Bali ‘slum’ transformed into fun, cheerful, kid-friendly village

Photo: Wynand van Poortvliet/Flickr
Photo: Wynand van Poortvliet/Flickr

A community in the National Housing Development Company of Baler Bale Agung, West Bali  has apparently given itself an extreme makeover, transforming itself from a ‘slum’ to a fun, cheerful, kid-friendly village.

The concept is cleverly dubbed Kampung Bersih Aman Lestari dan Indah (BALI), meaning Clean Safe Sustainable and Beautiful Village.

Alleyways are painted with bright colors—even the pavement jumps out at you with popular cartoon characters drawn on. Plants like tomatoes, chili, flowers, and herbs are lined up in front of houses to bring the place to life.

“We’re removing the condition, or impression, of a slum, replacing it with clean, safe, sustainable, and beautiful,” Community Empowerment Body officer of Baler Bale Agung, Dewa Putu Merta Wiasa told Antara Bali during a visit on Sunday.

And in response to waste management challenges, each house is required to sort out its organic and non-organic waste, which will be purchased by a ‘waste bank’ every two days, according to Wiasa.

“Once it has been sorted out, the garbage has economic value. In addition to getting a clean environment, residents are also getting additional income.”

They can get up to Rp 2 million per month for their rubbish, says Wiasa. 

A major benefit of these ‘waste banks’ is that since there’s major financial incentive, the streets are totally clear, so there isn’t rubbish clogging the sewers—cutting down flooding in the area.

“Trash often clogs the sewers, which flood. With water channels clear from garbage, automatic flooding can be prevented,” Merta said.



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