Last January, we made a stopover in Bali on our way back to the United Kingdom from Australia. BC we call this, Before Corona, when we took travelling for granted.
We both had never been in Bali, and it took us a while to see the real beauty of the island, as we never expected to see the amount of trash and scooters polluting every single street. But after a couple of days exploring outside the tourist zones and speaking with locals, we fell in love with the rural nature, the kindness of the people and the beautiful traditions. It truly is a magnificent place!
On our way back to the airport, we were lucky enough to meet Mo. Mo was working as a driver for a hotel and was the most chatty, happy and optimistic person we ever met. Mo told us that he used to live on the streets as a child, until a Dutch tourist arranged him a small job, after which he kept getting promotions until he was able to work as a driver for the hotel. He met his wife, had two children and then adopted another six children from the street. As a family, they live in one single room, and Mo provides for them all with his job.
Commuting to work from home is not possible as it's too far away and he doesn't own a car, so he often sleeps on the streets until he has a day off from work to visit his family.
This was all BC. The hotels closed at the end of March and Mo is without a job since.
We have been able to help Mo financially with his most immediate worries, but we want more for him and his family. We are currently exploring possibilities for him to make his dream come true by helping him start his own business.
Please take a few minutes to watch this video about Mo and his family. We promise it will make you feel good.
Film credits: Alina Strobel