A WA Police team has been using its fundraising efforts to help change the life of a young Balinese child with special needs.
Centre D Team of Police Operations collects donations on its last night shift every rotation with the aim of providing an education to the Balinese student, Putu Risma.
The proceeds are distributed to three charities, Legacy Australia, Police Legacy and the WA-run charity, AdoptASchool.
According to the police AdoptASchool was originally a bridging program designed to keep children in school following the 2002 Bali bombing and the subsequent loss of jobs and income for parents.
In time, many of these parents regained work as the tourist industry in Bali recovered, meaning their children were no longer eligible for sponsorship.
The Police said that today the charity was still active assisting struggling families with financial assistance by paying the children’s education bills with the equivalents of $150 (primary school) and $200 (high school) per annum.
The financial assistance is paid directly to the school and includes the student’s school fees, uniform and books for that year.
In a statement, WA Police said this was when D Team stepped in to sponsor Putu’s education.
“He was born without hands and the team wanted to ensure his access to education was able to be accommodated,” the Police said.
“In addition to paying for his education for the past three years, D Team members have also provided a refurbished laptop and a custom-designed school bag which Putu can open and close,” they said.
