Reproductive Clinic For Women
Reproductive Health Clinic & Education Program
Serving badung traditional markets in Denpasar Bali since 2004
Yayasan Rama Sesana (YRS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in Bali in 1999. YRS’s Founder/Director is Dr. Luh Putu Upadisari, a medical doctor with many years of experience in reproductive health & HIV/AIDS.
Program Goals:
- Increase community knowledge about reproductive health, and encourage people to practice safer behavior and to use health care services
- Improve community reproductive health with high quality, accessible, and affordable services.
- Support women's empowerment, and equality between men and women.
Program Beneficiaries/Clients
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Women market vendors and laborers
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Male partners of clients, male market workers
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Visitors, shoppers (open to public)
Services and Activities
A. Clinic Services (about 400 a month)
Counselling on reproductive health and anatomy, STDs and HIV/AIDS, violence against women, drug abuse, self breast exam instruction, nutrition, breastfeeding, etc.), pap smear for cervical cancer screening (about 50 clients per month), STDs and reproductive tract infections, examination, testing, treatment, and partner referral (about 100 clients per month), prenatal care, including birth planning, contraception, condoms, referrals for further services or testing, and general health checks.
B. Education and Outreach:
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Monthly educational discussions - a range of topics, facilitated by staff or guest speakers (attended by about 40 people on average)
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Staff outreach workers and 10-15 peer educators (market women) talking to people at all hours of the day and night (reaching about 350 people per month)
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Wide variety of information material (over 500 per month) and also condoms (over 250 per month) distributed, via the clinic and from outreach workers
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Monthly support group for women victims of violence (so far attended by just a few women)
Where to Find Us
The main program clinic is on the top (4th) flor of Pasar Badung market (intersection of Gajah Mada and Jalan Sulawesi, Denpasar, Bali. Our hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday morning 9am to 1pm, Friday night at Adelia Salon (1st floor) 7-11pm. Plese stop by 7 - 11pm. Please stop by!
We are currently developing a new “fund-raising” branch of the clinic to attract higher paying clients for the same high-quality services available from our staff. Soon it will be open. The location is at Jl. Tukad Buaji 37A, Panjer, Denpasar.
Background
Reproductive Health Care Needs - HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have spread throughout Bali, including in the general population. Yet information on HIV/AIDS & STDs is mainly targeted at high-risk groups and does not reach all segments of the population. Women are at risk for STDs/HIV/AIDS even if they are married and monogamous because of the prevalence of high risk behavior in men(e.g., use of sex workers). Furthermore, women suffer more severe consequences (impaired fertility and health) due to biological vulnerability to infection, and the lack of early symptoms of many STDs in women. Other health problems affecting women, such as breast and cervical cancer, maternal death and domestic violence are also common in Bali. However, women tend to put low priority on their health problems. They also tend to have less access to information than men and to be less empowered to protect themselves. Since the bombs in Bali in 2002 and 2005, Bali’s economy has not recovered well, meaning that people have even less money to spend on their health.
Location
Pasar Badung market and it’s neighbor, Kumbarsari Art Market, in Denpasar comprise the largest traditional market complex in Bali and the area is active almost 24 hours a day. The vendors, laborers and customers are generally women, from all over Bali and beyond. We chose this location for the project as we considered it to be a central place to access a very large number of women, providing health services and information which they may not otherwise receive elsewhere since many have very low education and income. With the high number and variety of interactions at the market place, and high mobility and turnover of some vendors, we also considered this place and these women to have a high potential to play a positive role in distribution of important health-related information (printed and verbal) far beyond the market area. In the vicinity of the market at night, there are also a number of female vendors, assistants and laborers who are involved in informal commercial sex. There is also reportedly illicit drug use and dealing.
Funding
BIWA (www.biwabali.org) provided initial start-up funds for the YRS Market-based Reproductive Health program in 2003. This included funding for a preliminary assessment, and funds that went towards establishing the clinic in a space provided by the market administration. BIWA also provided funding for us to begin providing services in January-February 2004 on a part-time basis. The Ford Foundation and Bali Hati Foundation also assisted with start-up funding in 2003; for staff training, a baseline survey of needs (320 market women interviewed), furniture, equipment and supplies. Since March/April 2004, YRS has had major funding for implementation of the clinic services and activities, from YKIP/Bali and World Population Foundation (WPF)/Netherlands.
While YKIP has generously pledged major funding through 2008, as of mid-2006 we no longer have funding from WPF and have supplemented our funding needs with small grants and donations from various groups and individuals in Bali, Jakarta, and internationally - gratefully appreciated!
For 2007 we are in search of about US$15-20,000 which is needed to supplement the YKIP funding so that all services and activities can continue to run.
Support Us!
Make a Donation
Yayasan Rama Senana BRI Acct No. o57101001889501, KCP Diponegoro, Denpasar.
Online (especially from outside Indonesia) see www.yrsbali.org (NB If you do donate in one of these ways, please email, fax, or phone us for accounting purposes, and so that we can follow up by providing you information).
Grants/Funding -
If your organization is interested in assisting the work we do, please contact us for a grant proposal and/or information about the program components that currently need funding.
Be a client of our high quality services, and/or send your friends and domestic helpers! Thank you for paying the full fees - this helps to subsidize low income clients who pay on a sliding scale.
Tel/Fax: +62 361 247363
Email: yrsbali@dps.centrin.net.id
Social Welfare
