Yayasan Yowana Sastra — Rendang, Bali

Who we are

Built by the community, for the community

The original open-air shelter where Yowana Sastra first taught students, no longer standing — ThenThe simple, open-air shelter where we first taught students — this building no longer stands.

Another view of the original open-air shelter, showing its simple construction — ThenThe same simple structure, seen from another angle.

A classroom lesson in session at Yowana Sastra today — NowA lesson in session at Yowana Sastra today.

Yayasan (Foundation) Yowana Sastra is a school established in 2013 in Rendang, at the base of Mount Agung in Bali. This is a rural farming area, and many families here are poor. Students of all ages are often unable to complete their schooling because their labour is needed on the family farm.

Without finishing school, it becomes very difficult to find steady employment or the income needed to support a family. Yowana Sastra exists to close that gap: helping students complete their schooling and earn the certificates they need to find real work.

As a registered institution the Foundation runs several government recognised programs: Community Learning Activity Program (PKBM), Course and Training Institutions (LKP), as well as Community Reading Gardens (TBM), giving free tuition for students to practise English language skills, and also preserving Balinese dance and art for underprivileged children.

Made Tinggen, a local man, built the small school on his own land — and has since legally granted the community indefinite access to it, so the school's future is secure for generations of students to come.

What Yowana Sastra offers

A school that grows with the people who study here

Villagers of all ages come to complete their school certificates. Yowana Sastra innovates by aligning its training with the skills locals actually need to find decent work.

01 — All agesPKBM

Adult students sitting a certificate exam in a classroom

Older students in a computer skills class

Certificates & skills training

Adults and villagers of any age can complete the school certificates they missed, alongside training aligned with real, local job opportunities.

02 — After school

Students playing a letter-tile word game as part of after-school English lessons

Students in mid-movement during a traditional Balinese dance lesson

English & arts, free

Younger students receive free after-school English lessons, plus activities that keep Balinese culture alive: dance, batik, gardening, keeping native stingless bees (kelenceng) for honey, and growing organic fruit and vegetables, alongside an introduction to medicinal plants.

After-school English lessons are supported by abcBali.org, which funds three of our English teachers.

03 — Career pathwayLKP

Students learning professional bed-making as part of housekeeping training

Students learning bathroom cleaning standards as part of housekeeping training

Tourism & English training

Structured training prepares students for work in tourism. Graduates are now working as far afield as Japan, Türkiye, and Poland, and on cruise ships, as well as across Bali.

04 — For visitors

Tourists learning batik techniques closely with an instructor

Tourists tasting native stingless-bee honey straight from the hive

Cultural experiences

The school also welcomes tourists for hands-on batik lessons, insight into traditional virgin coconut oil production and coffee roasting, picking organic fruit in the garden, and tasting native stingless-bee (kelenceng) honey straight from the hive.

See our batik classes: Batik Sepesil Bali →

05 — For all agesTBM

The Literasi Yowana Sastra outdoor reading corner, built from bamboo

Students browsing books inside the reading corner

Community reading garden

This bamboo-built reading corner offers students at Yowana Sastra an opportunity to borrow and read books, encouraging a love of reading outside of school hours from an early age.

Why partner with Yowana Sastra

Education, one step at a time

Your contribution uses the power of education to help break the cycle of poverty in this community. Support makes you part of the journey. Here's where that journey has led so far.

tourism course graduates

257

students currently enrolled

1,060

school certificates completed

Where our tourism graduates work

Graduates at the airport departing for work overseas

19 working overseas

~50% working in local tourism

Two hikers at the summit of Mt Agung, Bali

1,792

lives touched by Yowana Sastra since 2013 — serving learners across the community.

Where your money goes

Every donation has a job to do

A guide to how funds may be used — figures shown in USD.

The figures below show what's still needed each year — not funds already raised.

What we need — keeping the school running

Teachers' salaries$11,000
Admin staff salaries$2,500
Resources, admin & maintenance$1,400
Tourism skills training equipment replenishment$2,100

Annual running cost still needed $17,000 USD

Building for the future — capital works

Three new classrooms$20,750
Small training restaurant$3,800
Rotary has already funded $3,100 USD towards this — figure shown is the remaining balance
Landscaping school grounds$1,400

Capital works still needed $25,950 USD

How to help

A few ways to support the school

The Indonesian government provides a small amount of funding for students under 18 sitting government exams. Beyond that, Yowana Sastra relies entirely on private donations to pay teachers' wages, fund building projects, and supply its students.

teachers rely on donations for their wages

Right now, funds are needed to pay teachers and keep students supplied. Every gift helps a villager get one step closer to real employment, locally or overseas.

An ongoing, regular donation lets the school plan ahead and keep running smoothly.
A one-off gift still makes a real difference. Every contribution counts.

Direct & simple

Donate

Donate via PayPal →

Donate directly via PayPal — quick and secure, from anywhere. The simplest way to give, for gifts of any size.

Prefer to give a little, often? Even a small monthly payment makes a difference. It adds up to real, lasting support for our teachers.

Bank transfer

Direct transfer

For larger gifts, or if you'd simply rather transfer directly, use the foundation's official account below.

BankMandiri

Account nameYayasan Yowana Sastra

Account number145-00-1905305-3

SWIFT/BIC codeBMRIIDJA

Even a small monthly payment makes a difference. Ask your bank to set up a simple recurring transfer, and you'll be giving steady, ongoing support without a second thought.

Tax-deductible (US)

Give through abcBali.org

abcBali.org, a US-registered 501(c)(3), already supports the English program at Yowana Sastra. US donors can give through them for a tax-deductible contribution.

Visit abcBali.org →

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