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Wow, I'm nervous, honestly.
I'm sorry, because my English (is) also not very good.
But I (will) try to tell some stories of my life, my neighbors, my village today.
I'm Gede, was born in Songan village, Kintamani area.
So I'm Balinese, a hundred percent.
Songan village, (is) just a small, remote village, that's located about 1,000 meters above the sea level.
And surrounded by volcanoes, beautiful mountains, lakes.
So, I'm happy, I'm proud of my village, of my areas.
Can you imagine, as a poor and a young boy,
who lived in the middle of the forest of the caldera isolated area.
There is no road access,
no water, no electricity, nothing. No Internet.
What can I do?
Even (more), at a first time when I met -- when I see white people
I'm very scared, I run away.
Because I thought they were a ghost or something,
like a bad spirit.
And I thought: "Oh, maybe human beings only look like me: black hair, bronze skin, none like you."
So I'm very scared.
But as a local boy, I'm very active.
I'm optimist, and I love to learn.
I tried to go to school two or three times, when I was four, when I was three.
But (I was) rejected, because I was still too young.
And one day -- this is my funny story,
they asked (me) to try to reach my ear over my head,
but I'm too small,
my head is still too big for my arm, I think...
So I can not do it,
and instead, I tried to cheat them by grubbing my ear from behind.
I did like this.
And always try to pretend as a big boy.
But again and again, (I was) refused and rejected.
So I went home, and I was crying.
After (coming home from) primary school, my parents asked me to stay home, and I love them.
To take care of their goats and cows.
And then I thought,
"Oh my God, maybe if I stay here,
maybe I could be a cow, too. Or, you know, like a goat, too. Yeah?"
So, and then I said, "No!" I just walked away.
Because I like to keep my study,
I like to continue my school.
So I said "Bye-bye" to friends, my village, and my families.
As I became more successful outside of my village,
and then I'm back home again,
and see people around the remote villages,
my neighbors, my friends who need transportation for the healthcare,
and I start to driving them
to local doctors, to Denpasar hospital.
Everyday. I don't care: in the morning, they call me at night,
they call me in the afternoon,
I just drive them.
And sometimes, you know, my car damaged, because there were so many.
But it's ok, it makes me happy
when I see them smile, when I see them laugh.
I just do it.
And then in the year of 2007, I set up a "Yayasan" (foundation)
or non-profit organization to help the mountain children
with English classes.
My English is not that good, but I try.
And I drive up there with my daughter, Cempaka.
Every Sunday, we start (at) 12 o'clock, and then back (at) about 6 o'clock.
Every Sunday, no matter what, I just drive there with her.
And she speaks very good English,
whose Mom, a big and tall Southern American , is able to help.
She is our great English teacher.
And I'm happy. We are happy.
We are proud of the mountain children.
Their faces are wide (with) smile.
We are very proud of them.
And now they can speak English,
they can practice,
they can write, they can read now.
It makes me proud.
So today, I make a difference.
Thank you.