How One Kiwi Woman is Tranforming Lives of Balinese Orphans

14th July 2014

How One Kiwi Woman is Tranforming the Lives of Balinese Orphans

She has dedicated her life to helping women recharge and reflect with her wellness retreats Escape Haven in Byron Bay, Portugal, Morocco and Bali. Now Kiwi Janine Hall, founder of the award-winning yoga and surf retreats, is launching the Creating Futures Foundation, a charity aiming to provide children living in the poorest orphanages in Bali with education and physical activities that will increase their chances of creating themselves a brighter future.

“I started out life as an orphan myself in NZ, but I was lucky to have the chance at a great education which has brought me where I am today, so it struck a chord in my heart when I came to Bali and saw the bleak future of orphans here and the fact that 80% actually had parents,” Janine Hall said.

“They have very limited access to things that we take for granted like education, sport, the great outdoors and support. Bali has got beautiful scenery, but many of these children have never seen the ocean! I want to change the direction of their lives and give them the opportunity to fulfil their dreams – just like I was given as an orphan.”

The concept for the charity is based on empowering children under the belief that if you change their mindset you change their future. It does this through surfing, self-awareness and confidence grow, through yoga and meditation self esteem develops, and providing skills with English lessons to equip them with a chance of a career.

“What we found by scratching the surface was that many children here suffer from major self-esteem issues and fear. That is why our programme is holistic. Before we commence our programs we take the orphans to an outdoor activity camp. Here they work with our team of facilitators and counsellors trained in tackling their limiting beliefs and getting them to see that they can have a bright future. By building the children’s self-esteem, self-worth and self-certainty, the education part will be more effective.”

Essentially, the Creating Futures Foundation aims to create a promising future for all orphans in Bali who are forced to live in orphanages and children’s homes due to poverty and neglect.

“Our mission is to transform the course of their lives through enabling them to see hope, to believe in themselves, to dream and to act on these dreams confidentially, knowing that they can achieve them,” Janine Hall said.

“We want them to believe that their past doesn't dictate their future, and that they can have a wonderful, exciting journey forward.”

Ultimately, Janine’s dream is to decrease the number of orphanages in Bali.

“The majority of the children living in orphanages here have parents, but they may have had no choice but to send them away due to extreme poverty. We want to ultimately create a micro industry in East Bali, where the poorest villages are based, and by creating a source of income and industry for these impoverished villages, our aim is to reunite these children with their parents. I get goose-bumps thinking about the impact we can make!”

ENDS

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