One more group!

A few kilometres out of Kuta, up in the mountains and through a remote and dense bamboo and coconut forest is the small village of Bunlesung, home to the 11 women who have started the 6th savings and loans group in Kuta Lombok area.

Bunlesung is surrounded by thick wild vegetation mainly of coconut trees. There is no electricity supply or running water. The women in the villages have to walk to the only well in the village every day to fetch the water for cooking, cleaning and bathing. The luckiest families who have a little “pool” (as they call it) can buy the water from the nearest town with a natural spring water and have it delivered regularly by a truck. The road to this village is a dirt track full of stones and potholes, we can only imagine how this road will look like in the rainy season.

The road to Bunlesung

Families live of the land and farming cows. The women have learnt how to make Virgin coconut oil with rain water and are very creative with every day needs since the nearest shop is 20 min. away by motorbike.

We are received at Arian’s house (known as Ina Opa in the village, leader of the group), who offers us some home made snacks and young coconuts fresh from the trees and sipped through a natural papaya stem straw!

Arian's house in Bunlesung

Arianne and Arian

Arian has been trained by Arianne so that she can train the women in the nearby villages how to start their own savings and loans groups. 

We hope the group can start helping  each other through the savings and loans, and we are already thinking of ways we can help them sell their coconut oil or help them generate additional income!

Thanks to Babette and Kirsten who helped us with the new group

Welcome Bunlesung women!