Youth Ambassador, Ruth Gould, a great friend and colleague has just returned after successful completion of her nine month long development program in Cambodia. Ruth was working at the Women’s Media Centre(WMC) and helping women expand their computer skills, creating Video, Radio databases and Web Site development with in-house software updates. She spend a few years of her childhood in PNG (Papau New Guinea) where she grew up following which her family moved to Australia. She spent a good amount of time backpacking through Europe following her Bachelor of Art Hons from the University of Sydney. The adjoining picture is of Ruth and Hean climbing 100+ steps to temples at Phnom Chisor, Takeo Province.
Ruth is bringing her Cambodian journal into her weblog possibly with some photos from her exciting trip, so stay tuned for more updates here
The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development program (AYAD) places skilled young Australian volunteers, aged 18-30, on short-term assignments in developing countries throughout Asia and the Pacific. AYAD was launched in 1998 by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, to strengthen mutual understanding between Australia and the countries of the Asia Pacific and make a positive contribution to development.
Ruth has also been writing an almost daily travelogue during her sojourn in and around Cambodia and a few other parts of South East Asia. Ruth’s brother Ian at the time was on a shorter exchange program in Tanzania and returned to Australia just before Christmas last Year.
I think this a tremendous contribution to society, It is not an easy call to walk away from a modern society and devote ones time and comfort for the good of humanity. Few people realise this call and fewer yet answer the call, but it is these ambassadors of peace that risk their lives, family and loved ones to travel the seven seas to bring forth more hope and understanding to this troubled planet.
The photo: Steps to temples, Phnom Chisor, Takeo, wait till you see more at Ruth’s Weblog!
What a wonderful testimony for peace and understanding between cultures. In this day and time, it is even more important for us to appreciate each other’s differences while realizing that we aren’t all that different in the long run. Brillantly done!
It was a great experience! I learnt a lot about myself too and had a lot of fun.