Help 1000 Bali Women Gain Health & Life Skills

Our health sessions are still in the planning stages but we're about to launch our first mental health workshop.

We've had to put the health session part of the project on hold as the doctor who will be running them is on maternity leave. She will be returning in a few months. In the meantime, we're developing sessions on savings, financial education (such as not borrowing money with double digit rates of interest) and advice on staying healthy as women age. 

The prevailing wisdom in Indonesia about ageing is that one simply gets old and failing health is a consequence of old age. We want to teach women that this doesn't have to be the case. Between watching their diet, staying active and starting a weight regime to build muscle mass (which is lost with age), women can stay healthier longer. We want to raise awareness about having a longger "health span" instead of simply having a longer "life span."

We have lined up a woman psychiatrist to come and speak to a group of women about depression and mental health. She will discuss a topic most people still don't like to think or talk about in Bali, but is a serious and growing problem across Indonesia. She will highlight available resources and offer information about where to go for help, advice and counselling. Women are usually the caregivers and healers in a family so if they have information about accessing mental health resources, this can provide a better outcome if a family member has a mental health crisis.