Yayasan Goodwill International

YAYASAN GOODWILL

INTERNATIONAL BY Mare Harvey

Since 1999 Yayasan Goodwill International (Goodwill) has helped 1007 students graduate from university, either from the University of Indonesia (UI) or Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB). Goodwill gives scholarships to students who have demonstrated good grades, leadership, and community spirit, but don’t have the financial means to finish. Their mission is to provide financial assistance, leadership training, and advice to help the students graduate and reach their true potential.

Students are required to complete at least 40 hours of leadership training, attend an orientation session, and a twoday retreat with special training including team building and a public speaking competition. I volunteered to help coordinate the Leadership Training Program (LTP) for this year. I have helped find sponsors for students, find speakers for the LTP sessions, attend sessions, have given two presentations myself, and helped with a marketing plan.

I work with the director Ibu Mien Wibowo. She is dedicated and enthusiastic, acting as a mother and mentor to the students, and has been with the program since the beginning. She can always use more sponsors and LTP presenters if you would like to help. My husband and I sponsored a student for R8.5 million for one year, and we both enjoyed giving our presentations. The presentations were on topics such as communications, public speaking, emotional health, and resume writing.

I got involved in this project because it is a “pay it forward” charity. The alumni who graduate are very active in helping other students who graduate behind them. The alumni help sponsor future students and volunteer to help in the LTP. The cycle continues as more new students graduate.

The British Women’s Association graciously sponsored 6 students this year, and has been a consistent supporter of the program over the years. Long-time member Tish Odwyer has helped choose the BWA Goodwill students for many years.

Please contact me at billandmare@mac.com if you would like to volunteer or sponsor a student. The students are amazing and this has been a very rewarding opportunity for me.

MOVIE & TV

Flick

EXTRACTION An action flim, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is a mercenary living in the Australian Outback, drinking too much and trying to forget his past. When Ovi Mahajan Jr., teen son of imprisoned Indian drug kingpin Ovi Mahajan Sr. is kidnapped and held for ransom by Amir, the biggest drug lord in Bangladesh, Rake is offered the mission to rescue the teen and return him to safety. Desperate for money, and finding little worth living for, Rake accepts the mission and soon lands in Dhaka. After escaping a kidnap attempt by Amir's crew and then rescuing Ovi, Rake must fight against not only more of Amir's people, but also the police and military authorities paid off by Amir, and Ovi's former bodyguard, who might also be trying to steal Ovi from Rake in order to protect his own family. Read full review on commonsensemedia.org

GLOW BY Diana Grieger

behind an 80s wrestling franchise. The Dramedy is about finding your voice and not letting yourself be put in a box. It is about Women’s Empowerment and Friendship, with a perfect mix of funny and emotional Ruth Wilder is a struggling actress who is desperate to work, but not yet desperate enough for porn. Instead she ends up on a Women’s Wrestling TV Show called GLOW - the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a Show with real and eccentric women in all shapes and sizes, from different backgrounds each with a unique story. And in case you wonder: yes - there are a lot of entertaining 80s outfits involved too. Enjoy this wonderful, honest, ridiculous Gem on Netflix.

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AFTERLIFE

Need a new Netflix Show to binge whilst Social Distancing? Then we have a good one for you: Glow is set in 1985 in Los Angeles and is inspired by the story

Coming back for another season, this comedy series starring Golden Globe winner Ricky Gervais (who also directs and writes) as Tony Johnson whose life was turned upside down after this wife, Lisa died. After that tragic event, the formerly nice guy changed. After contemplating taking his life, Tony decides he would rather live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes. He thinks of it as a superpower -- not caring about himself or anybody else -- but it ends up being trickier than he envisioned when his friends and family try to save the nice guy that they used to know. Brilliant acting with several real laugh out loud moments.

PODCAST

CALL YOUR GIRLFRIED When you miss your besties back home and just want to talk to her, turn on this podcast for a hit of fellowship. Instant BFF’s, Ann Friedman, a journalist and Aminatou Sow, a digital strategist met back in 2008 in D.C. at a “Gossip Girl” viewing party, then they later moved to opposite ends of the country, but since May 2014, they kept in touch via CYG. Each episode chatting about both light and heavy topics in this funny and resonant conversational podcast. They cover so many bases – current events, what we should do about body hairs to books they love, and even sex education.