Eye Glasses for the elderly
over age 50
THE PROGRAM
Once a month the eye technicians show up to the town hall (called the Kantor/Perbekel office), in the nearby villages.
They measure and do what optical technicians do and return the next week to fit them onto the beautiful face of the ancestor. Smiles and feel-good & cared-for is the mood.
As of Jan 2025, these 8 villages
— nearby Penatahan, Tabanan, Bali —
have fitted-up with glasses for the elderly.
1. Mongan village
2. Bedugul village
3. Penatahan Kaja village
4. Penatahan Kelod village
5. Kekeran village
6. Tegayang village
7. Asah village
8. Piling Tengah village
N O T E
Glasses can be provided through the public health system, but it’s an arduous process, and most of the elderly people, just don’t have the energy nor can they safely drive into the city. With this program, the total cost of getting a pair of glasses for old folks, is about US$43.
Donations to the Yayasan* (Sustainable Living Bali) can be marked specifically for the project you resonate with.
* ‘Yayasan’ means ‘non-for-profit’ in Indonesian.
This is a very popular project.
Transport to the city for medical treatment
over age 50
With the younger generations leaving the country side for the city, often the elderly are left stranded. (No, they don’t know how to use go-jek, uber, etc.)
THE PROGRAM
When it’s necessary for a visit to a specialist, the local clinic gives the patient a simple note to contact LuhDe, the coordinator for transport for this project. She does the rest: asks the right questions and gets a driver who can take the elderly patient, stay with them, and bring them back.
N O T E
There’s still a lot of compassion in Bali. A young woman burst into tears in thanks for helping her grandma to and from the hospital for treatments. And, we understand the back-story of trying to hold down a job, and having no time for our elders. So… the system is place, for when it’s needed.