To start a foundation wasn't something that I took lightly. I realized as I thought through this move, that there was much more involved than simply registering a name. The longevity of the foundation was a major issue. I knew that if a foundation was going to be true to the work it did, and to the people who supported it, then it must be set up in such a way that when the initial team of people retired or moved on, the foundation would be secure into the future.

It also meant that I had to commit to working in the foundation on a daily basis. I had to be willing to take this job on 365 days a year. It was absolutely imperative that I was willing to make this commitment, also to make sure that I had a capable person ready to take over from me if the unforseen happened. Fortunately Melissa Devellerez from Perth took the role of Deputy Director.

I had spent 11 years prior to 2004 raising money and helping Wanasraya Aged Care Home in Denpasar, which is home to 50 elderly men and women who would be homeless without this home. In addition, with the fund raising activities I had been able to help families with housing, furniture and other living costs and during this time worked at the establishment of an animal shelter in Sanur.

Then, I really felt the need to do something in a more structured way.
Once I went to Singaraja and saw the poverty first hand, my thoughts were firmly set in my mind that I could do much more, but I needed a lot of help.

The idea of forming a foundation and building a Website was so that the plight of many children and their families living in extreme poverty in Northern Bali could be brought to the attention of people who might be in the position to help them. With a great deal of soul searching and planning, the idea of a foundation and a Website started to come to life

The Helen Flavel Foundation (HFF) started in March 2004 in Adelaide Australia. Nyoman Sukadana and Dr. Nyoman Padma Dewi registered Peduli Sesama Helen Flavel Foundation in Indonesia so that both foundations could work together. In 2005 a third foundation was formed by Frank and John from the Netherlands. They met with us in Singaraja and decided to register the DO Foundation so that they could be part of the work we are doing in helping the children at the Learning Centre.

In early 2008, under the guidance of Melissa Devellerez the Western Australian Branch of the HFF was formed. This dynamic group of people have taken on the challenging roll of fund raising which enables us to help more people.

A key part of the Indonesian foundation includes Sukma Helen Flavel Learning Centre. The first stage of the building was completed in 2005 and the top floor which was completed in December 2007. Now that the building has been completed, we have provided accommodation to 33 students who live at the Centre and attend their local Secondary and High Schools. During this time we also opened a Kindergarten in the mornings for paying students. This money, after paying for all the costs associated in running a kindergarten, is used to cover the running costs of the Learning Centre.

When the Kindergarten finishes at 10 am, all classes offered to the school aged students is given totally free of charge. The Learning Centre is an after-hours educational centre for the underprivileged children to obtain knowledge in the core subjects of the English language, Computing, Music, Dance, Drama, Cross Cultural Studies, Animal Care and any subject that they may be struggling with at school. All classes are run by fully qualified Balinese teachers.

Since the formation of HFF, it has grown to the point where we have provided 489 students with scholarships. In addition, should a student have need of medical attention, or their family has a specific need, we are often able to fund their requirements. For instance we are able to find resources for funding the repair or construction of houses, provision of wheel chairs, walking aids and other medical needs.

Once the HFF was formed, from then on there was no "I" in this story. It is very much a team effort, with a wonderful group of workers in Singaraja under the direction of Nyoman Sukadana the Director of the Peduli Sesama Helen Flavel Foundation, Dr. Nyoman Padmadewi the Director of the Sukma Helen Flavel Learning Centre, and John the Deputy Director of Peduli Sesama.

If you go to About Our Team, it will give you the background of our large team OF dedicated workers

Currently our focus is more and more on the provision of education, scholarships, housing, food, medical care and the Bedding Fund, within the Singaraja Regency. This is where we assist the poorest of the poor families. We believe that if you can give a child an education, it will help them in their future life more so than anything else.

The HFF has gone from strength to strength and this is due to the wonderful support given to us by all the sponsors and supporters. Without their belief in us and the work that we do, and their financial help to make it possible, we could not do the work that we do.

The need for assistance.

There is a need everywhere we look in Bali. Unlike Australia, there are very few government funded support programs. However, we realise that if we try to become "all things to all people in need" our efforts will be dissipated. There are many other individuals, and organizations, that are meeting the needs of the Balinese in other regions. We only hope and pray that the latest bombing atrocity does not dampen tourists and sponsors willingness to assist.

The first house we built in 2004

Nyoman Sukadana asked my husband (Ron) and me to visit a very elderly woman who lived with her widowed daughter and 10 year old grandson in a tiny one roomed house. The aim of the visit was to see if we could have electricity installed. The house was in a very poor condition and the room where they slept, was so dark it was difficult to see inside. Ron managed to have a look at the roofing timbers and it was obvious to him that there was no way electricity could be installed, until the badly leaking roof was repaired. Nyoman organized a builder to see what could be done and on further inspection, large cracks were found. It was decided that repairing the roof was useless, as the walls were near to collapsing. Like many of the houses in this area, there was no kitchen, all food was cooked outside under a tree. The toilet was a hole in the ground in the back yard.

After a discussion with the family, we offered to knock the house down and rebuild. Fortunately, the neighbourhoods next door offered a room to the family while we proceeded with the rebuilding.

This was July 2004 and we needed the house ready before the wet season. We ask that the male relations help where possible. We also brought in workers from the village. The house was finished by the 23 rd of November. When the house was finished it still only had one room for sleeping, but we had added a small room for cooking and a small bathroom and toilet.

The daughter supported the family from her little stall, where she made and sold flower offerings to the village people. She had to buy the flowers which allowed very little in profit. Nyoman talked to the daughter about making her little stall more viable. He told her she needed to plant seeds and grow her own flowers in a garden on the house site. This was done straight away and now they family have a little more money and their self esteem has risen dramatically.

In 2007 we were able to build another room for the son, who was growing up, and added an enclosed veranda for the family. We were also in the financial position to be able to give them a new mattress each and a table and chairs to make their lives more comfortable.

Since March of 2004, the Peduli Sesama Helen Flavel Foundation has been able to build 70 houses.

Also, in 2005 whilst waiting for a group of children seeking sponsorship, I saw a man sitting on the floor. It was obvious that this man had a suffered a serious injury. I was told that his spine had been severed fifteen years previously, whilst working on the side of a river when the embankment gave way. He had been house bound ever since. At that meeting we enrolled his two children and I was also in the position to immediately supply him with a wheel chair.

The wheel chair was donated by the Rotary of Largs Bay in Adelaide South Australia. This opened up a new life for him. He could actually join in with the village life again. We saw how a small gift can make such a large difference to a person's life.

During January 2006 this man submitted a written proposal to us. He asked if it were possible for us to allocate funds to buy some tiny chickens, vaccinations, feed and help with making an enclosure to house the chickens. His aim was to sell the chickens when they were large enough and also to breed from some of the initial stock.

His business continues to thrive and so is his and his family's self esteem. This success has led us into providing interest free business loans.

We firmly believe that, people don't want hand-outs, they simply need a hand to get themselves started.

How can people best help us?

You may wish to send a donation for a specific reason. We need funds for:

• Medical treatment, for those who are ill and have no money.
• The aged care home.
• Improving the living conditions of many families as we find a need. Through the Bedding Fund, our aim is to give a beds / mattresses to as many people as possible and to allow them to have a comfortable night's sleep which is impossible while they are sleeping on concrete floors or on old bed base.
• Help with funds to enable us to build more house or help with basic furniture for the most needy families

If donations are sent for a particular cause, we will send the donor photos and a report showing how your funds have been used.

Read our website www.helenflavelfoundation.org