the gangsa gives back
“cooking for life” for yayasan senang hati, bali

the gangsa has always made a conscious effort to preserve bali’s unique culture through tourism. it is a vision that also shows commitment to socially orientated projects that will benefit the local community. the most recent initiative carried out by the gangsa was entitled ‘cooking for life’ — truly a heartfelt experience and a privilege to give back to those less fortunate.

the ‘cooking for life’ program was created by the gangsa especially for the physically challenged members of yayasan senang hati, a non-profit foundation in ubud that focuses on providing assistance for over 200 disabled children and young adults. the foundation teaches life skills such as painting, carving, sewing, computer competency, english and other necessities that will enable members to integrate into society and achieve financial independence.

the inaugural ‘cooking for life’ session was conducted by the gangsa’s chef sonder and pastry chef dewi on 28th march 2008 at the yayasan senang hati centre. a large number of participants eagerly attended this interactive introduction to the basics of daily cooking using local ingredients. several Indonesian recipes were demonstrated that the students can now easily prepare themselves in a specially adapted kitchen setting.

the program concluded on a positive note as the gangsa took the opportunity to make a donation of cooking equipment and ingredients brought from the proceeds raised in a staff collection. this will enable interested students at the yayasan senang hati centre to continue practicing their culinary abilities.

‘cooking for life’ was scheduled to coincide with two auspicious celebrations on the balinese calendar. saraswati day pays homage to education and knowledge, while nyepi is a day of silence for personal contemplation. both occasions are closely related to the balinese hindu philosophy of “tri hita karana”, which is a concept that seeks to attain harmony between man, the environment and god almighty.

the gangsa is another exclusive haven of kayumanis private villas, who pioneered the concept of exclusive, luxury vacation retreats in bali and in china. inspired by the rustic village setting, the gangsa are 11 spaciously comfortable villas, each impeccably appointed in traditional balinese decor. each villa is set within its own exclusive residential compound which features a private swimming pool, dining & living areas that allow one to seamlessly commune with the refreshing environs.