DENPASAR – The social commitment of the tourism company Intrepid DMC Indonesia has been proven again through collaboration with the social institution Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Indonesia.
This collaboration aims to overcome the problem of food shortages while reducing food waste in major tourist areas such as Bali and Jakarta.
This step is also to educate tourists about the importance of food security issues in Bali and Indonesia.
Through the Intrepid Foundation, a philanthropic institution owned by Intrepid Travel Group, the company will support SOS in two main aspects: increasing awareness about food security, and fundraising from tourists who use their travel services in Indonesia.
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As part of the campaign, around 50 people, consisting of Intrepid staff in Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor Leste, conducted an advocacy walk in the Sanur area on Friday (14/3/2025) afternoon. SOS staff and tourism actors also participated in this activity
“Starting this year, we are giving an initial donation of 5,000 US dollars to SOS Indonesia. In addition, every donation from tourists will be doubled. If someone donates 100 dollars, Intrepid will increase it to 200 dollars,” said Ravindra Singh, General Manager of Intrepid Indonesia.
According to Ravindra, this program is part of the long-term mission of the Intrepid Foundation, which since 2003 has supported various social organizations around the world. “We believe that no one in the world should go to bed hungry,” he said.
Distribution of Consumable Food for Vulnerable Citizens
SOS Indonesia is a non-profit organization that focuses on food rescue from hotels, restaurants, and retailers, then distributes it to orphanages, people with disabilities, and low-income communities.
“We rescue an average of 300 to 500 kilograms of food every day, and it can reach one ton if we get raw materials such as rice or oil,” said Ni Luh Putu Juniari, SOS Indonesia representative.
In Bali, SOS has partnered with more than 100 hotels and food retailers, such as Hard Rock Hotel, Papaya, and Nutrifood. Meanwhile, in Jakarta—which only started operating in 2023—there are around 50 partners.
Juniari explained that food donations can be in the form of cooked food from the hotel buffet, or raw materials that are then processed in the SOS kitchen, such as through the Rescue Kitchen and Healthy School Meal programs. “Our team has been trained to select food that is still fit for consumption,” she said.
Currently, SOS has three vehicle fleets and an operational team of around 15 people in Bali. Food distribution is carried out routinely according to region. For example, Karangasem and Buleleng receive monthly deliveries, while Tabanan and Klungkung receive weekly distributions. The Denpasar and Badung areas receive daily distributions.
Need Operational Funds, Collaboration with Intrepid is a Breath of Fresh Air
So far, SOS has been better known as a food rescue organization. However, they also need operational funds to support daily activities such as gasoline, toll fees, and vehicle maintenance.
“This collaboration with Intrepid is very meaningful because apart from food, we also really need funds for operational continuity,” said Juniari.
Since its founding in Bali in 2017, SOS Indonesia has saved more than 6.4 million portions of food and reduced potential greenhouse gas emissions by 3,300 tons of CO₂ equivalent—a positive impact of not throwing food in the trash.
On a separate occasion, Biheng Zhang, General Manager of the Intrepid Foundation, The Intrepid Foundation added, “No human being deserves to be hungry when there is food that will be wasted. Scholars of Sustenance Indonesia addresses this issue directly in the field and we are proud to support them. This is not just about food, it is about how we think about waste and ensuring that people get the food they need.”
This Intrepid-SOS collaboration is a concrete step to expand the food rescue movement, build tourist awareness, and create a sustainable social impact in Indonesia, especially in densely tourist areas such as Bali. ( mybalinews/RLS )
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