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Reading is for everyone. Even in the digital age where physical books are quickly becoming antiquated, the ability to read is critical to success in life. Developing literacy doesn’t happen overnight. It requires explicit instruction, practice, and patience. But, the very first step is cultivating a child’s interest in reading and ensuring access to high-quality, engaging text.
Continue reading “The Library Project – Gili Air”Here’s Julie’s presentation for the circular lombok gathering last year.
This month, we were very lucky to have Justin Robertshaw, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and Coach & Permaculture Advisor & Practitioner, visit our little tropical island. As a part of their journey towards a Zero Waste Gili Air, Slow Villas & Spa invited Justin to visit Gili Air Elementary School (SD), where he shared his knowledge on composting and permaculture.
To give joy to children in Lombok as part of the post-disaster trauma relief, a group of similar minded people joined together to donate their support, teachings and hula hoops!
Continue reading “The story behind 100 hula hoops for children in Lombok”
This is Pak Mus. He teaches at Gili Air SD primary school, but he is much more than that to the community. Everyone knows him and loves him. As a teacher since 1990, he has now taught two generations of people on Gili Air, which means he is now teaching the children of his original students! Mus is a humble, well educated man who travels between Lombok and Gili Air to support his family. When he is not teaching, he is selling bungkus to school staff and the locals, and bracelets to the tourists.
I see him walking toward me with a big smile. He radiates a coolness, a sense of relaxation and approachability. Continue reading “Meet the People of Gili: Pak Mus”
Since the Lombok earthquake, which happened on the 5th of August, we’ve been running a trauma recovery and moving on program. Mainly organising social circus workshops in Gili Air‘s elementary school (SD), and in Camp Pamenang, in Lombok.
Our dream?
Hoola Hoops for everybody!
With lots of help from several volunteers from the worldwide Circus Family, I
We’ve been able to keep the program running, for the people of Lombok and Gili. The best is, the kids absolutely Love it! If you are reading this and you love this idea, or you know someone that would love the idea, please, as we say in French “Faites passer le mot!”, help us spread the word, towards the circus community worldwide! Lets keep creating Magic for the community! Continue reading “Hoola Hoops for everybody!”
Lets Dance at Lucky’s Guys! Its all for a good cause! For Gili Air! Its official, every party organised, Lucky’s Bar has agreed to donate to the Soraya Foundation. Which officially makes them the first regular sponsor of the Soraya Foundation! We couldn’t be happier! It warms our heart to have a regular local sponsor from the island. Gili Air, we love you. Thank you for your support Lucky’s Bar!
Continue reading “Lucky’s Bar our First Regular Sponsor in Gili”
SDN 1 Gili Indah and Gili Playground is located in Gili Air, North Lombok. One is created to support the other. And yet, both are shaken and need major repair after series of earthquakes shaken the island.
August 5th is the day we were challenged to fix our schools, 7.0 SR quakes shaken our island caused terrifying damage, SDN 1 Gili Indah is the only primary school in the Island so far with more than 240 students. Even before it was damaged the school wasn’t in good condition at all, roofs are leaking, hole on the ceiling, and walls needs to be fixed and repainted. The old house we rent for Gili Playground wasn’t in a good condition either since the beginning. This condition leaves the students in trauma, refusing to study in in the classes.
On October 4th we had a team of engineers and architect to come and check the schools, marking which rooms is safe and which rooms are not, noting down what need to be fixed. A week later, we had the result that most of the classroom in SDN 1 Gili Indah need to be fixed by filling the cracks, then all the fences and gate need to be rebuild. On other hand, the building we rent to have Gili Playground had major damage where all the roof and some walls need to be taken down. Gili Playground is currently using one of our friend’s place to keep it going, it is beautiful how the community helps each other at situation like this, but we know better we can’t use her place forever.
We are urgently looking for donation. All of the money will be donated to Soraya Foundation who will execute the repairmen and construction of both schools. It was a formidable task, being given a task of renovating a school broken down due natural disaster, lack of funding and negligence of government. We haven’t started the work and need urgent need help. Please help us give more than 240 students a new beginning. Any amount to help reach our goal will be greatly appreciated.
We’ll take photos and videos of the school and students, so you can see exactly where your generous donations went!
Free consulting service for local people. You have a business in Gili Air? You need some guidance on how to market and manage it better? How tripadvisor works? Booking.com? Agoda? Any other on- line travel agents? You don’t know how to reply to reviews?
Bring me all your questions, and we’ll answer them together. Continue reading “Ask Julie – Free Consulting”
How are new projects born? We follow our dreams, they know the way. Then, if you put everything you have into it, success is the only way out.
One day Valentina came to see me, Julie. She told me that she’d like to start a Montessori inspired kinder-garden in Gili Air for her daughter, Soraya. Of course, it can also be for all other kids of Gili Air, otherwise it will be a lonely one.
I immediately found the project inspiring and became part of the adventure. Continue reading “How it all began…”
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