Children’s Homes in Bali: How to Donate Clothes & Support

The problem of social orphanhood in Bali is very acute. Indonesian women are forced to give up their children if they are born out of wedlock. Otherwise, they face shame across the entire village. Sometimes, even complete families send children to shelters or boarding schools simply because they cannot afford their education.

Many children's homes in Bali rely mainly on private donations, so they always need food, household items, clothing, toys, and furniture. So, if you have anything suitable, it will most likely be very welcome.

You can visit the children with gifts yourself by choosing a shelter from the list below, or by entering 'Panti asuhan' into Google maps. You can also join those who regularly practice such trips. For instance, announcements are sometimes posted here and here.

Volunteers frequently visiting the children say that the inmates of the shelters greatly need communication and socialization. Ideally, it's not just about stopping by for 15 minutes to give gifts but also reserving time for games. Activities with a ball, dancing, and drawing are always well-received.

There is also the Anak Kita Foundation in Bali, which supports local orphans and works on preventing abortions and infant abandonment. You can follow their updates on their portal. In WhatsApp or Telegram, representatives of the foundation are ready to answer any questions you may have.

One more important detail - not all homes consume meat. Some places decline pork, others may only accept halal chicken, and some have a completely vegetarian menu. Therefore, before purchasing food, it is advisable to consult the shelter's administration.

The Seeds of Hope Orphanage was founded in 2000 by Tommy and Sandra. Tommy is now retired, and the children, Yusak and Oka, continue his work.

The shelter has 56 children aged from 6 months to 19 years. All except the youngest attend school, with a particular focus on education. Every day, two buses come to pick up the children for classes. When visiting the establishment, it should be noted that the school children return to the shelter at about 2 PM.

The children are in great need of furniture. Primarily, they need tables and chairs for homework. Cabinets would also be useful, but the management insists on metallic ones as wooden ones quickly deteriorate due to mold and humidity.

Volunteers confirm that there's indeed a lot of mold in the premises, so the house needs repairs. The bathroom looks terrible - there are no faucets and no electricity, so children wash from a basin, scooping water with a ladle.

A year ago, girls received new mattresses, but the boys haven't had theirs changed for 12 years. All children need pillows and bedsheets measuring 160 cm x 2 m. Fans would also make a very relevant gift.

The shelter has a playground but lacks footballs, so bringing some would be appreciated. If you can spare time to play with them using the balls straight away, they'll be very happy. The children need attention just as much as material aid.

The shelter's management also asks for financial help to pay for daily needs such as food, clothing, education, medical expenses, and toiletries, and electricity.

Additionally, to attend university, children need support from various funds and personal sponsorship.

Contact number for the orphanage: +62 857-3903-9777

The shelter opened by a couple houses 15 children aged 12 to 18. Among them are 9 girls and 6 boys. They seem well-cared for: they are neat and cleanly dressed, and the mattresses and bedding are in good condition. Local efforts are currently building a new structure on the shelter's grounds.

However, like everywhere, the old rooms need repairs. Basic necessities are sometimes lacking: school supplies, clothing, toothpaste, brushes, hygiene products. Food is always needed for the children.

Shelters often lack funds to pay for electricity, so it's rationed heavily, and children might spend evenings in the dark. Therefore, supporting the orphans by paying for electricity is a good move.

This home accommodates only boys aged 8 to 18, with a total of 20 residents.

Overall, the house is in good condition, but the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet require renovation.

The children sleep comfortably, each on their own bed, which is rare for Balinese shelters. They recently received new bedding, which is regularly washed along with their clothing. There's a washing machine on site, so the children look well-groomed. Fans are also available, which is a big plus.

Like all shelters, this one needs food supplies: oil, sugar, bread, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. The boys also need shoes, sneakers, and school uniforms.

The shelter representatives ask for financial help from volunteers. They say the money is needed for the children's education. However, it would be good to get some guarantees from them that the funds will indeed be used as intended.

Contact number for the shelter: +62 851-7970-5634

A very clean and modern children's home, where they care for infants abandoned by their parents. The children here range from newborns to 5-year-olds.

Besides the necessities for infants, the foundation sometimes also needs adult clothing. Expectant mothers also occasionally come to them for assistance.

Before the trip, it's better to write to them in Whatsapp (+62 811-3800-6868) or contact them via Instagram in advance.

Located on Balangan, there's a small children's shelter. It currently houses 26 children aged 6 to 14. Five adults handle all organizational matters. The founder of the shelter is Sister Erwin, a Catholic who used her savings and charitable donations from kind people to create a home for orphans and children from poor families. Erwin is a very pleasant and positive person emanating kindness, love, and care.

The shelter has a very positive atmosphere. It's a big friendly family where the older ones help the younger ones, where everyone shares what they have, where everyone has the right to speak and be heard, and where all decisions are made collectively. When you ask Erwin what to bring next time, she always replies that she needs to consult with the children.

They live modestly and do everything themselves: clean, wash clothes by hand, cook. Sometimes they go without the most basic necessities, like soap or toothpaste, for several days. There are even days when there's nothing to eat. Absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile, there are always people willing to share and support the kids. Some bring food, others toys or clothes, and some just donate money. Not long ago, a kind person donated a significant amount which is now being used to build a new shelter building. The children themselves are raising funds to buy a washing machine.

The shelter mostly needs rice, hygiene products, clothing and linen, school supplies (all the children attend school). And they're always happy to receive toys, sweets, and other children’s items.

All the kids are very happy when guests arrive. They greet every visitor with a hug and are delighted to see them. Each child will make sure to say hello and goodbye to you. Guests are treated to concerts - the children know many songs in English. Many have taken up studying English in school, but the songs are all thanks to Erwin.

A very large children's home. It provides permanent residence for 103 children aged 7 to 18. There's a school on site which children from families attend for classes.

Volunteers who visited this home were concerned about a shop in one of the rooms. There's suspicion that items donated to the orphans might be sold there. However, this information needs verification.

According to the volunteers, the house is in terrible condition. It's very dirty and every room needs repair. Walls are moldy, there are no fans, and the mattresses have no sheets. Children sleep on torn faux leather mattresses, 2-3 per bed. There are no wardrobes, so clothes hang or lie wherever possible.

During the tour of the children's home, volunteers are shown a dirty kitchen without a fridge. Meanwhile, there are two fridges in the shop.

Volunteers advise helping this house not with money, but with actions. That is, instead of giving funds for repairs, hire a team yourself to come and fix something in the shelter.

Representatives from the children's home request items like vegetable oil, rice, noodles, sugar, salt, spices, vegetables, and fruits. They claim they can't clean properly due to a lack of household supplies, so they need brooms, buckets, mops for floor washing, washbasins, detergent, soap, shampoos, toothpastes, and brushes.

Agus Hiqun - a contact on Telegram to communicate with the children's home and find out their needs.

This shelter was organized by a local woman. She built a house on her land for children who lack even basic education - either because they have no parents or because their parents can't afford it.

There are children of different ages in the boarding school, from preschoolers to 15-year-old teenagers. In total, there are 55 of them.

They are always ready to accept donations of cleaning products, food (rice, oil), toys, children's clothes, and shoes. Kids feel shy when receiving gifts, but they get used to it in a few minutes. They are all very responsive and sociable.

But what the children lack most is a homely coziness. They live in an unfinished building because it is being built with donations. The rooms they sleep in are good, but not everyone has a bed, most sleep on mattresses.

Before visiting, you can contact the manager at +6281246659699.