A Bali Crowdfunding Project Links Traditional Products to Orphanage Support

Bali-Balian, a brand operated by the Japanese company furikake LLC, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE to bring traditional Balinese culture and natural products to Japan. The project is rooted in 14 years of orphanage support activities led by a local partner known as "Hiromi," who first visited Bali's orphanages in 2012. After the orphanage suffered a fire and later flood damage, the support evolved from one-time donations into a business model aimed at creating a sustainable cycle of local employment and income.

The campaign's core products include traditional herbal jamu, sun-dried Bali Salt, specialty coffee from the Kintamani highlands, and handmade hijabs sewn by orphanage children from recycled Japanese kimono fabric. These are positioned not as typical souvenirs but as products designed to generate ongoing employment and funding for the orphanage.

Reward tiers range from a 3,000 yen thank-you email to a 300,000 yen corporate design support package. Funds raised will go toward establishing continuous procurement and import systems, compensating children for their handwork, and covering packaging and shipping costs. For tourists and residents in Bali, the project offers insight into how local cultural and natural resources are being turned into products, as well as the realities of orphanage support in the region.