Wayan Anggriani (Anggie)
Apr 20, 2022
Introducing……. 55 FACES woman #90
Wayan Anggriani (Anggie)
43 years old
From: West Bali
Lives: Lovina (North Bali) since 2005
This is who I am in the world:
I’m just an ordinary, simple and conversative woman. But most of my friends say that I am an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.
I am the Founder of Rice for Bali, which is a charity organisation that I started on the 21st of April 2020. It was a personal challenge as the pandemic began to get rice to feed my local community, through posting on social media for my birthday. I asked that anyone who wanted to send me a card or flowers for my birthday, instead sent those funds so that I could get rice to share with people here in Bali.
I began three weeks before my birthday with a goal to get one tonne of rice. Four days before my birthday I had received 1.8 tonnes of rice. People have continued donating and last year I again celebrated my birthday in the same way. I invited my friends on Instagram to have a charity dinner of 22 to 24 people. I wanted two tonnes of rice and I got almost eight tonnes of rice. I had a house full of rice! People keep donating, most of them, I’ve never met. They’re in their own countries. I invite them to come to Lovina to directly meet the families they feed.
I have now distributed 80 tonnes of rice and built 13 houses. I have given 12 bicycles to children so they can get to school to improve education access. I have given wheelchairs to those with a disability or who have had a stroke, as well as a lot of clothing. I have now founded Rice for Bali, House for Bali, Bike for Bali, Clothes for Bali, and English for Bali.
It is hard to get regular sponsors. I got 30 tonnes of rice from Bintang beer company last month. We had a big event where over 20 journalists attended. They asked me to have a beer and I said “no I don’t drink”, and they asked me if I stilled wanted their donation. I said “yes of course!!” They also donated t shirts and multiplied the money we received from the event. Boom! In two years, this is far more than I expected!
I did this because I’ve been in this situation- I’m not from a rich family and a family from The Netherlands paid for my education. I studied hotel management in Bali and Singapore, but I’ve never worked in a hotel. I worked with someone from England as a restaurant manager and I then met someone from the Netherlands, who took me to Lovina to manage his resort. I also ended up managing four other villas in Lovina, which is how I came to live here.
I then met someone from Melbourne, Australia, who founded an education Non Government Organisation, called Bali Children Foundation and I worked with her for 14 years. We had 1200 kids and I was managing the organisation and travelling a lot. In 2018 I decided to resign because I wanted more time for myself.
I also own a corn factory that I opened in 2010. I import corn and sell it on to chicken farmers to feed their chicken. We have no competitors so we were able to stay open through the pandemic. My parents, who are strong and supportive, run the factory with seven team members. Even though I bring rice to the village, my parents buy their rice from the shop, as they can afford to! I am not rich, but I’m enough. It’s important that if we want to do social work, we need to have our own needs met first, then we can give back. I was a receiver, and now I help.
I then began an English program in my village as I wanted to give back to the kids in my own community. Volunteers from other countries helped me to teach and the kids loved meeting Western people. I sold my wedding ring to buy kids school shoes! (I had gotten divorced beforehand!).
When I couldn’t open the school with the pandemic, I started Rice for Bali. I thought that I was not ready. Of course I was not ready, but I just did it. People helped because they know me or they know someone who knows me and it began. I have always received more than I expected…. I love abundance and abundance loves me! I am super proud of myself through creating this.
Life is so short, I want to spend it wisely. I am happy now- I feel abundant. This is not about money, but how you feel happy in your soul. My life is incredibly full of people who help me to fulfil my mission. I cannot help with my own money, so I share my skill and knowledge. To help is to expect nothing in return. Expectation is not helping. It’s business.
My life is useful. Rice for Bali. Love for Bali.
This is the story that I would like next written for women…
Women, dream big and make it happen! It comes through hard work. Don’t forget to create beautiful things in your life, things that are as beautiful as you. If you believe it, focus, and you will achieve it. The Universe will give it to you and you will manifest your words.
As a human if you say “I’m not ……. yet”… you already did it, you just don’t realise that you have. You might be scared to start or that you will fail, but don’t forget the power of a woman. If you don’t start it, you can’t reach it! As long as you have purpose of life, do it. It’s very simple. We are smarter than what we think, we just have to explore our ability.
Men have stronger positions often, everyone knows this, and they underestimate women’s ability. Women need to speak up. Wake up girl! A woman can be a leader.
This is the next story that I would like to write for myself…
I think I have already created a beautiful life for myself. My life is so colourful and I’ve already done it. Life is magical.
I now have more than 85 villages and Nusa Penida connected with me.
This year for my birthday on 21st of April, my goal is:
100 pairs of school shoes,
100 school bags,
100 pairs of socks,
100 notebooks,
100 pens
Author
Michelle Gardener
Author
Michelle Gardener is a Coach, Author, Yogi, Blogger and Inspirational Speaker. She educates women all over the world in Social Change Leadership and is dedicated to pioneering the most amount of impact possible through helping women create social projects that do good for our world.
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