Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

PERSISTENT PROBLEMS, PROMISING SOLUTIONS AND BENEFICENCE31addressed and environmental protection must takecenter stage in the development process. This, statesETF, can be achieved through education and alternativeenergy empowerment projects. The programs of thefoundation reflect these beliefs.Economics for Life projects have been launched in tenhigh schools in Mojokerto, East Java). To promote theconcept of biofuel, students have participated in themass planting of Jatropha trees. The ETF likewise rebuiltfive elementary schools destroyed by a devastatingearthquake in Yogyakarta in 2006. It also supportedworkshops on global warming and climate change inthe lead-up to the UN conference on global warming inDecember 2007 in Bali.• The Sampoerna FoundationPutera Sampoerna and his company, PT H. M.Sampoerna, wanted to return something to Indonesia,which had given them so much. Putera Sampoernafound his call in education. Together with othershareholders of PT H. M. Sampoerna, he foundedthe Sampoerna Foundation, which has partnershiparrangements within Indonesia and other ASEANcountries, and whose operations are managed by 150staff members.Support for education was seen as a neutral andnon-partisan strategy in the context of philanthropyand politics. The foundation focuses on providingscholarships for students to pursue tertiary educationas well as for teachers who want to pursue graduatestudies. As less than 50 percent of teachers in Indonesiaare qualified, the foundation established a TeacherTraining Institute to enhance the quality of teachers.The Foundation has also launched various managementprograms to produce people of caliber for businesses.• Como Shambala Estate at Begawan Giri/ComoFoundationThe Como Shambala at Begawan Giri is no ordinaryhotel or resort. Built on a 23 acre site overlooking theAyung River in Ubud, Bali, it is a place for nourishingthe spirit and achieving holistic health. The guests arecelebrities and the well-heeled.The resort is owned by Christina Ong, a Singaporetycoon and hotelier. It is not a conventional cement andbrick hotel. Nature around it is intact. A natural springrevered for its healing properties, the Source, is locatedwithin the resort.Como Shambala’s corporate social responsibility beginswith the conservation of nature. No trees are cut. Shouldone fall, it is turned into compost. The roofs of the villasand suites are made from traditional ylang ylang roofing.All food served is organic.As the area was purchased from villagers, at leastone family member in the village where the resort islocated, is guaranteed lifetime employment with theresort. It also recognizes that villages are cohesivereligious communities. The villagers worship in templeswithin the area of the hotel. It supports local culturethrough financial assistance for music and ceremonies.A kindergarten for the village children is run by thestaff of the resort. Water harvested from the spring issupplied to homes in seven villages.The Como Foundation (CF) prioritizes women andgirls. Education, healthcare and skills development forneedy women and girls from around the world receivesupport from CF.• Bali Hati FoundationThe Bali Hati Foundation (BHF) is another exampleof transnational philanthropy as donations are alsoreceived from overseas. It is a non-profit foundationestablished in February 1997 to promote the educationand social welfare of the people of Bali. “Hati” meansheart in Indonesian, and the name suggests that theheart, the beauty of Bali, is its people. Its foundersare Frank Olgvary, Christiana Reimandos and KetutArnaya. It provides services that build the capacity ofneedy Balinese children and adults to improve theirquality of life. It operates a spa, the profits of whichsupport the schools.The projects of the Bali Hati Foundation are varied andare designed to enable young Indonesians to realize theirindividual and social potential. It creates an environmentwhere love and concern, combined with educationaland social initiatives, can achieve not only the spiritualand intellectual growth of individuals but can ultimatelybring about fundamental changes in the economic andsocial life of Balinese villagers. Community service bythe students upon the completion of any course ofstudy is viewed as fundamental to achieving this goal.Although the Bali Hati Foundation recognizes the closeinterrelationship of spiritual, intellectual and materialachievement, it is in no way associated with any religiousfoundation, sect or denomination and has no politicalaffiliation. Its programs are open to all without religiousor gender biases.Among its major projects are the Bali Hati ElementarySchool, Bali Hati Community Education Program,and a mobile clinic. The clinic project began in 2003Asian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows