A WOMAN from Bude, who quit her job of ten years to volunteer to help people, spent Christmas in Bali to support disadvantaged people through a charity — despite the recent eruption of Mount Agung.

Emma Woodhouse, from Bude, quit her Holsworthy-based job of ten years in October to travel to Bali to volunteer for the charity, Kingdom Children Ministry Asia (KCMA).

Having arrived in the country on October 5, Emma has been to a refugee camp that houses 600 people who were evacuated from their homes due to the risk of a volcanic eruption. Emma helped cook for 200 children and elderly people, but they could not afford to feed everyone and gave out water.

Also part of Emma’s trip was a visit to a local prison, where she met foreign inmates to give them food and support. As they are foreigners, their families cannot afford to visit, so with no visitors, the inmates are not allowed out of their hall. Conditions are described as awful and overcrowded.

Emma then went to a rural part of Bali, which is very poverty stricken, to teach English to schoolchildren. These children live in the mountains and some of them have a 3km walk to school and back again. When it is raining, it can be very difficult for them to walk to school because the roads on the mountains are very steep.

However, they are very keen to learn and are respectful young people, according to Emma. On one of her visits, the girls made her a necklace from flowers.

Emma has also been to visit a foreign prisoner in hospital, who needed treatment for HIV. Her embassy cannot help and she has no money for treatment, so was left to die.

In Bali, if there is no money, there is no treatment, so the charity was able to support her in many different ways by helping towards her treatment and providing food and drink for her, as well as emotional support. Emma is also due to visit an orphanage soon.

She said: “It is definitely a very rewarding experience and I can say I have seen the real Bali.”

Overall, Emma will be spending three months in Bali, including Christmas, despite the recent volcanic eruption of Mount Agung and further eruptions possible.

Emma was keen to assure people that she was safe and still keen to help those who need it, including new refugees.

When the eruption first occurred, Emma was approximately 15 miles away from it. She was enjoying a day off and had decided to go snorkeling. She said: “A fine ash started to fall and they were giving out masks so we left and came back to the capital, Denpasar, which is about 45 miles away.”

She said the tourist areas appear to be safe, because of the vast distance away from the volcano, but that the airport is closed and many more people are being forced to evacuate their homes, unsure of when they may be able to go back. Emma and her fellow volunteers are planning to visit the refugee camps to help with aid and support.

“It hasn’t changed any of my plans as I have come to Bali to help people in need, and they will need my help more than ever.”

She added: “I am currently on the outskirts of Denpasar, which is in the south, and I am very safe. The volcano has not affected me here. When I was in the east, still out of the danger zone, we were given masks due to the light ash falling.

“This week I have been to visit an orphanage, which was an eye opener. It certainly makes you think how lucky we are in the west as our children’s homes would not be like that.

“Next week we will go back to the refugee camps. The last time we visited one of the camps, we gave out food to the children and elderly. We spent a day cooking nasi gorreng, which is a local dish. Another time, we took a barbecue and cooked hot dogs — the first time the kids had eaten a hot dog or seen a barbecue. They are given rice from their government, but it is rationed and not nice quality. We then sat and sang with the children and read with them.”

Emma added: “It is extremely hard for them to leave their homes, not knowing when they can go back, and the damage done to their homes. Unfortunately the charity was unable to feed everyone as they rely on donations.”

Anyone interested in helping or becoming a volunteer should visit www.kingdomchildrenministryasia.co.au for further information.