My Nonprofit Reviews

I am a volunteer at Goodwill and have nothing but great things to say about this humble foundation situated in the corner of a quiet soi. The staff and students alike work really hard in what they do. Coming from Singapore, where I have been privileged enough to receive quality education, I wanted my students to be able to learn the things I did too. My students - the oldest being almost 60 - are hardworking and always willing to learn. Classes run in 3 hour blocks, for example 9 - 12. Many students attend classes on Sundays at 9 am and that's their only free day out of the whole week. How motivated they are inspires me to continue teaching. What I really like about the foundation is that it does not run like a 'school' or 'tuition centre' where only lessons are given and that's it. There are strong relationships being built between the students and volunteers/staff and it makes it cosy to be at the centre where it was informal, relaxing, and fun. The centre also regularly helps to conduct useful workshops (such as Job Interview workshops) and turnouts have been great. The centre posts job listings on a board and helps students with job placement and facilitating interviews with the employers too.

Outside of the centre, Goodwill does outreach programmes to slums and provinces on important skills such as Self Defense and First Aid workshops.

There are many NGOs out there with different cause - and they are all commendable in their own rights. However, for an NGO to specifically seek to empower disadvantaged women is the first that I've come across in Thailand. It is a cause close to my heart and given how vulnerable these women are (in terms of getting into the wrong trades), I really hope that Goodwill can be given its due recognition and continue to expand and help more women in Thailand, especially those who moved from the rural areas into Bangkok, in hope for a better job.