Under-educated women in Bangkok face an uphill struggle to survive. Most of our students have come from the Northeast seeking work and are supporting notonly themselves but their parents. Many of our students have dropped out of school in order to support their families and may be pressured into working in the sex industry for economic reasons, when in fact they may be capable of much more. Our typical student:
has never attended university
comes from the poor provinces of Thailand
is single or separated/divorced
has parents or children to support
is making less than 6,000 baht per month
sees learning English as a key to improving her job prospects
is highly motivated to change her life situation
Our students hope to make something of their lives despite having previously been denied any real opportunity to do so. About 20% of our students work in the sex industry, and many more grapple with the decision of whether or not to do so themselves. Many of them see marriage to a foreign man as the only meansof securing their future. For many of them it is not a matter of choice, but of survival for them and their families. For those women facing this choice, Goodwill Group seeks to provide an alternative - a place for self-assessment and learning, and hopefully a first step to a brighter future.
We do not advertise or recruit, yet new students arrive every day with the desire to find the skills to get a better job or just to improve themselves. Many ask about success stories, who have we helped and how? These are best told by the students themselves. While some may not qualify as "success stories" in an economic sense, they do qualify as a success in terms of improved confidence, increased self-esteem and renewed hope.
