East Bali Poverty Project

From Isolation to Opportunity

In 1998, British engineer David Booth MBE founded the East Bali Poverty Project after discovering communities living in extreme poverty in the remote mountains of East Bali.

These villages were extraordinarily isolated, both geographically and economically. There were few roads and extremely limited access to education, healthcare, clean water and sanitation. Many families lived from subsistence farming on difficult, arid land, where unpredictable weather and limited resources made everyday life a constant challenge. Children had little opportunity to receive a formal education or imagine a life beyond the circumstances into which they had been born.

For generations, isolation had meant that poverty was often passed from parents to children, not through a lack of ambition or determination, but simply because opportunities did not exist.

EBPP began by listening to the communities themselves, understanding their daily challenges and identifying what they needed most. Rather than imposing solutions from outside, the organisation sought to work alongside local families, respecting their traditions, knowledge and aspirations.

What followed was not one isolated project, but a long-term commitment to creating sustainable change, restoring dignity and opening doors that had remained closed for generations.

Over the years, EBPP has worked alongside local communities to improve access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation and nutrition, while developing environmental and economic programmes designed to help families become increasingly self-reliant.

Schools and educational programmes gave children access to learning, often for the very first time in their families. Water and sanitation projects improved everyday living conditions and health. Community health initiatives supported mothers and children, while sustainable agriculture and environmental programmes helped families develop new skills, protect their surroundings and explore additional sources of income.

These initiatives were deeply interconnected. A child who is healthy, properly nourished and has access to clean water is better equipped to attend school. A family with greater economic stability is more able to support its children’s education. And a community with stronger infrastructure has a better foundation on which to build its future.

Education became one of the most powerful drivers of this transformation. Children whose parents and grandparents had grown up with very limited access to schooling were suddenly learning to read, write, use computers and understand a world far beyond their mountain communities.

Classrooms became places of discovery, confidence and possibility. Education offered not only knowledge, but also the freedom to imagine a different future, one in which young people could make choices about their own lives.

But education also created a new challenge, what happens to a young person after school What happens when a bright, determined student has the ability and ambition to continue learning, but their family simply cannot afford the next step?

This is where the Shanti Foundation has chosen to concentrate an important part of its partnership with EBPP.

We believe that providing a child with an education is only the beginning. If a talented and motivated young person completes school but cannot afford university or further training, their journey can stop just as a new world is beginning to open.

For families living in remote communities, the cost of higher education represents far more than university tuition. Moving away from home, finding accommodation, paying for meals, purchasing books and travelling between university and family can create financial barriers that are simply impossible to overcome without outside support.

The Shanti Foundation therefore supports young people from EBPP communities in continuing their education through university, covering the costs that can otherwise make higher education impossible for their families.

Our commitment goes beyond paying university fees. Where necessary, support can include the practical costs surrounding education accommodation, food, books and transportation because access to university only works when a student has the means to remain there and complete their studies.

We believe that sponsorship should offer continuity, stability and reassurance. A young person beginning university should be able to concentrate on learning and developing their abilities, rather than worrying each year about whether they will have the financial means to continue. Supporting a student through the full journey is therefore just as important as helping them take the first step.

Each sponsorship represents a personal commitment to a young person’s potential, their determination and the future they are working so hard to build.

From University to Independence. Our ambition is not simply to help young people obtain a diploma. It is to help them build independent lives, meaningful careers and the confidence to make their own choices.

Over the years, we have seen young people supported through education move into professional life. Some have been employed within the Shanti Collection, while others have gone on to careers in areas such as law, tourism and hospitality, sectors offering important opportunities in Bali.

These individual journeys are particularly meaningful because they demonstrate that education can lead to tangible, lasting change.

Whenever possible, we try to create that bridge between education and employment, recognising that graduating from university is an important milestone, but entering professional life is another essential step.

A first job brings much more than a salary. It brings experience, responsibility, confidence and the ability to contribute to family life. It allows young people to become role models for younger siblings and children growing up in the same communities.

Because the real transformation happens when a young person who grew up with very limited opportunities becomes financially independent, develops a profession and is able to support themselves, their family and, eventually, their own community.

For us, this is the true measure of success: not simply the number of students supported, but the lives they are able to build afterwards.

Creating Change for the Next Generation. The work of EBPP demonstrates what long-term commitment can achieve. Communities once facing extreme isolation have gained access to education, healthcare, sanitation, clean water and new opportunities. Children who might once have had little or no access to formal education can now look towards further studies and professional careers.

These changes do not happen overnight. They are the result of years of patience, collaboration and trust between local communities and the people who believe in their future. And the impact does not stop with one student.

When one young person reaches university, graduates and finds meaningful employment, the possibilities begin to change for an entire family. Younger children see a different future. Parents see what education can make possible. Knowledge and opportunity begin to pass from one generation to the next.

A university graduate may become the first person in their family to enter a profession, but they are unlikely to be the last. Their journey can inspire brothers, sisters, cousins and neighbours to believe that higher education is also within their reach.

In this way, a single opportunity can create a ripple effect extending far beyond the individual who first received support. This is the kind of sustainable change the Shanti Foundation wants to support. We believe that meaningful philanthropy is not only about responding to immediate needs. It is also about investing in people, nurturing their potential and helping create the conditions in which future generations can thrive.

Our partnership with the East Bali Poverty Project reflects the heart of the Shanti Foundation’s philosophy. We believe in helping young people remain connected to their roots, families and communities, while giving them the education and opportunities to determine their own future.

Leaving a remote village to attend university should not mean leaving behind one’s identity or heritage. On the contrary, education can give young people the tools to honour where they come from while exploring everything they may become.

From a remote mountain school to university. From university to a first job. From a first job to independence. From independence to the confidence to support a family and contribute to a community. And, ultimately, from receiving an opportunity to being able to create opportunities for others.

This is the journey we believe in. A journey built on education, dignity, independence and the conviction that every young person deserves the chance to fulfil their potential, regardless of where they were born.

The Shanti Foundation: From Roots to Future.