Our Vision

Our vision is of a society that welcomes and values the equal participation of people with disabilities. We are working to achieve this by creating programmes to develop self confidence, physical and economic independence, and increasing awareness in the general community of the rights of people with disabilities.

These programmes are usually based at our centre in Tampaksiring, in the hills in central Bali, but sometimes are held at other venues. For example, aqua therapy is conducted at pools owned by supporters of the centre, as we do not yet have our own pool.

Our Goals Are

• To meet disabled individuals and lift them out of their social isolation.

We try to make contact with disabled individuals by approaching heads of the villages, especially those in the poorer areas of Bali. If they know of a disabled villager and give us the address of that person, we visit them and invite them to come to the Senang Hati Centre. The people we meet are young adults, teenagers or children, many of whom have suffered from polio and are paralysed, on one or both sides, or have become paralysed due to birth trauma. Others may be deaf or blind.

• To provide technical assistance to achieve physical independence.

This often involves medical operations to correct the contractures of ligaments and muscles. In addition, we provide wheelchairs, crutches and hearing aids, and train people how to use them. By providing technical assistance, we give people the means to become mobile and meet and interact with others.

• To build confidence by having a normal social life.

To break the bonds of social isolation that is the unfortunate norm for disabled Balinese, we urge our members to participate in many of the activities available at our centre. They sing and laugh together, tell each other stories, and work in and around the centre’s buildings, cleaning, or tending the garden. We also visit places of interest such as temples, shops and even the beach. Once a month we go swimming at a swimming pool. Swimming outings are happy occasions where many of our members can ‘walk’ on their own for the first time in their lives. For most of the people of Senang Hati, these are completely new experiences as most have never previously left the confines of their homes.

• To build self confidence through assertiveness training.

At assertiveness training sessions, members are taught to stand up for themselves and learn how to voice their opinions; both of these abilities raise their self esteem. Part of the training involves learning how to act and speak in public.

• To teach skills that will enable members to become self supporting.

The skills taught are mostly arts and crafts; for example, painting, ceramics, wood carving and learning how to make sandals or using a sewing machine to make clothing. Hidden talents are often discovered! English and computer courses are available for anyone interested. Some members enjoy learning how to play chess, and some, who have never been to school, are offered the opportunity to study some of the primary school subjects they missed out on.

Our ultimate goal is to offer disabled people the chance to be independent and participate fully in life. At first, most of them feel useless and do not believe they can do anything. It is of prime importance that the centre provide a nurturing environment where people can move from their isolation from society to integration with society. Senang Hati is a platform from which members can become full participants in the society of mankind. Sometimes it seems like a miracle, but in most cases we are able to facilitate this transformation.