Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

Behind the dynamic growth of tourism in Badung regency especially in  southern Kuta, there are a number people struggling against poverty. Among these people is Wayan Peleng, a native resident of Banjar Bualu on Benoa.

In his age of 55, Peleng looks skinny and have a problem to walk properly. He lives in a humble house on Jalan Pintas Siligita - on a land owned by the government-owned water supply company - with his wife Desak Ariati. His oldest child died on one and a half years age, and the other two are being educated in 6th and 3rd grade of elementary school respectively.

Problem with his left leg has prevented him to get a formal job. The only way he knows for living is selling bamboo handicraft and cattlery of two cows in profit sharing with their owner. His skillful hands could only afford to make two bamboo baskets priced at Rp. 20,000 each, giving him a nett income of Rp. 15,000 each if both of them sold out in the same day. “I have no dedicated space to sell my product. If someone interested to buy, he will come to my place,” said Peleng.

His wife works as a housemaid with very low salary of Rp. 200,000 per month. With both incomes summed up tohether the family are in serious struggle to cover their living cost. Cost on education for his two children. Whilst tuition fee is free, other things like books and clothing are too much for him to afford. “Books and clothing are the difficult ones,” said Peleng.

Once in the past his children received a foster fund from a hotel in BTDC Nusa Dua within the hotel’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. The sum of the fund was Rp. 5,000,000. Unfortunately his happiness did not last for long. The school held the money for reasons he never understood. “I have never know for what purpose they kept the money, the fact was that I have never get any benefit out of it,” he said.

With regard to government aid, Peleng said that he was very thankful that his house has been built with Rp. 3,000,000 aid from the government. He has never got any other significant assistances ever since. The last time he had received five kilograms of rice and a box of instant noodle. His daily need especially on food is very limited so he has never had anything fancy in his mind.

In the past when his grand father was still alive, his big family controls a lot of land in the area. Just if the heritage sustains, his family will not have to life in poverty now. The fade of his family heritage was started when the government-owned water supply company intended to build an office in the area. His grand father was forced to surrender his land without proper compensation. “So far I can recall, there was no proper compensation. I guess the land brooker was taking the advantage over the transaction,” said Peleng. At he end Peleng hand his four brothers have not even a small piece of land on their own.

The portrait of Peleng’s family may represents hundred other poor family in Benoa. The Village Head of Benoa, Drs. I Wayan Solo said that by statistic there are 111 poor famlies within his administration. “Some of them has quite a lot of land and it may cover the real poverty. Unfortunately their lands are not potential for farming and therfore giving them no benefits,” he said.

Presence pf poverty in glamorous glitters of tourism industry remains a homework for the government of Badung and all other regencies. There is no way for for the government to close their eyes on them. It is not the time for the government of Badung to be proud of being the richest regency in the country whilst the existing 3,851 poor families remain in poverty. The number of poor families in Badung is considerably smaller compared to other regencies, but the government has to set a target and strategy to help them out of poverty. In addition to booming tourism industry, the government has to assess other potentials to evenly spread wealth to all.