All posts by : mwspate

🌟 Ketut Ryzki’s Story: From Street Child to School Manager

My Journey, From the Streets boy to Manager the Bamboo School in Kuta — The Bali Street Kids Projects. My Name is Ketut Riski

My birth name was Ketut Mentik, which means “grow” in Balinese. But my childhood was not one of comfort or ease. I grew up on the streets of Kuta with my younger brother, Wayan. At just 10 years old, I was selling bracelets late into the night, struggling to survive.

Life on the streets was harsh. Hunger was constant, fear never left us, and the future felt empty. We were often chased by security, caught, punished, and even sent back to our village in Pedahan, Karangasem. My head was shaved, cold water poured over me, and I slept on the floor in custody. What I was doing was “illegal,” but I was only a child trying to survive. Many of my friends gave up hope, some turned to crime. I tried to hold on to something better — even though I didn’t yet know what “better” could look like.

That hope found me the day I met Ibu Putu Etiartini. She often came to the streets where I worked, bringing food or ice cream, not just for me but for my brother and friends too. For the first time in Noisy kuta life, someone looked at me with kindness. She invited me to her home in Denpasar for a few nights of rest from the endless work on the streets. Slowly, her home became a safe place — and eventually, her house now is the place for Ykpa Denpasar a children’s home for many kids like me.

One day, she asked me: “What do you want dream and what do you need?”

I didn’t ask for money. I didn’t ask for toys. Because in her place she give me foods, Toys, and safe place for sleep and stay like her own sons to me and my brother. My answer was simple:
“I want to go to school. I want to wear a uniform, like other children.”

And she made that dream come true. For the first time in my life, I sat in a classroom, holding books, playing with friends, and imagining a future. Some teachers looked down on me at first because of my dirty nails, ragged clothes, and thin body. But within weeks, with care and love from Ibu Putu like my mom to me, I became one of the cleanest and smartest children in my class. For the first time, I began to believe in myself.

Today, at 27 years old, I am the Manager of the Bamboo School in Kuta, part of the Bali Street Kids Project under YKPA. Every day, I welcome children who remind me of myself — hungry, scared, but full of potential — and I help them find a better path through education, care, and love.

I am also a husband and a proud father of two. My wife works in a spa, and together we are building a better life for our family. With the help of a kind supporter, I recently started a small tour guide and transport business in Kuta, so I can share the beauty of Bali while supporting my family and giving back to others.

From a street child to a school manager, my journey is proof that education changes everything. With love, opportunity, and support, a life can be transformed. My dream is to keep helping more children step away from the streets and into a brighter, safer future.

👉 If you would like to support my small business, please reach me on WhatsApp: +62 877 4985 3352. and I aslo Driver for people want to tours explore Bali Please contact me if you come to Bali need Driver to see all Bali we can give you good price and contact my WhatsApp.