A Small Plea If you are able to help the people of these islands while you are there, I guarantee that you will get back so much more in satisfaction than you will have to give out in material terms. But please, don't do it in a way that injures their pride, you will simply be adding to their woes. A Medium Plea It has been estimated that around 85% of hotels in the tourist south of Bali cheat their staff by either not giving them any, or giving them very little of the 11% service charge they levy on guests. 10% legally should go to the staff. When you consider a hotel worker may be on a basic wage of just 250,000 rupiah per month, this situation is disgusting. Often hotels do pay some of the service charge to staff, but also pay the directors and management proportionately to their wages. That means the high earning directors, whom you never see or meet, get the bulk of your service charge. With a very small percentage actually going to the staff that make your holiday / vacation the pleasure it is. Please, demand to know from your hotel / tour company / travel agent where that service charge goes and how exactly it is divided up amongst the staff. If they will not answer you, make a scene, insist upon it or a refund of the 11% (on the basis you will distribute it yourself). With petrol and food (particularly rice) prices rising in Bali and Lombok, show you give a damn about the real Balinese people. The ones you see and share their warmth with you. See our Name & Shame Page for hotels we have proof have failed to pay their staff what they are due. A Big Plea Pencils! School is very important to these people and rightfully so. Unfortunately,
If you trust this person, simply ask them if it would be better for them to take these gifts there for you, or for you to go with them / take them yourself. And you should understand just how trustworthy the locals are in this respect. Sure, they won't leave you alone if you even so much as show a fleeting interest in what they are selling, and then try to get as much money out of you as they can (business is business). But once they have agreed to something, their word is almost certainly their bond. I will happily recount for you the time I ordered and paid in advance for a music tape from the tout who got us to eat at a certain restaurant; the Archipelago at Air / Yeh Sanih (very good!). This music was playing in that restaurant, and the young Balinese guy said he would get a new copy of it (if he was paid in advance) and give it to me as we drove past the next day. Despite the "dreadlocks" hair style he sported giving some cause for doubt (based on experiences in other countries), I agreed. Although the price was "fiercely" negotiated downwards, the guy was there waiting for me, as promised, with the tape the next day. Anyway, the point is that if someone says they will take your gift to the local school, they will (of course, do this with someone you have formed a good opinion of to be absolutely sure). But even more likely is that you will be asked if you would take it with them / yourself, to give it to a teacher. This being the case, I absolutely guarantee, when the children are inevitably asked by their teacher to say thank you, you will never feel so good for so little cost. Of course, you may want to also give a special extra present to the person you asked, for their own children. Or you may find a large number of the hotel staff have children, and a donation of pencils etc. will probably mean a lot more to them than a few Rupiah (why not give both), given the importance they place on their youngsters. You do not even have to buy pencils. You could simply ask your local school(s) to save the partly used ones they throw away. Incredible isn't it, that this happens when kids around the world are in such need?! Pen Friends Before you leave for Bali / Lombok, how about calling your local school and asking if they would like a class to write an open letter, including a group photo, to a similar class in Indonesia. Then, bring their letter with you and buy some stamps at the local post office once you are there. Finally, take the letter along with the stamps and a spare envelope / sheet of paper or two, and do the same thing as before. Maybe even take a photo of the kids there as they may not / be able to afford one themselves. This way, you will be helping the kids back home as well. And who knows what problems this world might avoid in the future if our next generations understand each other better! Sweets "A little of what you like does you good." A little of what their kids like doesn't do any harm either, as long as it is a little. Unfortunately, if you travel around Bali / Lombok, you will almost certainly come across child hawkers. It's very hard to say "No" to them, but buying something from them may ultimately be doing more harm than good. So, another idea and one that will make an instant friend / help them, is to have a few 5 cent sweets and 50 cent mini-packs of pencils with you. Saying "No", but giving a child something tasty from your home country and something else they can use at school, is probably going to be doing them more of a favor then giving them money. Don't give them more than one sweet each though. You might spoil them / teach them to expect too much, and they have enough dental problems as it is. Clothes Second hand clothes, especially baby clothes and western brand name garments will be gratefully received by many islanders; but please be careful how you do it. Taking your old (but good condition), ill-fitting Levis etc. are going to make someone's day if you can give it to them without hurting their pride. So, if you take some items with you, and you find a waiter / driver who gives you good service. As well as a tip, you might want to think about giving them some old clothes as well. It's easy to do this without hurting their feelings. Simply say you packed some clothes you won't be able to take back because you bought too much there, and you wondered if there was anyone who could use them in Bali / Lombok - "Just like we have / do at home". And then simply ask "Perhaps you could do me a very big favor and give them to anyone you might know who could use them. Would you do that for me please?" Sponsorship When you are in Bali / Lombok, if you take the time to talk with (rather than to) the locals, you will undoubtedly uncover people who can not go on to further education because they have to work to survive, or organizations such as orphanages struggling for money. If you are in the fortunate position of being comfortably off, perhaps you might like to consider a regular sponsorship / donation. Of course, we're not talking about the masseuse or driver who volunteers how bad things are. The chances are they're quite well off because they make quite a bit extra from the many customers who are embarrassed into giving them something extra. We're talking about people you meet and truly appreciate. Of course, appreciation means understanding their lives; the good and the bad. And if they are deserving, why wouldn't you pay a small amount into a local bank account for them? I bet if you did this for the right person / people, you would get infinitely much more back in satisfaction then it will cost you in currency! Thanks for "listening". If you would like to help the very poor in Bali, why not pay a visit to the East Bali Poverty Project's Web Site Copyright © Travel Forums Org "Real information about people in Bali & Lombok."
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Bali web site owners, have you checked out our 
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people of Bali & Lombok revere their children, so there can be no