Charity Work in Indonesia: People That Are Actually Changing the World! Not Today Blog 44

Give. Tim Ferriss said it, Winston Churchill said it – there are hardly any people I look up to who don’t dedicate a portion of their energy for the common good. This post is a collection of people and organisations doing charity work in Indonesia. I am constantly inspired by them and trust 100% in their mission. I am sure that all donations and business with these organisations are to make the world a better place.

There are many more foundations and non-profit organisations in Indonesia that I can’t mention here. That’s for another time.

Tackling Food Waste in Jakarta

I found out about William Anputra and his company Precycle through his post in the Facebook group “Going Green in Jakarta” in September 2020. At the time, his start-up was called jokii.id. His mission was clear. To reduce food waste by delivering weekly vegetable and fruit packages with produce that would otherwise be thrown away or not even bought from the farmers. These products do not meet the aesthetic standards of the big supermarket chains in Jakarta, Indonesia. Fresh produce with an atypical shape or colour, but perfectly fine to consume.

I signed up immediately and have been a subscriber ever since.

Every Wednesday at noon a plastic-free package is delivered to my doorstep.

The carton box contains a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. Oranges, mandarins, eggplants, carrots… One box lasts me and my household of 4 for about four days. We would use up the vegetables for dinners. And eat the fruit as breakfast or as a snack over the next few days.

I like the fact that we don’t need to go grocery shopping for half the week and at the same time contribute to reducing food waste in Jakarta.

I can also recommend William’s social media channels. Love his rants about people not wearing helmets in Jakarta traffic. Another problem I would like to tackle here in Indonesia!

The Bencheghib Legacy

It was Sam’s interview series #RunWithSam on YouTube that caught my attention. Sam and his guest go for an easy run and get into a deep conversation. What a brilliant idea for an interview series.

As you may know, I’m into physical challenges and testing the limits of the human body. I don’t need to tell you that I was completely blown away when I learned that he had run 3055 miles across the USA in 191 days, from New York to LA.

The Bencheghib siblings were born in Indonesia and have dedicated their lives to the fight against plastic pollution. Together, Sam, Gary and Kelly founded the environmental organization Make A Change when they were only 16 years old.

Kelly lives in France and promotes a plastic-free lifestyle. Gary and Sam currently live in Bali and push forward Sungai Watch. A community river clean-up organisation whose mission is to protect waterways.

Sam, please invite me for an episode of #RunWithSam! Haha

Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Escapting Poverty Through Education

I learned about the Bali Children’s Project through the Instagram account of Yogi Lab co-founder Aren Bahia.

At the time, they launched the Happy Mattress Project. Together they raised money to donate mattresses to households in need in Bali, Indonesia.

Through further collaboration with Karmagawa, I learned about the school and library renovation projects that the Bali Children’s Project was doing. At that time, I had already thought about opening my own school in a rural area in Asia one day to make education accessible.

Their vision resonated with mine. It went so far that I decided to dedicate my row across the Atlantic to their charity. By taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 2023, I hope to raise enough money to fund one or more BCP renovation projects in rural Bali.

Since then, I have been in close contact with their team and am impressed by their work every day. There is so much more than the renovation projects. They send out Covid relief packages, school backpacks filled with school supplies for one year, and they sponsor children to help them get through high school. Amazing!

Why Not Today

I love the work of the above. It proves that there is charity work in Indonesia that is actually changing lives.

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

Edith Wharton

Too often we use being busy as an excuse for taking action. But we forget that small contributions to people or organisations that have dedicated their lives to helping people can be enough to make a difference.

So, why not make a small contribution to a good cause yourself? Maybe even contribute to charity work in Indonesia.

This is your sign to give.

Why not today?

D