Gaia Foundation
Gaia-Oasis and the “People of Light”
Gaia-Oasis is located in Tejakula, in the region of Buleleng, North Bali, an area destined for spiritual tourism; “Teja” means light and “Kula” means people. In the past, the people of Tejakula largely fished and made salt for a living. Today, fishing and spiritual tourism are a mainstay of the village.
Yayasan Gaia-Oasis — or “Yayasan” as it is fondly referred to – is the charitable foundation of Gaia-Oasis and works to better the lives and environment of the Tejakula community.
From our humble first step of providing books for local schoolchildren, we now fund 100 annual scholarships for students from poor families, to help them build a better future. Together with One Tree Planted (OTP) and our valued local partner, Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF), we have planted over 40,000 trees since 2020, together with over 100 forest farmers. Starting in 2007, we have worked with local fishermen and Reef Check Indonesia to protect the reef and today, Tejakula with 7 nearby villages manage local marine protected areas measuring 14.040,83 ha along the Buleleng, North Bali coast.
Our Yayasan has worked with the Buleleng chapter of the International Red Cross for over 8 years. We have assisted with over 25,000 refugees during the Mt Agung volcanic eruption, and provided funds and labour for victims of windstorm, earthquakes, landslides and the Covid pandemic in our region. With the Red Cross, we have helped train over 2000 schoolchildren and teachers in Disaster Response. During annual droughts, we have helped truck in water to over 10,000 villagers.
Additionally, Yayasan supports local art, craft, dancing and music, strengthening Balinese customs and people’s links to their spiritual traditions. Repair and maintenance of local Balinese temples, many of which are well worth visiting, is also an ongoing form of service.
Our Yayasan operates under the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs. Our patron is the Bandesa Adat of Tejukula, or Head of the Tejakula Traditional Council. You can read more about our programs here.
Come join many others to visit our property and see our work! For those unable to participate in our programs, why not make a financial contribution ? 10 Euro / USD from you could keep one Tejakula child in school for a month.