Scholars of Sustenance is a food rescue organization focused on the collection and redistribution of surplus food. Since the pandemic there has been a significant drop in the quantity of quality of surplus food coming in from the normally flourishing tourist destination.
As the pandemic continues to halt tourism and travel across the planet, Southeast Asia’s most popular tourist destination, “Bali” has hundreds of thousands of residents without access to life’s basic necessity of food.
Scholars of Sustenance decided in early March 2020 to shift gears as the people who need aid grows exponentially every day. They faced the pandemics effects on the economy head on by launching various programs including the “SOS Rescue Kitchen” that currently cooks and distributes over 2000 meals per day and the “SOS Village Outreach Program” where they distribute 200 Care Packages filled with basic necessities: cooking oil, rice, vegetables, eggs, tempe and extra items we have been given by generous donors. These care packages are designed to be enough for 4-6 days of food.
Amidst the pandemic and hunger one Organization “Scholars of Sustenance” finds a way to provide even more relief in rallying the community together for the first ever Million Meals Paddle.
The paddle itself was a grueling challenge of body, spirit and mind in a self-sacrificial journey across the Indian Ocean. The paddle was essentially a race from the white sandy shores of the Kuta Airport to the final destination of the world-famous surfing beach Batu Belong. The surfboard paddle line was 10+ KM and paddlers had to combat the elements of waves, wind, heat and on the day torrential rain. The mission of the event was for the paddlers to give their all in an attempt to “bring back the spirit of Bali”.
The Million Meals Paddle gathered 60+ “Bali Lovers” from across the planet to rally their networks in raising funds for the people of Bali. The event itself started with registration and breakfast at the beautiful “Pantai Jerman” in Kuta, Tuban and finished with an incredibly entertaining awards ceremony at the trendy “Oldmans” bar in Batu Belong. SOS worked closely with the Indonesian authorities in maintaining social distance protocols and assuring all necessary safety protocols were in place and with SUP/FOIL Bali alongside Baliwasita Badung (Life Guards) who all made sure that every paddler made it from one beach to the other safe and sound.
The SOS projects manager and event organizer “DJ Denton” said “the event was absolutely amazing as the paddlers brought a unbelievable energy into the event and due to their efforts, gave SOS the opportunity to bring back the spirit of Bali”. The incredible energy and success of the event convinced SOS to hold The Million Meals Paddle annually in order to recreate the magic and relive the day that captures the spirit of Bali and brings people together for a common cause.
SOS is honored to have been able to facilitate The Million Meals Paddle Event and wouldn’t have been able to do so without the support from so many people, sponsors, organizations and of course the amazingly dedicated participants.
For more information on Scholars of Sustenance Bali and what they’re doing, please check out their Instagram @sos.indoneisa1 or check out their website www.scholarsofsustenance.org where you can join their efforts in feeding the people in Bali.
