Maria is from Flores and the first of three siblings. Her parents are farmers but since their own revenues were not sufficient at all, they depended on working on other farms as well. Especially when Maria was a child, her father was often sick, so only her mother could work to make some money, which was only around IDR 300,000 per month (approx. USD 22).
Maria’s dream was to become a police woman, but her parents could not afford to pay the school. Nevertheless, she still kept her spirit and wants to become successful in life which is why she joined Bali WISE for receiving further education and skills training.