bali Poverty Project today. David Booth and his team at EBPP are playing a large role in alleviating the suffering and complexities created by the pending eruption of Mt Agung in East Bali. This is something we all jumped on early and as you can read below your donations and participation in the Cause Sale at Betty Belts helped raise a significant amount of money which is being put to fantastic use as Bali does it’s best to not suffer the large scale loss of life it did during the last eruption in 1964.

Huge thanks to all of our generous donors who contributed to our Mount Agung Refugee Appeal. The latest data from the government shows that more than 139,000 people have evacuated to safer places.

We have successfully raised $41,926 and a substantial number of essential supplies from more than 150 donors up to 20 October 2017. Our 9 field team members have been distributing essential supplies to 104 evacuation camp in 5 regencies of Bali, mostly in Buleleng regency, North Bali,  where most of the people from our villages have evacuated to.

Key focuses for us presently in addition to distributing essential supplies to the most needy refugee camps are:
HEALTH INTERVENTION
* There are 6 members of EBPP Health Team comprising volunteer Indonesian doctor, midwife, Public Health Nutritionist and local support team, and who regularly visit more than 30 locations in Karangasem & Buleleng regency, dealing with an average of 14 cases daily.* The health team continuously monitors the growth and nutrition status of Ban Village and other young children (mainly 0-5 years) who evacuated from their homes, help & support the elderly in evacuation camps to enhance their health and mental wellbeing, and do health check & intervention where necessary to the refugees in need.

EDUCATION 
* EBPP Education Team’s focus during this evacuation period is to organize transferring 214 students from our 6 schools who are currently scattered around 14 evacuation camps in 5 regencies to local schools located near their camp area so that they can continue their education.
* After much hard work and traveling, our Education Team have organized transferring 27 EBPP school students from Darmaji, Manikaji, and Jatituhu to Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak (Bali Street Kids Foundation) in Denpasar, 20 minutes away from EBPP Denpasar office, which is providing boarding and the education needs.
* We have been facing difficulties on identifying exactly where some of our students are, and for those whose location have been mapped out, we need to convince them and their parents to continue their study in government schools.

Please watch this video which gives an overview of EBPP’s dedicated team supporting thousands of refugees with essential supplies, health checks and interventions and trying to ensure that students from EBPP’s 6 schools can continue their education, wherever they are!

Another concern of us is that nobody knows if or when Mount Agung will erupt – or when the thousands of evacuees will be able to return home to rebuild their lives. There is possibility that EBPP and the communities may have to start from ground zero again.Please support us to help us continue our work supporting the refugees – and giving them hope! Thanks so much once again to all of you for your great support Warmest regards David
PLEASE DONATE NOW! Wire transfer: Bank  BNI, A/c name: Yayasan Ekoturisme Indonesia; A/c number: 0055 295 647;  Swift code: BNI NI DJA RNNDonate to our PayPal a/c: info@eastbalipovertyproject.org; a/c name: Yayasan Ekoturisme IndonesiaDonate to our crowdfunding page: www.en.kitabisa.com/mtagung