From Flores to Komodo – A Success Story of Beautiful Journey

Maria Magdalena Ngurah No is from Flores, Eastern Indonesia. Her father works as a farmer earning less than $100 USD per month. Her parents work hard to ensure Maria and her six siblings can get an education. Maria graduated from high school and majored in English. She chose the language program because she knew that being able to communicate in English would help her to find a job. When she was in high school, she won a competition and received a scholarship from the government which helped her recieve her high school diploma. A few months before she graduated, she heard about Bali WISE program from the recruitment officer who came and visited her school in Flores in October 2016. Thinking this would be a great opportunity for her, with the support of her family she decided to join the Bali WISE program. In July 2017, Maria started her education at Bali WISE. This was her first time of being away from her family but with the determination and motivation she went through the process at the Bali WISE and hoped that after she graduates she will have a good job so she can support her family and finance her sibling’s education. During her time at Bali WISE, Maria often was a mentor to her other friends by helping them study English. During the first semester, Maria found her passion for cooking and decided to join the 3 month internship at the Ayana Resort and Spa in the Culinary Department. Maria gained a lot of experiences during her internship. Back in her hometown she was only used to cook using the wood fire, but since she joined the training she learned how to use kitchen equipment such as: oven, griddle, deep fryer, meat slicer, and food processor which she had never seen in her life before. Apart from that she also learned how to prepare food for the guests. During her internship, she was known to be a disciplined and hard worker with a positive attitude. Before she completed her training, she received an employment offer from the education partner to work at the Ayana Resort in Komodo, Flores as a cook. Maria is currently joining the 3 month staff training at the Ayana Resort and Spa in Jimbaran, Bali and will be placed in Ayana Komodo, Flores in August 2018.