The fire is still burning at the Suwung rubbish dump in South Denpasar. Maybe less now with the couple of showers we had at the beginning of the week, but still pumping loads of smoke into the air, affecting many people in the Suwung area. The smoke makes it unbearable for those folks still working the rubbish tip for a living. As was well documented on social media recently, the acrid, plastic-filled smoke was choking most of the southern touristic areas of Bali last month. Depending on where you lived, and the prevailing winds, the smoke problem ranged from a major hazard, to being hardly noticeable in other spots, but the plight of people living in the surrounding area is almost catastrophic.
We spoke with DJ Denton from the Right Reasons charity group and organiser of next week’s charity event, Art of Giving Soiree at Alila Seminyak, about what is actually going on down there at Suwung, South Denpasar now.
Is the fire still burning now?
Yes, it is.
Are there still displaced people?
Not really displaced, but it is burning near their homes….. The issue is the dirt floors they live in, they’re very poor and dependant on scavenging plastic/metal and etc out of the landfill and are not allowed to do that while the fire burns – health symptoms are starting to appear as well…..
And what are you doing to help their plight?
It’s not me, exactly, it’s the whole community. I just help with funding, but Right Reasons, Ragam and Plastic Angels are providing those folks in Suwung the following;
2x Meals Daily for 700 people
Drinking Water Stations
Medical Relief – headaches, sore throats, eye drops and now in need of breathing treatment.
This will be continued, but the actual charity event was set up for long term empowerment programs for those people through education, permaculture, alternative education – videography, graphic design etc, university scholarships, etc.
If anyone would like to help the cause, the Art of Giving, a Soiree at Alila Seminyak, could be a great option and it is coming soon. Thursday, 16 November to be exact.
Continue reading for more details.
Join us for Art of Giving Soiree!
Alila Seminyak
November 16th, 5pm
Art of Giving Film Screening – multiple award winning short film about the children’s life’s in Suwung.
Plastic Angels Art Exhibition
Free flow Canapes and Cocktails
Live Music, Discussion Panel and Amazing Sunset Views!
Live and Silent Auctions, Raffles and More!
Get Your tickets here
https://www.rightreasons.net/plastic-angels
Supporting the families and children of Suwung!
