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Munti Gunnung is an area high on the rugged
North Eastern slopes of Mount Batur on the northern side
of the island of Bali. The
people of Munti Gunnung are very poor and struggle to survive
in a dry and desolate landscape in this forgotten corner
of paradise. Without water supply and with little vegetation
the people suffer from very poor nutrition and a number
of health ailments including tubercuosis. Mortality rates
are high and incomes low in the oder of 10 cents per day,
considerably less than the UN standard of 1$ per day.
It is estimated that 5,000 people live in
the project area. Education levels are very low and family
planning is not available as a result a large proportion
of the population are children.
A team of volunteers has been providing assistance to the people of the region for the past 7 years. This effort has required a more formal approach and so, early in 2007, has been brought under the organisational umbrella of Yayasan Peduli.
Work to date has concentrated on emergency healthcare, food and
clothing. Treatment of a range
of illnesses is being organised by mobile teams visiting the
area. More severe cases are brought down to Denpasar to
receive hospital and other specialist treatment.
The project is now picking up further momentum
with a number of expatriates living in Bali becoming involved. A full time doctor is being sought to provide health services on a full time basis for the people on the mountain. This in turn will allow Yayasan Peduli to organise a comprehensive survey to be carried out and to plan a coordinated approach to caring for the mountain people.
Yayasan Peduli is working in partnership with another NGO "Yayasan Masa Depan Untuk Anak Anak" which is working in the project area to provide desperately needed water supplies for the people. Already a first water catchment system has been installed and another five are currently underway. YMDUAA is also starting some enterprise development projects to help the people to climb out of their poverty.
The project has already helped many people on the mountain particularly children who rae particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and illnesses resulting from lack of essential nutrients in their diets.
During the last week of 2006 a group of 14 Munti children
were brought to Denpasar for a holiday.
The project manager is Mr Barrie Smith and the Community representative on the team is Ni Made Wati.
The contact telephone number for the team is: 0817 473 1260.
Email address is: smudge@yayasanpeduli.org
If you would like to donate to this project we would be very grateful. Donations can be made to the project through the Yayasan bank account as follows:
Bank: Bank Permata, Sanur branch, Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur, Bali 80228
Swift code: BBBA IDJA
Account name: Yayasan Peduli
Account number: 5801239929
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