R.O.L.E. Foundation organized the “Row For Role 2.0 Hyatt to Hyatt” Event in cooperation with Right Reasons Funding. The safety briefing started in Hyatt Regency Sanur on May 5th, 2023, with the registration of race participants, distribution of a gift package consisting of a dry bag, t-shirt, refillable bottle, healthy snack, sustainable product, and towel. On May 6th, early in the morning, participants received energetic snacks and drinks at the beautiful beach sunrise scenery. After the Balinese blessing, rowers set off from the starting line at the Sanur beach. Community-inspired 13+ km canoe race from the picturesque Hyatt Regency Bali in Sanur led through ocean waters to the spectacular Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua, Bali. Despite odd sea currents and treacherous winds, all participants safely arrived at the finish line. The organizing team welcomed rowers with drinks, towels, shoulder massage and necessary help. Everyone was invited to a delicious brunch at Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua, Pasar Senggol and an award giving ceremony with energizing rock band accompaniment. The rowers competed in four categories: Groms Division, Single Division, Double Division and XL Division.

In 2022, the 79 participants of the first edition of ROW FOR R.O.L.E. raised over 900.000.000 IDR, contributing to educating nearly 100 young marginalized women from all over Indonesia.

This year the Event sponsors, race participants, silent auction, and a raffle lottery with appealing awards offered by Bali WISE students have raised a total amount of 1.060.000.000 altogether. This amount contributes to educating 100 marginalized young women in the following intakes.

The race Winners and Top Donors were awarded wonderful prizes and gifts thanks to the Event’s Sponsors and Partners. All funds from this Event based on fair play, fun, and noble sportsmanship will go directly to R.O.L.E. Foundation to support the Foundation’s Bali WISE educational program. The program was designed in cooperation with top Balinese resorts and hospitality specialists to help marginalized young women open an entirely new chapter in their lives as worthy, qualified, and self-confident workers in the hospitality industry.

This year’s Event witnessed a long-awaited dream coming true. Bali WISE received a gift, the song “I Know the Longer Way” by Karl Gart from www.womenofasia.space. Bali WISE intake 53 students sang the song publicly for the first time in history. The song’s lyrics are based on real-life stories of Bali WISE Students and other marginalized women from Southeast Asia. Karl listened to their accounts for years and changed every “you can’t” they are told by their families and societies into “I can,” then finished it with a touch of a melody. The song’s world premiere left some of the Event’s guests and students with tears of emotion.

Quotes From Some Race Participants:

“I feel it’s a great event and a fantastic opportunity to support a really important Bali WISE charity, as well as lots of fun and quite a challenge!”

Mike Webster 

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it’s for an amazing cause! Our friend from Body Factory brought us in, and we had a great time. We are sisters, we raised 8 mil, so we are really happy that we could help!”

Flo Field & Millie Field

“I honestly think this is a great organization to support! These girls are really hard working, and the organization has great integrity. You really see where the money goes and these girls really make something great out of themselves, and I think it’s a great contribution! I was very excited and nervous to be a part of this race. It’s a challenge, 13+ km over the open ocean is not NOTHING! But I’m very proud of having done it!”

Yael

“Great cause, great people, very much needed, and not easy for the participants, so I find it amazing that people are going for the hardship of racing through the open ocean for 13 kilometers for 3 to 5 hours to raise funds for underprivileged people!”

Alexis

“This is my second Row For R.O.L.E.! I’ve been in Bali for four years. What I love so much about this island is these charities, people, and causes! I’ve gotten involved a lot, and I helped DJ and Kat with several events; I am passionate about it to the core. I think the foundation is incredible, I think Women’s Empowerment at the moment is very on-topic, and it’s really exciting, and we bring so much to the world. I’ve seen the girls, their compassion, their humility; they’re smart, they’re beautiful! I’m so honored to support this foundation and to know all the people who are involved with this. Thank you very much for having me!”

Katherine Huskinson

“[What was the most important thing about this event for you?] Of course, Row For Role was number one! I got invited, heard about it, I thought it was fantastic, so I wanted to participate, and I don’t regret anything! It was super fun, it was a very great cause, and I absolutely enjoyed that!”

Anton Brewis

Prize Winners:

ROW FOR R.O.L.E.

The charity event ROW FOR R.O.L.E. is a community initiative to empower the local community through positive action. The event calls people and companies who are passionate about equal rights and opportunities for women, and an environmentally sustainable future for the island of Bali and our planet. The event is open to everyone, even those who have never kayaked before.

The financial support is used by R.O.L.E. Foundation to provide education, job training, and empowerment to marginalized young Indonesian women, provide environmental training for children and youth, clean up the coastal waste to create awareness and share knowledge about sustainable waste management to reduce waste going to landfill and oceans.

R.O.L.E. Foundation

R.O.L.E. Foundation was established in 2007 by Mike O’ Leary.

R.O.L.E. Foundation operates the Bali WISE Program, empowering marginalized young Indonesian women through hospitality training, and creating a better chance of finding employment with fair wages, uplifting them and their families out of the cycle of poverty, and therefore impacting their communities and the island of Bali. Another strong focus of the Bali WISE Program is creating a deeper understanding of self-worth, boundaries and women’s rights in Indonesia, to prepare these young women for a fair and nonbiased future. Bali WISE has educated over 1600 women since its beginnings and with an 87% success rate of job placement with fair wages.

R.O.L.E. Foundation also runs the ZeroWaste Center, focusing on reducing waste ending up on landfills, in rivers and in the ocean, by sharing knowledge about sustainable waste management in daily life through educational programs for public-school children and youth and providing employment for marginalized men and women in the surrounding local community in the permaculture garden and the waste management area.

Websites: https://rolefoundation.org ; https://baliwise.org ; https://zerowastecenter.org

Contact RO.L.E. Foundation

Handoko Rama; +62 857 3860 8278; rama@rolefoundation.org