On Tuesday June 14 Past President Robbie and Past President Conchita met with Robert Epstone from the UK and Beat Schmidt de Gruneck from Switzerland who are both Bali residents and are now the Sole Men Indonesia. They have abandoned shoes for a barefoot walk to be in solidarity with the poor and homeless children in Indonesia, and to raise money for the health, education, and safety of children. The first ‘Sole Men Indonesia barefoot walk’ started on Kuta Beach, Bali, on June the 5^th and is expected to take round 30 days. This will be followed up by further barefoot walks around Indonesia on the islands of Sumba, Sumbawa, Flores and Java.

In Lovina the ‘Sole Men’ gave their feet a well deserved rest at the ‘Padang Hotel’, where we met on a sunny afternoon.

The owner of the Padang Hotel, Mangku Made Ariawan is the chairman of the ‘Sole Men Foundation’ and both Mangku Ariawan, and Robert Epstone, are members of the Rotary Club of Bali Seminyak. Robert lived in China before moving to Bali two years ago. On his last trip to China in October last year, Robert met with friend, Arthur Jones, an Englishman who lives in China and who has embarked on a year-long mission to live his life barefoot. Arthur calls himself the "Sole Man”. He decided to go a year without shoes out of solidarity for the poor and underprivileged kids and to raise funds for children libraries. Robert explains:”Arthur’s initiative inspired me and the idea started to take place in my head to do something similar in Indonesia. When I spoke with Beat, who I know through a Buddhist organzation, he said “ if you do it, I will do it”, and at the same moment we both took off our shoes.

They are walking with a team of four people now but sometimes children and friends walk with them. The Sole Men with the help of Rotarians in Indonesia intend to raise half a million dollars. Al Purwa, the Governor of Rotary District 3400 (all of Indonesia) was present when the Sole Men started their walk at Kuta Beach two weeks ago, and said “Rotary International Indonesia supports the Sole Men, and all the money (raised) will be given to the underprivileged children of Indonesia”.

Answering a question from a journalist about what made the Sole Men project so special, District Governor Al Purwa answered “For Rotarians ,in our hearts our aim is doing good in the world, and the Sole Men are doing good in the world by helping others. They will feel happiness by helping others. That is why The Rotary international Organization’s motto is, Service above self, which means that by helping others you feel happiness”.

On their walk around the island the Sole Men visit schools and orphanages with a doctor and a nurse who do workshops with the children on the topics of health and hygiene. Rotary Club of Bali Lovina has volunteered to help setting up these meetings in our area. And who knows, maybe we will have fit members who will join the ‘Sole Men’ on parts of their walks.