FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Damara?
Damara Bali is a non-profit foundation support a beer life for the children from poor farming families in
Bali. Damara Bali Foundation was established in 2015 and registered as a non-profit Indonesia Foundation
(Yayasan) with the Indonesia Ministry of Law and Human Rights Indonesia No AHU – 0006690.AH 2015.
Who runs Damara?
Damara was founded by I Nengah Swikrama, who grew up in an orphanage and received education thanks to
the support of other people’s generosity. He has worked for over 30 years to assist children living in
orphanages. For the last 8 years before starting Damara he was the Director of Widhya Asih, managing an
organisation that provides homes and education to over 500 children and helps with many community
projects.
How does Damara help?
Our main aims are:
- Direct sponsorship of children who have dropped out/or are at risk of dropping out of school because
their parents are too poor to provide the cost of books, basic school supplies and uniforms.
- Help poor farmers to have sustainable capability for generating income to provide for their children
and send them to school.
How is Villa Bugis associated with Damara?
Villa Bugis proudly supports Damara as its primary charity. Damara started with generous contribution from
Villa Bugis, a villa management company in Seminyak, Bali (www.villabugis.com). Villa Bugis have committed to
continue with annual donations and also with coverage of the cost of all administration of the charity to
ensure 100% of donations go directly to those that benefit most.
How many children are currently supported
Damara supports nearly 100 children for the school year 2019-2020, all living in extremely poor villages in
north and east Bali. All these children had already dropped out of school.
How much does it cost to sponsor a child?
The cost is quite small – IDR1,500,000 per year per child – or about AUD$150 per year
How is the donation money managed
Damara works with trusted school administrators who identify the children in need of help. No money is given
directly to the families, but is used for paying for direct expenses for the children to send school. Damara
representative visits regularly to monitor how the children are doing and receive school reports.
How are we matched with the children we sponsor?
Sponsorship is made to those most vulnerable, and in most need, as identified by their school, who’s staff
work very closely with Damara and the community. If you have children, we often try and match those with
similar gender and age group, for reliability.
Are we able to visit the children that we will be sponsoring?
Yes, this is possible after sponsorship has been made – it is a full day trip to and from the rural areas that the
children are living.
What do we receive after sponsorship?
You will receive photos and bio’s of the child you sponsor, it is also possible to communicate via written (and
translated) leers if you wish – as well as 6 monthly school reports and a quarterly newsletter
How do we make a payment?
Please visit www.damara-bali.org/donate-here – all Damara Overheads Finance and Admin services are provided by Villa Bugis. Direct payments can be made into the Damara account, but this is usually costly with fees from overseas, from both ends, not making it worthwhile.
How do we renew each year?
Each year we will contact you to renew your assistance and commitment, and you can then choose to renew the same way as initial payment was made.
DAMARA is a non-profit foundation supporting a better life for the children from poor farming families in Bali.
Damara Bali Foundation was established in 2015 and registered as a non profit Indonesia Foundation (Yayasan) with the Indonesia Ministry of Law and Human Rights No …AHU – 0006690.AH 2015
Mar 21, 2020 at 11:51 am – Facebook
We stayed at Villa Gembira for 9 nights, the villa was amazing and clean and the staff were all so friendly and helpful. Would recommend villa bugis to anyone and we will definitely be back! ❤️thanks again
Dec 29, 2019 at 09:49 am – TripAdvisor
Amazing 7 nights with family
Our first Christmas in Bali and we had an amazing time. Spent 7 nights at Villa Gembira with broader family and was our first villa accommodation after visiting Bali more than 20 times for my wife. Perfect spot with an 800 meter walk to beach, shops or restaurants. The space was lovely and quiet and was always well maintained. Staff were awesome with nothing ever a problem and the Xmas Day spread they put on was just so good that most of us couldn’t eat dinner. Highly recommend this place
Oct 02, 2018 at 09:42 am – TripAdvisor
Stayed for five days with family. Gembira is a lovely villa, well spaced out and semi shaded pool. The staff are excellent, attending to every need, lovely Indonesia breakfast, bed and bathrooms very comfy. Easy to order in or walk to Bintang for supplies or cab. Stayed at Santi this time last year. Would highly recommend Villa Bugis to organise your villa for next vacation. Thank you!
9 Family members all stayed at Villa Gembira, part of the Villa Bugis group. What a brilliant find. We had 3 couples, 2 singles and 1 child. All the couples had their own Villas with an extra bed for the child in one of the villas and the 2 singles shared a villa. Cooked breakfast was included and we organised a cooked Balinese BBQ one evening which was excellent. The large pool and day bed were well used and the communal eating and lounge area was very comfortable. Close proximity to Seminyak shopping and walking distance to the beach. Highly recommended. The service was exceptional. Thank you for a very memorable family holiday.