In the face of the Coronavirus crisis, Bali has united to create some awesome community-loving concepts that deserve a shout-out...
It’s official: the Coronavirus pandemic has flipped our island lives upside-down. But it’s times like these that we see the true togetherness of our community. Sure, 2020 has been a total s@#& show, but despite the chaos and the uncertainty, there’s one thing we know for sure: we’re all in this together, and our community is freakin’ awesome.
Across our special little island, local businesses, civilians and total strangers have developed some incredible initiatives and community-loving concepts to help and support their friends and neighbours. From special deals and delivery services, to heartwarming fundraisers and even a movement to produce PPE for our doctors and nurses – Bali puts the Unity in Community.
So, to celebrate these bright, beautiful and caring minds, here are all of the local initiatives and new community concepts in Bali that deserve our help (and our Rupiah). Check them out, support their missions, and share this local shout-out – if we all work together, our island will be up-and-running again in no time at all, in all its cocktail-fuelled glory.
LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR THE COMMUNITY
On-Call Telemedicine & PPE for doctors & nurses
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head, we would regularly up our immunity with at-home IV infusions from The Dose. And now, these mobile doctors have found a different way to lend a supportive hand. For starters, The Dose doctors, together with the Umalas Doctors, are now hosting telemedicine consults via video calls with the GPs, to help assess symptoms and arrange prescriptions. But that’s not all. The Dose are also fundraising to organise PPE for doctors and nurses on the frontline of Bali’s COVID-19 hospitals, using the money raised to source and create N95 masks, hazmat suits and face shields.
To donate or to book a Telemedicine consult, Whatsapp The Dose or Umalas Doctors on +62-821-3137-0688.
Roll up, roll up to The Sea Circus Food Fund
2020 was set to mark 10 years of Sea Circus, and if you’ve ever been to one of these raucous anniversary dress-up parties, you’ll know that this year would have blown every other island bash out of the water. Well, since this epic celebration can’t take place right now, the Sea Circus squad has decided to direct all of its awesomeness into fundraising for Bali’s families in need: introducing the Sea Circus Food Fund. For every dollar donated, this Food Fund will feed two people, while for the price of a coffee, you can feed a family. With your help, they aim to provide some 500–3,000+ food packages a day, and we think that’s pretty incredible.
To donate to The Sea Circus Food Fund, visit the website. Or for those in need, collect your package anytime between 11am–4pm each day.
The Crisis Kitchen
Crisis Kitchen Bali was born from a simple idea to give food to those in need. Lovingly and tirelessly run by friends and volunteers of Churros Tropicana, Crisis Kitchen Bali has responded swiftly to the growing number of calls and requests for those requiring a daily cooked meal or basic food packages (think rice, noodles, eggs, vegetables and oil). Each package feeds a person for 4-7 days, including the elderly, children, disadvantaged, and disabled. Crisis Kitchen Bali will continue for as long as they can to feed Bali’s people, so dry good donations are most welcome, as are donations to their GoFundMe page where a $50 donation can feed up to 60 hungry people.
The official donation drop-off point is Churros Tropicana in Umalas, or email [email protected] for more info.
Feed a Family in Bali
We’ve always loved sprucing up our sambal skills with Tresna Bali Cooking School, and now, these kitchen gurus are giving back with their #FeedaFamilyinBali movement. They’re asking for just USD$25 or IDR 400,000 to create Care Packages for local families in need. With the money raised, they’re sourcing all ingredients from local markets and delivering the goods to poorer families, buying enough produce to feed each family for a full two weeks.
To donate to #FeedaFamilyinBali, send them a message on their Instagram page.
Feel-good Friday feasts
Friday nights have always been spent at The Lawn, so now this legendary Canggu destination wants to give back to the very community that helped build its iconic reputation. So, every Friday lunchtime between 12pm – 2pm, anyone who needs a helping hand can swing by for lunch on The Lawn. They’ll be handing out takeaway hamper boxes to anyone in need of a good feed, filled with delish Indonesian staples like Nasi Ayam and Nasi Goreng.
You can watch The Lawn’s message to community here.
No Juan goes hungry
Because no child should ever miss a meal, Los Jefes Bali is also helping to feed families in need. They have meals set up and waiting – families just need to pull up out the front of the restaurant, and the kind staff will bring them a ready-prepared meal. They’ll be continuing this for as long as they can, so donations are very much welcomed.
If you know of a family in need, email Los Jefes at [email protected], or donate to the cause via the website.
Canggu Fever
In a bid to support small businesses and to keep the cash flowing within the local community, a group of expats in Canggu have created the Canggu Fever Facebook group, keeping everyone up-to-date with fellow businesses and local movements. Daily posts include special offers, discounts and services around Canggu, as well as all the useful tips and tricks on how to support each other during this crazy time.
Check out the Canggu Fever Facebook page here.
LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR FOODIES
From farm to table
Buying fresh produce directly from farmers is considered a luxury in the foodie world. But right now in Bali, helping out local farmers and keeping the demand high for fruits and veggies is an absolute necessity. So, Go Vegan Bali has kickstarted an initiative to connect you with local growers. Each day, you can order fresh produce straight from the farms, bridging the gap between growers and consumers with deliveries direct to your doorstep.
To order some farm-fresh produce, Whatsapp Go Vegan Bali on +62-878-5112-3392.
Share & care packages
Right now we’re all thinking of those who we care about the most, so the Locavore crew have created a way for you to show that love and compassion. They’ve created ‘care package’ gift hampers which you can order to treat someone who you think might need looking after and cheering up. Nutritional, healthy, and top quality, each hamper is filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, pre-juiced jamu health tonics, Local Parts charcuterie, sourdough bread from Starter Lab, a selection of sauces & pickles, and so much more – there’s even the option to add on wine and cocktails too…
To order your care package email [email protected] or call him on +62 817 815 718.
Coffee for carers
Offering an energy boost for Bali’s hard-working doctors and nurses, The Koop Roaster & Cafe are sharing the love and support for Indonesia with free coffee for any medical personnel helping to battle the coronavirus pandemic. Any medical carer can pick up their specialty cup directly from the shop free of charge, or for anyone else ordering more than 100k worth of coffee, you can pass on your free delivery to a medical carer.
To claim your free cup, visit the cafe in Seminyak, or contact them via Facebook.
Your personal shopper
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, so Zero Waste Bali is helping slow the spread of COVID-19 by not only offering home delivery services, but also asking customers not to enter the stores. Instead, the staff inside will do your shopping for you, refilling your containers and stocking up on everything on your shopping list (don’t forget to bring it with you!). And of course, to ensure utmost cleanliness, the staff and store have upped their hygiene procedures to keep you and your groceries safe.
To arrange your home deliveries, WhatsApp the store closest to you via the Zero Waste Bali website.
LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR SHOPAHOLICS
Love local
Now’s the time to support local businesses and suppliers, and NUSA Design does exactly that. Working closely with Indonesian small businesses, suppliers and local staff to create locally-made leather goods and accessories, NUSA Design is offering 25% off on all online orders. This not only supports their own staff, but also keeps the wheels turning at all boutiques that stock the NUSA brand, including BAKED in Canggu, Drifter Surf Shop in Seminyak and Uluwatu, and Hotel Komune in Keramas.
To claim your 25% discount, use the code SUPPORTBALI25% when you shop NUSA Design online.
Support through craftsmanship
To help provide for the disadvantaged local Balinese community who have been affected the most by COVID-19, Craft District is officially donating 20% of all proceeds to help provide basic necessities for those in need, from rice, and oil, to soap and masks too.
To help support the community through craftmanship, shop via the website or direct through Facebook.
Framing from afar
When in quarantine, there’s no better time to get your family photo album in order or decorate your home with artsy Bali prints. So right now, Tinta Photo Solutions is offering a contactless framing service, with orders and payments taking place via Whatsapp, Facebook, Email and Instagram.
LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR FITNESS JUNKIES
Fitness from home
There are plenty of online fitness classes popping up across social media, but one of the most extensive and regular schedules is from Indonesia’s powerhouse, Celebrity Fitness. Not only has this gym giant frozen all memberships across the archipelago while gyms are closed, it’s also offering an entire schedule of free classes every single day, throughout the day, every week.
To join an online class, check out the live schedules via Celebrity Fitness on Instagram, and tune into CeleFitTV free until May 1st 2020.
Nest on the Road
With the doors to the gym temporarily closed, Canggu Nest is finding new ways to connect with the community and keep everyone active. For starters, they’ve launched the Nest on the Road Facebook page that’s packed with workouts you can do from home, plus tips & tricks, movement coaching and even links to their workout playlists. But that’s not all. For everyone still in Bali, they’re also making their gym equipment available for hire, meaning those dumbbells go to good use over the coming months, and your home workout just got an upgrade…
Join the Nest on the Road Facebook page, or DM Canggu Nest on Instagram for equipment hire.
Like we said, we’re all in this together, so we’d love to hear your thoughts, too. Let us know what you’d like to see from us, and if you’ve seen other local initiatives that deserve a shout-out, send us an email at [email protected] or tag us on insta @honeycombersbali.
