BEGINNINGS

The genesis of the idea for Blue Lotus Dreaming started in 2010.

In September that year I was lucky enough to go to Bali and whilst there visited Ubud the creative and cultural centre of the island. My travelling companion and I rented a motor bike and went in search of accommodation. We headed out of the main tourist area towards the village of Penestanan and by chance turned down a little lane that wound its way through traditional Balinese housing compounds and out into the rice fields. We met a delightful woman named Made. She, her husband and two children lived on the ground level of the humble Blue Lotus villa and she rented out the top two floors where we stayed for a week.

Every day from the window of our room I watched the women of this village file along the narrow paths through the rice fields carrying piles of besser blocks or bins full of gravel on their heads. They were transporting building materials from the main road to housing projects being built around the paddy fields. The paths are so narrow that it is only possible for bikes and pedestrians to travel along them and even then a lot of the time it’s single file and care must be taken because of the poor state of most of the paths. I was amazed at these women’s strength and resilience. They walked back and forward from morning to afternoon in unrelenting tropical heat.

I asked Made about the women, she said there were about 50 of them who worked on a road gang. The youngest was in her 20’s and the oldest in her 60’s. She said she also used to work in a road gang and that it was nothing to carry 35kg on her head. I asked if it would be helpful if I could buy them a wheelbarrow, she checked and said that what they needed most were new aluminium bins to carry on their heads. 45 new bins were purchased and they were very, very happy and extremely grateful.

These women highlighted the massive inequality between the standard of living between them and myself. They are by no means the poorest women on earth but compared to us we are some of the richest. They are certainly some of the most warm, friendly and hospitable women that I have encountered. They live in a country with a rich religious and cultural heritage and have strong family and village connections. Socially rich, materially poor. They have no medicare system and so when they ruin their shoulders, backs, teeth and jaws from carrying such weight on their heads they just have to live with it.

I felt very humble that such a small gift had made such an impact and felt that with more resources, more of an impact could be made. Shoes, hats and long sleeved shirts (to keep the sun off) seemed to be an obvious need. Also cement to fix their paths so walking was easier.

PROJECT 50

A seed of an idea that I hoped could grow into something fruitful began. So Project 50 began with the goal to find 50 Australian women who would help and support these women and make their life a little easier.

The goal was reached and in July 2011 the women each received a pair of shoes,a thick long sleeve shirt that was printed with the roughly translated words "Pennestanan working women's collective", a hat ,another new tin and some bags of cement to fix the very rough paths.

That year and the following some of the Australian women visited the group and friendships were made.

The next year I returned and it came to pass that the women did indeed need wheelbarrows to compete with the teams of men working the same paths. Another round of fundraising and in June of 2012 wheelbarrows were bought for the remaining 30 of the core group of women.

Each year the group shrinks. Some have passed away, some have gone onto better things, some have retired or health issues have forced them to stop working.

Four more times I have returned to Pennestanan and my friendship with Made, her family and the women has grown. Each time I visit, friends and family donate money to be spent on whatever and wherever the need. Mattresses, pillows and linen, medicine, replacement wheelbarrows, more shoes and hats. Lunches at the local cafe for all the group.Trips to the doctor and eye clinic. Last year was 300 kg of rice and cash donations to some women and a family in desperate need of help. My travelling companions and I have lugged from home towels, toiletries,bras and clothing.

On each visit I feel more at home in the local community and my friendship with Made affords me a glimpse of the real Bali beyond the one created for tourists. And the more I see the more I want to help.

Blue Lotus Dreaming was born with the desire to help women not only in Bali but other Asian countries.

A percentage of the sales of the Padma Seat which is manufactured in Bali goes directly to women of need in the village of Pennestanan on the island of Bali.