Westerlaken foundation and the COVID-19 virus

The world is weighed down under the results of the COVID-19 outbreak. In this post we want to explain what COVID-19 means for the foundation.

- We still react to emergency situations like stranded whales and dolphins, turtle egg nests, marine mammals in danger.

- As we do not have sufficient knowledge (medical knowledge and information on the outbreak itself on Bali) and an immediate lack of funding we do not undertake any humanitarian emergency relief actions at this moment.

- Our crowd funding effort on 1% club still runs for 5 more days. We have gathered 190 euro out of the 150 euro target, which is very helpful. We do expect prices to be raised enormously do to the COVID-19 outbreak, so we are very thankful for the overbudget funding.

- We have regular contact with our partner Bali Kids, but refrain from visiting for the safety of the kids. The goods from above fundraiser, after being purchased, will be handed over outside of the centre.

- The returning of the kris and tombak to Puri Klungkung, planned for 28 April, is on hold till we know more about the COVID-19 situation and its effects. - The public defence of the founder of the foundation, a research about children residing in institutional care in Denpasar, Bali with a link to the terroristic attacks in 2002 and 2005, planned on April 3, has been postponed due to COVID-19. This research is supported by Westerlaken foundation and will be important for understanding current issues.

- We expect a difficult financial year for the foundation. All help we can get is more than welcome. More or less half of the income of the foundation is based on the commissions we receive on sold surf classes through Dutch based travel websites. Guests that book a group tour can book a surf class as an add on. We are receiving many cancellations at the moment. This means that the impact of the foundations work is at danger.

- The tourist arrivals on Bali dropped enormously. We are monitoring the situation and received the first reports of companies going bankrupt and staff being laid off. We are scared for another peak in children being submitted to institutional care, as we have seen before after the terroristic attacks. We will monitor the situation and see possible effects and act upon them.

For any questions, help or comments, please reach out on info@westerlakenfoundation.org

Help us: 1) transfer to our Dutch bank account: NL88 TRIO 0212.3137.03 (Triodos Bank), stiching Westerlaken foundation, the Netherlands

2) transfer to our Indonesian bank account: 14.500.1126.9657 on (Mandiri Bank), Yayasan Bali Bersih (Branch: Legian)

3) use our PayPal, info@westerlakenfoundation.org