Aussie Stars Help Blow out the Candles!

The Villas Bali Hotel & Spa was proud to host a special birthday celebration for three boys from the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage last month, on behalf of actresses Simone Buchanan and Michala Banas who made a special trip to Bali to visit the orphanage.
The visit by Simone -the orphanage’s patron and star of the Australian drama Neighbours- and Michala -a New Zealander of McLeod’s Daughters fame- coincided with the birthdays of Nyong, 9, Dedy, 10, and Ade, 13. The actresses took time out to treat the three birthday boys and a group of their friends to a day of swimming, party games and special treats, and to donate gifts to the orphanage.

Their involvement helps to raise awareness for the orphanage’s work and will directly benefit the orphans’ families back in Sumba, with plans already underway to provide clean water in their villages. “One of the biggest problems these children’s families have is the lack of water in Sumba,” said Alison Chester, founder of the orphanage. “We are going to be putting wells in their villages and Simone is going to come back to support this program and to visit their families, which is a really important initiative.”

The Villas was happy to be able to host Simone and Michala and to provide the venue, catering and staff for the event, as part of an ongoing commitment to the orphanage. The Villas is currently working with the orphanage to establish a traineeship program at the hotel and spa to provide the orphans with work experience and prepare them for entry into the workforce once they have completed their schooling. Many of The Villas guests have also expressed a desire to contribute time, funding and other assistance to the orphanage, and The Villas has been happy to arrange a visit for them.

Alison said the traineeship would play a critical role in preparing the children for life after the orphanage. “It’s really important particularly for the children who aren’t going to go on to university, which will be quite a few of them,” she said. “We’ve got two or three this year who are getting to the age where they need to look at what’s next, and it’s really important they get into the workforce and get on their own two feet.”

She said the birthday party was an unforgettable experience for the boys and their friends. “It just made their day because three of them had birthdays that month and they’d never had anything like that done for them before,” she said. “Initially they were a bit timid at first, but then they warmed up and there were lots of games, splashing around and party cake to share, and Simone’s son really connected with the kids and joined the fun, too.”

The Jodie O’Shea Orphanage is located in Denpasar and is home to some three dozen children, mostly from Sumba. In Indonesia, the term ‘orphan’ does not always apply to children who have lost their parents; it often applies to children who have grown up in extreme poverty and whose parents cannot afford to feed, clothe and educate them. Therefore, the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage works closely with the children’s families, arranging visits by their parents and directly responding to needs in their home villages.

The orphanage was set up in memory of Jodie O’Shea, a young Australian killed in the 2002 Bali bombing. With the blessing of her parents, Rhonda and Gerard, the orphanage was established in 2005 to show that even out of an action inspired by hate and violence, truly wonderful acts of kindness and compassion can blossom and can bring hope to the lives of many.  For more information on the orphanage, visit www.careforkidsbali.com