Last year Variety Children's Lifeline assisted a six year old Balinese boy, Mahajir, living in a refugee camp with his Grandmother after losing his father in the Tsunami. A tumour had been growing on his eye since he was a year old and obviously caused him immense suffering. Without urgent medical attention his eye would have rotted in its socket and his agony would have continued, with fatal consequences.

The limited medical care in his village and the poverty of his family meant that the only way in which he could have an operation to transform his life was with the help of a charitable organisation.

With the help of VCLA, Mahajir travelled to Kuala Lumpur to receive the operation and prosthetic eye, and the aftercare that he needed. The successful operation meant that Mahajir’s life has been immeasurably improved

Anak Anak Bali
In 2004 a 6 year old orphan, Toha was found extremely ill in one of Bali's 38 orphanages, cowering in a small room. Toha's body was completely covered in weeping, bleeding sores and scabies. Toha would take a few steps then fall down - too weak to even stand. The orphanage had no money for medical treatment and no staff to give Toha any special care.

Carry For Kids took Toha from hospital to hospital seeking treatment but to no avail. The hospitals were overcrowded and unable to accept any more patients. Finally a clinic was able to help but could not provide a bed. Carry For Kids then took care of Toha for 3 months until he was able to recover and return to Miftahul. There is no question that Toha would have died had he not been found.
Toha thus inspired Carry For Kids to set up a clinic/orphanage to ensure orphans in Bali did not suffer unnecessarily and would receive immediate care 24 hours a day.

With your help, Bali Kids plans to buy land and build a new centre. The centre will include a dental surgery to be operated by the new Australian dental charity ‘Senyum’ and will accommodate 70 children. The children will be offered education in computers, English and other subjects plus vocational training opportunities. The projects long term plan is to offer orphans scholarships to study dentistry, medicine, nursing, accounting and computer studies . On completion of their study the orphans will be required to provide a minimum of 3 years, paid service, to Bali Kids. The project will continue to focus on education and prevention in relation to health and social issues for the orphans.

Kangarasam Hospital Anak Paediatric Ward
With the assistance of Variety Children's LifeLine Australia, Dr David & Clair Marsh from the Victorian Tent of Variety are continuing to tirelessly carry out valuable work to support Kangarasam and other paediatric wards around Bali.
David and Clair visited Bali taking delivery of supplies of donated medical equipment, providing immunisation to children and striving to improve the harsh conditions of Bali's children's hospitals.
In November last year David and Clair visited an orphanage in the north of Bali to supply 80 beds which were donated by the Stamford Hotel in Melbourne. This area is extremely impoverished – very little of the tourism money gets to this region and consequently health services are far from adequate.

To donate to these two amazing projects in Bali through Variety Children’s Lifelline Australia click here.