“Since I was a child, I have always wanted to be a pilot. When I was in elementary school I joined the Volunteer Programs Forever class to learn English. I continued with my classes during high school where I trained to work in tourism. When I was at one of the English classes one of the volunteers started talking to me about my love of planes and helicopters. They suggested that I do one of the Volunteer Programs workshops on career planning and self development. I met Kimberley who listened to me explaining how I had always wanted to become a pilot. She suggested that I look at what I needed to do to join the Indonesian air force. With her encouragement I applied for a job in the Indonesian Air Force to become a pilot. I was successful and am now a fully qualified pilot based in Java. I cannot thank Kimberley and Volunteer Programs Forever enough for helping me to believe in myself and find a way to make my dreams come true.”
Gio’s story, student at our Learning Center
Gio is 11 years old. He lives in Ubud and comes from a very troubled family background. There is as a lot of violence and alcohol abuse at home. When he first started English classes at VP Bali five years ago, he was disruptive in the classes and unpopular with the other children. And then one of our Australian volunteers took the time to listen to him and to encourage him in his classes. His behaviour started to change; he became motivated to learn English and he started to behave well in the classes. We have seen an immense growth over the years. Gio has been learning a lot and has shown a lot of positive change in his behaviour. He changed from being a troublemaker into a smart and kind kid who is loved by his teachers and his friends. We have a transport system that picks the children up from their homes and brings them to the classes. He chose to come early and played with the other children before the class started. He now has good friends and is developing confidence in himself. He can see a world and future for himself outside of his chaotic, violent family unit. We look forward to seeing how he will grow up and are sure that he will love the workshops at the new Center.
“I am so looking forward for the Forever Learning Center - VP Bali to open here in Lodtunduh. I am happy that I will be able to work there. I have been following the process of the learning center and I am impressed with all the plans. Because of all the activities that will take place there I will be able to supply the center with my vegetables on a daily basis. I will be able to host the cooking classes and support my fellow community members by providing them with jobs as well so we can prepare meals for the volunteers”. - Ni Wayan Tari - comes from a farmer’s family in Lodtunduh.
“As a Balinese I am grateful for the opportunities I got from VP Bali. Me and my family have benefited in many ways, my kids can learn English and me and my wife could have a job. I am happy that we can keep working at the learning center and I am thankful for Kimberley and her team.” - Nyoman Juniarta - Father of Balinese family in Lodtunduh.
“The program of VP Bali has impacted many of the members of our community. I am proud to say I am working with this organization and together we can make an impact on the local people. With the new plans of the learning center we can do even more and I am excited to be a part of that!” -Gede Suantara - local village leader in Lodtunduh.
Feel the Forever Magic with the Forever Label
The Forever Label has grown tremendously over the past months. Where we just started off with one bracelet for a Christmas campaign we are now expanding our products. The past few months we have been exploring for new products and most importantly; to support local Balinese people who we can support through job employment.
Over the next months we will launch some very exciting products (sneak peek; we will have facemasks!).
We want to help as many local Balinese as possible as the situation is very hard on them. Last month we started a specific fundraising campaign to support more Balinese communities and as a thank you we have been giving a special gift for every donation over €25,-. February was the month of LOVE. We could all use a little bit of extra love and especially now when life can be challenging. So we have dedicated the months of March and April to love and throughout those months we have been sharing and spreading the love vibes around!
VP Forever always strives to inspire and unite people all around the world. Over the past year we have united a lot of people to spread awareness about what we do and to inspire others to make a difference as well.
Even though we are also, just like everyone else, affected by the crisis, we are always looking for ways to support underprivileged communities.
The silver jewelry line of the Forever label is produced in Bali, Indonesia. 80% of the Balinese population is depending on tourism to provide for their families and right now, a year into the pandemic and with no tourism whatsoever, it has become a real challenge to survive. Balinese silver craftsmen have been producing their amazingly skilled crafts for centuries.
The more people we can inspire and unite, the more people in Bali we can support through job employment opportunities or other community support.
We got so many amazing responses and feedback and that really warms our heart.
The Forever Label was created to provide immediate job employment opportunities and we are so proud to see how it's been growing and how you all like the journey. Over the next months we plan to open our web shop and we hope to increase the sales points around the world.
If we can have more structural sales points and monthly sales of our different products, we can guarantee more monthly incomes to the Balinese and we can support the entire community through these hard times.
This is only possible thanks to our Forever Community and we are so very grateful for that!
During our campaign we have raised almost €800,- and we will use those funds to support our community here in Bali in several ways. First and foremost we can now actively expand our product line and collection and by that means give more local people in Bali jobs.
Increasing our production means increasing job opportunities and that is what the Forever Label is all about!
If you are interested to support by purchasing an item from the Forever Label, contact us here.
We are always in need of donations to keep supporting our communities. Every little bit helps. Donate here to support and make that impact.
English classes for the Balinese kids during the pandemic
The mission of Volunteer Programs Forever is to empower and support underprivileged communities around the world. We do this by frameworks that we have created to reach our goals and to increase the impact on the people we support.
Through our Forever Projects we set up targeted projects worldwide that respond to specific challenges for underprivileged communities. With the Forever Label we provide local job employment opportunities and with our Forever Learning Centers we increase access to knowledge and education.
If you have been following us the past year you know that we had to close our educational project in Bali, Indonesia due to the pandemic. We have been very busy the past year to keep supporting our Balinese community. Read more about that here.
Besides immediate support during the crisis, we have been working hard to find solutions on the long term by developing the plans of the Forever Learning Center VP Bali. Read all about that in our blog here.
Now, early 2021, we are focusing hard to find the necessary funds to start building. But in the meantime, we feel the urge and the need from the kids to start learning again. Indonesian schools have been closed since March 2020 and the children are desperate to learn in a creative environment, to be surrounded by friends and to be inspired by educational materials.
Forever Project - Bali
Since we can’t offer them classes yet in our center, we got together with the local village leaders and we came up with a plan to provide the children with English classes in the local village building.
Starting something like this is not easy, the process is long as we have to deal with local authorities and it is very important to VP Forever to always work in line with the local regulations, local traditions and culture. After some discussions and meetings with several village leaders, we got a YES and we are allowed to use the community building for weekly English classes!
We will run monthly programs where the kids can rotate so we can ensure that everyone gets to join. We can’t take big classes yet as we have to keep the safety and health restrictions in mind in terms of distancing, hygiene etc.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases have spiked enormously in Bali since early January, so at the moment it is not safe nor responsible to start the classes. As soon as the local authorities allow us to start, we will as we already have a full class of confirmed applications. The kids (and parents!) can’t wait!
By running these classes, we are not only providing education to the kids. We also want to create job opportunities for local teachers who have been out of a job since the crisis.
We will soon share more with you about how we will train local teachers to use our curriculum, how we will implement creative learning and how we will support them on a structural basis.
Looking back at the first campaign of the Forever Label
Late 2020 VP Forever launched the Forever Label. The Forever Label is one of the frameworks of our organization that we created to support and empower underprivileged communities. The Forever Label was created to provide immediate long term solutions for underprivileged communities that are heavily affected by the corona crisis.
To read all about how the Forever Label was born, click here.
The first campaign started mid December 2020. The Christmas campaign was developed to bring some happiness and inspiration to people around the world at the end of a challenging year. By giving your loved ones a meaningful gift and to spread that positivity.
Learn more about the Christmas campaign here.
January 2021 - looking back on what we have achieved with the campaign. And wow, we have a lot to say. First and foremost, we have been blown away by the endless support of our Forever Community. This campaign really could not have been such a success without all of you.
How our Forever Network committed their time and effort for this campaign you can read in this blog.
Our intention of the Christmas campaign was not to open a big web shop and to become a big business and sell a million bracelets. Our goal is always to support underprivileged communities around the world and the Forever Label is one of the frameworks that we created to do so.
Every bracelet is handmade by a Balinese silversmith and every bracelet sold means we can give back to those communities that need it the most.
Selling these bracelets through our Forever Community was a way for us to inspire and unite more people. To create a meaningful gift and spread the message through our contributors. But the feedback has been so amazing and the sales went through the roof!
It was not even Christmas yet and we had to put in another order for production.
We could only dream of that! Because by ordering more bracelets, more Balinese people got to go to work and earn some money. These talented artisans have been struggling a lot without an income since the pandemic started. And that is where the Forever Label came in to help. By producing everything locally, the impact is immediate and thanks to the amazing efforts of our Forever Community, the impact is even bigger.
Extra orders means extra work for them and that means a lot to us!
The Forever Label keeps on designing and producing. Besides bracelets we will soon have more items available for you. Soon we'll be sharing more about the other items of the Forever Label and where and how to purchase them.
Stay tuned for more on our social media and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter here.
Christmas campaign for the Forever Label made possible by our contributors
Not so long ago we shared the launch of one of our frameworks, the Forever Label. Created to provide immediate long term solutions for underprivileged communities that are heavily affected by the corona crisis. To read all about how the Forever Label was born, click here.
We told you all about how we designed a meaningful gift that was not only great to give to your loved ones for Christmas, but also meant a lot to underprivileged communities affected by the crisis. In case you missed the story about the Christmas campaign, read here.
But most importantly we need to tell you the story about how this campaign became a success, and even more importantly, who made it all possible!
Our intention is not to open a big web shop and to become a big business. Our goal is to support underprivileged communities around the world and the Forever Label is one of the frameworks that we created to do so. Every bracelet is handmade by a Balinese silversmith and every bracelet sold means we can give back to those communities that need it the most.
We sell the bracelets exclusively through our Forever Community. That means our contributors and volunteers are helping us with the distribution, the sales and the promotion.
To set up the Christmas campaign, we got help from amazing contributors in The Netherlands and Belgium who committed their time and efforts to act as our distribution center. We could send the bracelets from Bali to them, and they took care of the rest.
Our wonderful and vibrant group of contributors in Europe came in immediate action to help sell the Christmas gifts. This was quite challenging indeed, as a lot was closed due to Covid restrictions. Shops were not allowed to open, restaurants and bars were closed, but that did not stop them! The efforts our contributors made was enormous. They drove around the country to deliver bracelets, they went back and forth to the post office to send them and they documented everything for our social media channels.
We can’t be thankful enough for these people. It is really because of our Forever Community that we are able to achieve so much for people who need it.
We strongly believe in the strength of uniting people and in the power of giving back as a long term engagement.
Our worldwide Forever Community is engaged in every fiber of our organization. It is what makes VP Forever different and it enables us to create real solutions to those in need. Our Forever Community consists of individuals, businesses and organizations who are dedicated to commit their time and skills and who are sharing the same mission; changing lives.
By being part of the Forever Label, these contributors are not a big part of our Forever Community, they also make a big impact on those communities that need it the most.
Also interested to become part of our Forever Community? Read more about it here.
The Christmas campaign has been a great success. A lot of people have been surprised with a meaningful gift from their loved ones and a lot of Balinese silversmiths have been able to generate an income.
And it was all made possible by our Forever Community of contributors and volunteers!
Bracelets for Christmas - a meaningful gift
December 2020: Volunteer Programs Forever officially launched the Forever Label. Created to provide immediate long term solutions for underprivileged communities that are heavily affected by the corona crisis. To read all about how the Forever Label was born, click here.
The first line of the Forever Label is a silver jewelry line. It is produced in Bali, Indonesia. 80% of the Balinese population is depending on tourism to provide for their families and right now, due to the pandemic and with no tourism whatsoever, it has become a real challenge to survive.
Balinese silver craftsmen have been producing their amazingly skilled crafts for centuries. Thanks to the collaboration with the local company The Label we are now able to provide job opportunities for these talented artisans. Every piece of jewelry of the Forever Label is handmade with 925 Sterling silver.
A meaningful gift.
Christmas is coming up! This time of year is all about giving. Especially this year, as it has been a difficult and challenging year for everyone around the world. We wanted to share some positivity with everyone before the year ends and what is a better way than to create a meaningful gift, that is not only wonderful to give (or to get for yourself!) but also means a lot to people in need.
By making someone happy with a small gift, you make a big difference. You give something special to someone you love and at the same time you give something back to the people who need it a lot. And that is what our Forever Community is all about. We want to unite and inspire, and with the silver bracelets of the Forever Label, which are designed to inspire, we hope to spread some sparkles of happiness around the world.
Combined with a Christmas card designed by VP Forever, the package and gift is complete.
Our intention is not to open a big web shop and to become a big business. Our goal is to support underprivileged communities around the world and the Forever Label is one of the frameworks that we created to do so.
Every bracelet is handmade by a Balinese silversmith and every bracelet sold means we can give back to those communities that need it the most.
We sell the bracelets exclusively through our Forever Community. That means our contributors and volunteers are helping us with the distribution, the sales and the promotion.
We are not sitting still, we keep ourselves busy with new designs and new production.
Soon we'll be sharing more about the other items of the Forever Label and where and how to purchase them.
Stay tuned for more on our social media and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter here.