The cost of this trip for each volunteer is a tax deductible donation of $450.00 to Global First Responder. This cost includes your round trip airfare and airport transfers from Bali to Flores. Volunteers are responsible for purchasing their own international airfare. Volunteers should not purchase airfare before being notified by their team leader that they have been accepted to the team.
About the Trip: Join Global First Responder as we travel to Flores, Indonesia to provide medical care, nutrition, and much more in small mountain communities. It is important that you read the WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW section below before you apply to this trip!
Your team will be working on the island of Flores in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT). While the entire island has a population of 2,000,000+, the area we working in has a population of about 90,000. Flores is a direct flight from from Denpassar (Bali) as well as other points in Indonesia. You are responsible for booking your own flights to and from Flores to meet the requirements of the team. If you choose to transit through Bali, the host will take of your hotel room for you You will be caring for patients in the mountain communities surrounding Ende who are unable to access care.
Ende, the main town in this area with a population of ~60,000, is not a tourist destination but it is comfortable and relatively modern. It is a major port with volcanoes dominating the skyline. Our host organization, HAND, has identified the team hotel (one of four available) and finalized arrangements for our stay. There are good restaurants in town. Ende is the birthplace of Pancasila – the 5 principle values of Indonesia put in place by the 1st President of Indonesia on 1st June 1945.
This area of the island is dominated by farming and most of our patients, far from the local polyclinic health center, will be located on the mountain hillsides. Water for these communities comes right off the mountains and is clean to drink (our team will have bottled water). We will work side-by-side with the local physician responsible for this area during the trip. They have asked for our help in training healthcare providers including midwives. Some of our training time will be focused on helping the communities care for some of their most pressing issues, such as nutrition, basic wound care, and mentally ill or challenged family members. Most families have 3 or more children and pediatric care and midwifery is greatly needed.
Flores is a large island with many communities up in the hills. The government recently appointed a new physician to head the polyclinic for the 3 main villages. Many children die before the age of 5 due to malnutrition and many of those that survive have physical and mental deficits. In partnership with HAND, GFR (with your help) will be helping to start an on-going nutrition program for children up to age 12that will be administered by the polyclinic to ensure the children receive it.
Our team will work in small villages on the mountainside without access (due to distance and transportation issues) to the polyclinic. These villages generally have 40-100 households with many children. Houses are built mainly with rattan, hay & wood. A typical lunch consists of boiled corn, salted fish & cassava leaves for vegetables – delicious!
We anticipate seeing a lot of general acute illness and less chronic illness in the communities where we will work. Indonesia does not allow medical teams to bring in ANY medications, but the local clinic will purchase what we need for us with GFR funds. This will leave you room in your suitcases to bring in other items valuable to our patients such as reading glasses, flip flops, and other items we will let you know about.
Please see the After the Trip section to read more about the entire island and what there is to do if you extend your stay – including seeing Komodo Dragons!
Sustainability: With your help, GFR provides health education to all patients. In partnership with HAND, a local NGO who has worked in this area for decades, GFR will provide medical care, professional education for providers, and help the communities become better able to care for themselves. We will also partner with HAND to start a nutrition program for children from 1 – 12 years, administered by the local health center.
Check back for more information about other sustainability projects as we continue to plan this portion of our mission.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS TRIP BEFORE YOU APPLY: We want you to be prepared for volunteering and caring for others! Please read this section carefully and make sure that you can participate fully in the following conditions. Our team leaders are for your safety and to ensure that the clinical experience is excellent for our patients and providers – they are not able to change the conditions you are working or staying in!
Physical Conditions: This trip requires good physical condition and general health, including the ability to walk/hike on slippery, mountainous terrain and narrow bridges for more than a kilometer, carrying clinic supplies and your personal gear. The weather conditions will be hot and humid during the day and rain, sometimes heavy, is normal. The evenings will cool off and be much more comfortable than daytime. Please bring your own supply of sunscreen, bug spray, anti-itch and anti-fungal creams along with a rain jacket and good boots. A personal neck fan might be a good idea if you don’t like being hot. Bring plenty of batteries if it is not rechargeable.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Passport: Because GFR is purchasing airfare on your behalf, we require a copy of your valid passport, with 2 blank pages and greater than 6 months to expiration from Oct. 30, 2024, immediately upon acceptance to the team. Please note that the “12 page emergency passport” will not be accepted by Indonesia. A visa is not required for US Citizens. Medical Licensure: Indonesia REQUIRES documentation of your valid medical license and that your license is in good standing. We will require these documents immediately upon acceptance.
Food: There will be limited choice in foods, especially for lunch. In general, fresh fruit, vegetables and salted fish are the local meal. Breakfast and dinner will be in Ende, where there are a few good restaurant choices. The local food is delicious, and you won’t be hungry. You may bring snacks or other personal food with you. Please remember you will also be asked to bring supplies for GFR and for our patients so pack your personal gear accordingly.
Lodging: You will be staying in a simple hotel that will meet the needs of the team. There are limited hotel choices on the island. We will have twin rooms with private bathrooms. There is running hot/warm water, air-conditioning, and electricity. Laundry services will be available locally.
Personal Electronics: Please bring a C or D type plug (see the links on your dashboard) and a charged battery pack.
Arrivals and Departures for the Medical Team: If you choose to transit through Bali, you will need to arrive in Bali, Indonesia (Denpasar, airport code: DPS) by October 31, 2024. The night of October 31 and morning transportation to the airport is covered in your team fee if you transit through Bali. If you choose to transit through other cities, you will need to arrive in Ende, Flores (ENE) on November 1. This is a prep day for the team. You are free to depart from Flores on November 8 for additional sightseeing or to head home.
What’s Included: This trip includes lodging, transportation, translators, drinking water, and all meals for the official dates of the trip. If you transit through Bali, the night of October 31 is included in your fee. Most clinic supplies and any special projects are covered by GFR with a small portion of your fee going to this effort (~$50 – $75). This added cost will help us continue to supply our clinics with everything you need to provide excellent care.
What’s Not Included: Your international airfare, domestic airfare to Flores, snacks and drinks other than water, vaccines, and pre/post trip travel costs and expenses, trip insurance, your online e-visa (if required), and any post- trip adventures you wish to engage in while in Indonesia!
Cost: The cost of this trip is approximately $450.00. We reserve the right to increase or decrease the cost based on our actual cost. You are responsible for purchasing airfare that meets the required arrival and departure times for Flores. We always suggest giving yourself extra time for delayed or cancelled flights and that you purchase trip insurance from a reputable carrier. This trip is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. You or your donors will receive a tax receipt upon making your donation.
How is your cost calculated?: At Global First Responder we strive to keep your costs low and our quality high. We value your participation and willingness to volunteer your time and expertise. Everyone at Global First Responder is also a volunteer, donating their time to administrative tasks and paying their own way to participate in medical and construction missions around the world and here at home. The fee you pay covers the actual cost of your expenses during the trip, including lodging, transportation, meals, and translator fees and expenses. At GFR, no one is paid a salary and everyone is a passionate volunteer, doing our part to help drive our mission of “One Global World, One Global Family”.
After the trip: Close to our location in Ende are some beautiful beaches. Since we are on an island, Blue Stone Beach, a little further away, is covered with beautiful colored pebbles. Another interesting attraction outside of town is the village of Wolotopo. If you enjoy traditional villages, there are lots of traditional houses with thatched roofs, and ancient stone megaliths and tombs.
From the capital of Labuan Bajo (relatively far from our location), is Komodo Island in case a face-to-face with a Komodo Dragon is in your future. There are many tours available to the surrounding islands from the capital with beautiful scenery, snorkling with Manta Rays, diving, and other fabulous things to do. You can fly direct to Bali from LBJ.
Want to head back to city life? Your flight home is through Bali and Bali is as amazing as everyone says it is. The city is fantastic, the massages are legendary, the temples are gorgeous, and the resorts are luxurious with fabulous pools, restaurants, and relaxation opportunities.
Click here to apply for this trip: I want to join the GFR team in Flores, Indonesia!
If this is your first time applying in our application system, please create a login and password. You may use this login and password for all future trips you apply for (and we hope to see you on LOTS of GFR trips!!)
Itinerary:
Prior to October 31, 2024: If you choose to transit through Bali: Plan to arrive in Bali (DPS, Denpassar) so that you can get some rest prior to the start of the trip. If you arrive prior to the official start date for the team (November 1), please plan on having meals and lodging “on your own”. The official start time for the trip is November 1. There will be transport to the airport for you and help getting you checked in for your flight to Flores if you transit through Bali. If you choose to transit from another city: You are required to arrive in Ende, Flores on November 1.
You are required to book your own ticket to Ende, Flores (airport code: ENE) for arrival on Nov. 1 and departure on or after Nov. 8.
November 1, 2024: Arrival on Flores. Your team will meet at the host hotel. Airport transport will be arranged for you upon notification of your arrival time in Ende, Flores (ENE). Upon arrival, we will have a team meeting and prepare medications for easy dispensing in the following days. You will meet our host physician and tour the polyclinic as well as see a little of the town. Depending on arrival time, you will have lunch and/or dinner in Ende. In the evening, there will be a talk on medical importance, community needs, and why are team is so necessary in this region.
November 2, 2024: Today is about education with a visit to women’s home that houses 20 women, all former street workers with many health and mental issues. Your team will be educating local healthcare workers and midwives. Midwifery education is of the highest importance in this area.
November 3 – 4: 2024: Each day that we go to the mountains we will travel by car with an official escort and the polyclinic ambulance standing by. The roads are narrow and steep. It is very likely that we will walk the last portion of the transfer to the villages each day with our gear in hand. Please be prepared with good boots and rain jackets, a snack, and any personal supplies you might need. We will see patients from 2 different villages each day.
November 5, 2024: Today is our fun day! Your team will visit Kelimutu, a well-known tourist destination and the home of 3 volcanoes, including one of the same name, and 3 lakes of different colors. Kelimutu means “the boiling lake” and it is believed to be the resting place of departed souls. It is about 30 miles from Ende with transportation provided. This will be a truly lovely day to thank you and all our volunteers and hosts for the amazing work you have been doing and will continue to do.
November 6 – 7, 2024: We will continue to see patients in the mountain communities on our last 2 days of work. On the evening of November 7, we will have dinner to you, our hosts, and local volunteers for this special trip. You’ll be tired but it will be worth it.
November 8, 2024: Departure day for points unknown! Airport transportation will be arranged for you. If you choose to stay on Flores (or are planning to arrive earlier than the team), we need to know! The Komodo Islands, snorkeling, and more are a short flight or long drive away in Labuan Bajo, the capital of the West Manggarai Regency, one of the eight regencies which are the major administrative divisions of Flores. You’ll need to book a tour for the islands, if that is your choice!