Suwandi Foundation’s Pioneer

B.A.L.I. Club

Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

“The Student EXP fest: one of the first events I attended on campus at LMU. Little did I know, this experience would play a major role in the impact I have made at LMU. As I was walking along looking at all the opportunities to join various different clubs, I felt overwhelmed. I then stumbled along a smaller looking booth, but something about it caught my eye. I began to have a conversation with the students running the booth and learned all about the club. I learned that the mission of B.A.L.I club was to raise money and awareness to assist in providing educational opportunities for the underprivileged children of Indonesia. I was immediately interested in the opportunity and I signed up. Fast forward six months, looking back to this first day, I realize how many different people I have had the privilege to impact. By fundraising on campus, we have raised over $6,000 this year, with all the proceeds going to the underprivileged kids in Bali. We built a roof for a classroom, donated white boards and chairs, and many other items we usually take for granted at a private University. However, this does not factor in the impact we truly made on campus at LMU. We have realized that the club is helping raise awareness to hundreds of peers throughout LMU, and they are all on board to support this cause with us. This truly showed the amount of impact a group of a few students can have on campus here at LMU and in a country thousands of miles away.”