Most of us acknowledge the island of Bali as a popular tourist destination for travelers across the globe.

In an interview with CNBC Indonesia, Sandiaga Salahudin Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, mentioned that Bali is still the second largest contributor to Indonesia’s foreign exchange earnings, second only to the oil and gas industry.

Do we, however, reckon the several regions of Bali where a large number of people continue to live in poverty?

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the poverty rate in Bali has increased sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The island went from maintaining the nation’s lowest poverty percentage at 3.61% to scoring high at 4.72%. As the result, Bali was ranked as the fourth poorest region in Indonesia. One of the five poorest regions in Bali is Karangasem Regency, located in the northeastern part of Bali Island.

Starting in 2023, as a humanitarian institution that focuses on providing decent housing for the underprivileged society, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia started a project of decent housing cluster for the residents of Purwakerti Village, one of the villages in Karangasem Regency.

Sunday, 15th January 2023, marked the beginning of the project, Habitat Indonesia held a build event. The event was attended by 21 volunteers from Jakarta, Bali, and even Singapore.

Accompanied by the other volunteers, 11 students from a well-known university in Singapore established the foundations for two of the ten houses to be built within the early stages of the project in Purwakerti Village.

The build event began with the opening speech by the National Director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, Susanto, and the Head of Purwakerti Village, I Nengah Suanda.

Following the short briefing on safety rules and warm-up exercises, the volunteers worked hand-in-hand to carry out build activities, establishing the foundations and relocating building materials. Although the activities went on for almost three hours, the volunteers cooperated with great enthusiasm.

After the home owners shared their testimonies, the event was closed by selecting “Volunteers of The Day” as a part of Habitat tradition in every build event.

Hopefully, the good deeds contributed by the volunteers will generate unforgettable memories and bring blessings to every family of the Bali Build 2023.

Building Homes – Building Lives – Building Communities.