BALI LIFE
Introduction
The spirituality and generosity of Bali has been a great inspiration behind Positive Impact. For this reason, I wanted to create a place on my website to share some of my experiences from life on the island, including family-friendly travel tips, and a personal guide to my local neighbourhoods of Pererenan and Canggu. But most importantly, I wanted to give a space to some of the fantastic organisations based here in Indonesia, that we aim to support through the work of Positive Impact.
Many of the healing circles, Reiki shares, and spiritual gatherings we organise through Positive Impact are non-profit, and if you’ve ever joined one of these gathering, I encourage you to instead donate to a Positive Impact supported charity of your choice - the list of which you’ll find below.
Alternatively, if you’re just feeling generous at this very moment, choose a charity that resonates personally with you and click their link to donate.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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WHY WE RELOCATED TO BALI?
We moved to Bali over 4 years ago. The exact reason? Because my husband's job is based in the APAC region (Australia Asia Pacific). Before Bali, we lived in Singapore, but 4 years was quite enough for me. The city life offers you so much, but at a certain point in all our professional and personal lives, there comes a time to move on. I had the urge to escape the city, and had heard about the Green School in Bali (an eco-conscious bamboo-built education centre in the jungle) and decided I would seize the opportunity to give my kids a different kind of education to the one I had.
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For our family, Bali offers the best of all worlds.
Pros to living in Bali:
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A great schooling system - alternative perhaps, but there are many options for an international education here on the island
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An amazing location to travel from (when not in a pandemic) - you feel connected to the breathtaking archipelagos of Indonesia, the fascinating cities and beautiful countryside to see in Asia, and the expansive land of Australia: the world literally is your oyster!
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A great location for my wellness business - Bali has become an epicentre for conscious living, all-encompassing retreats, holistic health, and various healing modalities
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Great food scene and cafe culture - I would say as good as any cosmopolitan city
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Varied landscape - from jungle, to beaches, to mountains: it has it all!
Of course, there are some minuses, but I struggle to find many.
Cons to living in Bali:
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Villa prices - they are always growing, but this can be seen as a pro depending on which business you’re in
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Mosquitos - the result of living in any sub-tropical/humid climate
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The lack of snow - although it’s not a long flight to the incredible mountains of Japan!
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These are my personal pros and cons of living in Bali, but there are many reasons others decide to move to Bali - most want a lifestyle change in some shape or form. They want to move away from the routines of their home countries or corporate jobs, because they seek a different pace of life and a deeper connection to themselves and the world around them.
One of the most interesting things about Bali, is that the “Expat” community is so diverse. They fall into many categories, including digital nomads, crypto holders, career breakers, free-spirited adventurers, young entrepeneurs seeking new opportunites, families seeking alternative education for their children, health and healing enthusiasts… and the list goes on. The pandemic has again broadened the types of people now seeking to re-locate to Bali.
TIPS ON MOVING TO BALI?
There are offerings to suit every budget - from the very wealthy, to the low-budget backpackers - with amazing quality of food, beach clubs, hostels and of course a huge surfing culture.
Navigating your first weeks in Bali can be tricky, like any re-location. Finding the right villa, the right school and transitioning to life here can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
If you are thinking about moving to Bali, or just keen to know more, then you can read My Top Tips for Moving Bali post, visit my blog page or reach out directly with any questions you have to miki@positiveimpact.global.
I’d be very happy to put your main queries and concerns to rest!
local (& Global) charities
I frequently organise donation-based events, such as Reiki shares, yoga classes, and digital gatherings, so keep an eye out for these, which will be shared on my events page. As a family we also help to gather donations of clothing and household items for the charities that can best use them (such as Bali Street Mums), therefore if you are looking for a way to donate items to one of the charities listed below, please feel free to reach out as I am always happy to help organise a delivery.
Many people and animals are going hungry, COVID-19 has added more pressure on these fantastic organisations. If you need any more information prior to donating please do ont hesitate to contact me personally.
LISA - SUICIDE HOTLINE
LISA - Love Inside Suicide Awareness is a 24-hour online suicide prevention program.
The LISA program is a mental health and psychosocial support program that is inclusive of all levels of society regardless of ethnic background, religion, race, political views, social orientation or the condition of a person's disability.
BALI STREET MUMS
Bali Street Mums and Kids Project is a small non-profit organisation that provides a safe house, schooling, clothing, food and medical aid for impoverished mothers and children rescued from trafficking, abuse and child labour in Bali.
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Behind the glamour of Bali's tourism, many Balinese Women and Children face extreme challenges to survival. High unemployment and little education, infant mortality and malnutrition. Add to this the danger of trafficking and forced prostitution.
The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the struggle. Any size contribution is greatly appreciated. Please click the link below.
SEASPIRACY
Seaspiracy is a film about the environmental impact of fishing. It examines various human impacts on marine life and is super confronting and scary.
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They have launched a Crowdfunder to put pressure on world leaders to make 30% of our oceans 'no take zones' by 2030.
No-Take Zones have profound benefits to marine wildlife and habitat. Indeed, it is the only measure shown to actually work in allowing ecosystems to recover and rebound in a meaningful way.
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You can support via donation and visit their website and sign the petition.
SUNGAI WATCH
Sungai watch is a community river cleanup organisation that has the mission to protect waterways, starting in Indonesia.
They are developing and testing simple trash barriers to prevent plastics from entering our ocean and they partner with the Indonesian government for mass cleanups.
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Their aim is to provide affordable and replicable solutions to prevent plastic pollution from entering our ocean with an entire workforce active every day cleaning Bali’s rivers, picking up, sorting and cleaning the plastic.
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Please help by donating.
HEALTH IN HARMONY
Health In Harmony is an international nonprofit dedicated to reversing global heating, understanding that rainforests are essential for the survival of humanity. Using the innovative process of Radical Listening, they collaborate with the experts – the rainforest communities – to create the change the planet needs.​
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One of my Reiki students works for this organisation and I love the way they respect and value the Rainforest Communities, they know that they are vital to protecting these precious and precarious environments.
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Find out how you can get involved by clicking below.
SEA SHEPHERD
Sea Shepherd Legal’s mission is to save marine wildlife and habitats by enforcing, strengthening, and developing protective laws, treaties, policies, and practices worldwide. They work collaboratively with governments, encourage public engagement, and litigate against irresponsible actions.
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Saving the oceans is possible and you can help by donating. All money goes directly to their campaigns, providing fuel and equipment for their ships and volunteer crews as they take on the biggest threats facing the oceans today.
STELLA'S CHILD
Stella’s Child supports Indonesian youths from deeply disadvantaged backgrounds as they prepare to leave their homes and orphanages and enter the world of work.
They are an efficient and highly effective grassroots organisation that equips youths, aged 6-20, with the skills they need to succeed in life and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
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Their innovative, interlinked programs provide the life skills, real-world business experience and employment connections necessary to access job opportunities they would otherwise be denied.
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Help empower these youths by donating your time or your money.
HORSES OF GILI
Horses of Gili is a not-for-profit organisation which is established to help care for the horses on the Gili Islands off of Lombok, Indonesia.
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The charity organises clinics for the horses to receive medical care, provide education, farrier services, supplies and anything else they can do to help the horses. They also have an Amazon wishlist if you want to choose a product instead of cash.
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Click below to donate via Paypal
KIM WOMENS FOUNDATION
This centre provides a safe haven for divorced Balinese women who are highly stigmatised in the community by providing training and jobs to help the women gain independence again.
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They have specific projects that need funding or you can choose to donate to KIM Women's Centre and let the founder Ibu Sari put the money to whatever is of best use at the time.
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Click the button to go to their donate page and remember to use KIM catering for your next party or event in Bali.
BUMI SEHAT
'Bumi' means earth-mother and 'Sehat' translates to healthy - so in English, this amazing organisation means Healthy Mother Earth Foundation.
They operate three Community Health and Education and Childbirth Centers within Indonesia.
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The clinics offer a comprehensive range of allopathic and holistic medicine, as well as pre and post-natal care, breastfeeding support, infant, child and family health services, nutritional education, pre-natal yoga, and gentle, loving natural birth services. They also help with disaster relief such as the Lombok earthquake
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Please click the button below to go to their donation page.
WOMEN'S EARTH ALLIANCE
The 2020 Women's Earth Alliance Indonesia Grassroots Accelerator is an opportunity to gain the skills, tools, knowledge, and networks that women need to accelerate their impact.
WEA is working with women leaders who are ready to grow or scale their grassroots environmental and climate initiatives. They've already driven impact through their project/initiative and are well-positioned to take it to the next level, drawing on the skills, alliances, expanded audience, and range of resources offered by this unique national Accelerator.
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You can help empower these women by donating via the link.
THE ORANGUTAN PROJECT
Orangutans are the most intelligent beings on the planet after human beings, and they adapt to the environment by passing on culture through each generation.
A self-aware being, as intelligent as a six-year-old child, their drive to extinction is an individual story of horror as they are macheted and burnt alive as an agricultural pest.
I fell in love with Orangutans when I visited Borneo back in 1999. I have been dreading going back and seeing the destruction.
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There are many ways you can help so please learn how you can help by clicking below.
PULAU PLASTIK
Pulau Plastik (plastic island) is a documentary that tells the story of three individuals and their fight against single-use plastic pollution. The three protagonists explore the extent of plastic pollution in Indonesia, how it has entered our food chain and is impacting our health, as well as what can be done to address the plastic pollution crisis.
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You can donate to help them increase awareness about the hazards of single-use plastic, to change people’s behaviour and to advocate for change.
