In the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of Opportunity International Australia next year, founder David Bussau made a special trip back to Bali to reunite with Ketut, the first person he ever loaned a small amount of money to in order to start a business.

In 1976, David, his wife Carol and two young daughters Natasha and Rachel, moved to Blimbingsari, a small village in the west of Bali, to help rebuild a church knocked down in an earthquake.

It was while living in Blimbingsari that David met Ketut, who was one of the men working on the church building project with him. Ketut had explained to David that his family was struggling, but if he had enough money he could buy a sewing machine and his wife Putu could start a sewing business.

Instead of giving Ketut the $50 he needed, David lent him the money, thus sparking a worldwide movement of helping people lift themselves out of poverty through microfinance.

_{David Bussau at the chuch he built in Blimbingsari, Bali.}

Ketut and David’s reunion was full of joy. The two old friends hadn’t seen each other in over 20 years, and they easily returned to conversation and laughter immediately.

“My wife Putu was a really capable sewer, and thanks to her, our family managed to survive,” said Ketut. “We earned money from that sewing machine, which allowed us to afford food and send our children to kindergarten.”

After a few successful years running the sewing business, Ketut saw other business opportunities.

“After seeing a friend doing well financially with his own furniture business, I realised that the furniture business was booming in Bali at the time. That made me consider switching to furniture, even though the sewing business was actually doing quite well.

_{David is reunited with Putu and Ketut, the first ever loan recipients in Bali.}

The sewing business was good, and it helped us a lot. It kept us alive and got us through tough times,” added Ketut. “Still, the spirit and feeling I had when I first received the support from Pak David stayed with me. I worked hard and tried even harder. I ran that business for several years, and now my son, Komang, has taken it over.”

Komang lives in Denpasar and is running the furniture business there. He studied at university and has a degree in computer engineering.

David visited the workshop and met Komang. Being a builder himself, David was impressed with the handiwork, and how Komang has carried on his father’s business.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the furniture business struggled, but Komang managed to stay strong and carry on.

“I’m very impressed with Komang’s initiative and strength to start up again, and I think that’s very admirable,” said David.

_{Komang is running a furniture business in Denpasar, Bali, following in his father Ketut’s footsteps.}

David has definitely left an impression on Ketut and his family, and the whole community in Blimbingsari.

“I learned a lot from Pak David,” said Ketut. “What really stuck in my mind was his strong determination and willpower. When Pak David had a program or a goal, he would work tirelessly until it was successfully carried out. That mindset really stayed with me. There were many other things as well, such as his spirit, work ethic, and his commitment to completing any program or task he started. Those values left a deep impression on me.”

Seeing Ketut and his family almost 50 years on from that very first loan, seeing the generational change that one loan made, is inspiring. With every donation received by Opportunity, another family is being supported to make the steps out of poverty, creating a brighter future for their children.