Batu Bambu Kids Foundation – Kuta, Lombok (2025)

Hello everyone, my name is Lena, and I’ve been with Roland Berger for three years, working in our Financial Services practice. This year, I had the privilege of joining our Social Fellowship program, spending three months in Lombok, Indonesia, to support the Batu Bambu Kids Foundation – a local initiative dedicated to education, creativity, and community empowerment.

Why I chose the Social Fellowship

When I first learned about the Social Fellowship program, I was immediately drawn to the idea of combining hands-on social engagement with the chance to immerse myself in a completely different cultural context. After three years of working on strategic and organizational projects, I wanted to apply my skills in a different context – to experience impact more directly, contribute to a community initiative, and learn from local collaboration, resilience, and resourcefulness.

Our mission – “We are the future”

At Batu Bambu Kids Foundation, we believe that children are the future – and that giving them access to education and creativity opens doors to a better life. Many families in Lombok cannot afford school fees, which means that countless children have no access to formal education and remain trapped in poverty.

Our goal is to break this cycle by providing free access to learning opportunities, especially English, which is one of the most valuable skills for future employment in tourism and hospitality on the island. Beyond language, we aim to build confidence, curiosity, and environmental awareness – helping children understand that their future and the island’s future are deeply connected.

My experience on the ground

When I arrived in Kuta this year, the foundation was in a difficult phase: the founder had passed away, activities had stopped, and only a few children were still coming. Together with two local teachers – who soon became close friends – I started to rebuild the foundation from the ground up.

We organized a registration day to reach out to families across the community, introduced clear weekly structures, and relaunched the first classes. Step by step, the number of participating children grew – and with it, their confidence and motivation.

Within three months, we went from just a handful of attendees to over 50 children aged 4 to 18, who now regularly join our English and German lessons, environmental education sessions, creative art workshops, yoga, swimming, and surf lessons.

To make these experiences possible, we built collaborations with local cafés, surf schools, yoga studios, and other community initiatives such as Indonesia Biru (focused on ocean protection) and Lombok Dogs (supporting animal welfare). These partnerships helped us bring the children into inspiring local environments – for example, spending mornings learning about plastic waste and sustainability at the beach, or visiting cafés that offered space for creative sessions. The goal was not just to teach lessons, but to create experiences that opened perspectives and gave meaning to learning.

Leadership and cultural learnings

Rebuilding the foundation required a completely different kind of leadership – one rooted in trust, empathy, and patience rather than structure or control. In consulting, we plan projects months in advance, define milestones, and expect measurable outcomes. In Lombok, I quickly learned that time and priorities follow a very different rhythm. When you ask about tomorrow’s plans, the answer is often: “Only God knows.”

At first, this unpredictability challenged every instinct I had developed in my professional life. Meetings started late or sometimes not at all, lessons had to be rescheduled at short notice because of ceremonies, heavy rain, or power cuts. But slowly, I realized that flexibility is not inefficiency – it’s a form of resilience. People here adapt constantly to life’s circumstances, focusing on what’s possible in the moment rather than what was planned weeks ahead.

To lead effectively in this environment, I had to let go of my structured mindset and lead through connection instead of coordination. Success came from listening, understanding personal motivations, and celebrating small wins rather than enforcing plans.

Beyond leadership, living and working in Lombok gave me a profound appreciation for community life and culture. Over time, I began to understand the Sasak culture, which is deeply rooted in Muslim traditions, humility, and collective values. At the beginning, I made many small mistakes – but each of those moments became a lesson in empathy and respect.

What helped me integrate was curiosity and genuine openness – taking time to learn the Bahasa language, to understand customs around prayer and celebration, and to show appreciation for the values that shape everyday life. Slowly, I stopped being “the foreign volunteer” and became part of the community.

The sense of togetherness here is unlike anything I have ever seen. People share what they have, raise each other’s children, and celebrate the smallest joys together. Support is not something you ask for – it’s given naturally.

Experiencing this changed how I see collaboration in consulting. It reminded me that successful collaboration is built on trust, respect, and genuine care for one another – values that are as powerful in a village classroom as they are in a project room.

Reflections

My three months at Batu Bambu Kids Foundation were one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I witnessed how education and creativity can rebuild hope – and how each small step can make a tangible difference.

Working alongside the two local teachers, who now continue running the foundation with passion and care, showed me what sustainable change truly means.

I am deeply grateful to Roland Berger for enabling this experience and for fostering a culture that values social impact beyond our professional lives. And to everyone at Batu Bambu Kids Foundation – thank you for your warmth and strength.