SPONSORSHIP
Education in Bali? Where to start? In the past few years we have been establishing our education program in schools. Our main focus has been local elementary schools, but we have also been visiting international schools, high schools and orphanages to educate students on the importance of taking care of their animals. Our aim is to create positive relationships with teachers and principals so we can return to educate multiple classes and year levels.
Our first lesson plan involves talking about BARC’s work so students have an understanding of our organization, we follow this by talking about ‘what do dog/cats need?’ an adaptation of the internationally recognized ‘5 freedoms of Animal Welfare’. We engage the students by brainstorming how they can take the best care of their animals and animals within their community by promoting the positives of vaccinating and sterilizing and preventative care such as worming and tick treatments.
At the start of 2015, we have incorporated the mission of Joey’s Law into our curriculum. Our staff member tells the story of Cinta, who was rescued after being dumped skinny with a fly-infected sexually transmitted cancer. We use her story to put a face to the suffering a dog endures from living in a cage and being exploited by a puppy farmer. Cinta advocates that jail is for criminals not for dogs, and that dogs do not belong in cages or on chains.
We have another lesson plan called ‘Be a friend to your Dog’ an adaptation of the AMRRIC learning material for remote Aboriginal (Indigenous Australian) communities. This lesson teaches the basics of recognizing dog behavior by differentiating a happy dog from a scared or possibly aggressive dog. We also discuss what factors make a dog happy, scared or aggressive. By teaching the children about dog behavior, they can learn to be confident around dogs and avoid being bitten. This is particularly important, as Bali still has rabies present on the island.We also will be conducting teachers’ education sessions to promote their position as role models for kind treatment of animals in their schools. Also we will be organizing Banjar (local community) education sessions for adults, as compassion starts at home. In the future we wish to expand our education program to include lesson plans educating student on the horrors of the illegal species trade and wildlife are not pets. We also plan in the future to organize field trips to our sanctuary Warrior’s Legacy so students can experience Bali’s first multi-species sanctuary promoting preservation of the Bali dog and kind treatment to all species.We cannot do this without the help of our global community. Become an EDUCATION DAY SPONSOR to help us educate the next generation so animals in the future are respected not abused.