MikeLigalig.com

by pna

A teacher, an accountant and a business management specialist are among nine passionate young Australians who will begin working with local organizations this month through the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) Program, the Australian embassy in Manila announced.

The AYAD Program is the youth stream of the Australian Volunteers for International Development Program, an initiative of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) that deploys skilled volunteers to live and work in developing countries as part of the Australian government’s overseas aid program.

Newly-arrived Australian volunteer, Marie-Louise Batenburg, is a secondary school teacher who has started work as a Community Education Project Officer based with the Department of Education (DepED) in Tigaon, Camarines Sur.

Marie-Louise will be involved in monitoring and evaluating a pilot program to support people of all ages to experience learning outside the formal education system.

“The program has the potential to reach people who previously would not have been able to access any form of education. I hope to support the program to be successful and sustainable for Camarines Sur,” she says.

“Though I have only been living in the Philippines for a short time, I have been welcomed with open hearts and homes. The kindness of the Filipinos has made my transition here from Australia so much easier.”

The other volunteers and their respective assignments are Tania Groba (Community Education Officer, DepED Calabanga); Kerry Lomas (Education Program Assistant, Gawad Kalinga); Matthew Jones (Financial Support Officer, Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation Inc.); Caroline Duyvestyn (Program Support Officer, Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation Inc.);

Adam Smith (Product Development and Marketing Officer, Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation), Claire Holland (Capacity Development Officer, Panaghugpong sa Gagmayng Bayanihang Grupo sa Oriental); Alexandra Pinti (Business Development Services Officer, Simbag sa Pag-Asenso Inc.); Karen Taranto (Policy Development Officer, Local Government Unit of Gubat).

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said, “The Australian government’s development cooperation program aims to help improve lives of Filipinos and we work closely with the Philippine government to deliver aid where it is most needed and most effective. Australian volunteers contribute to this goal through the sharing of skills and the building of local capacity of our partner Filipino organizations and communities.”

“Volunteering overseas is one way that Australians can make a positive contribution to poverty reduction, sustainable development and cross cultural understanding. They develop a strong understanding of local and cultural issues and build effective professional and personal relationships that help them to share skills and knowledge.”

In the past 12 years, over 200 Australian volunteers have worked with Filipino organizations in the areas of: sustainable agriculture; community development and sustainable livelihoods; education; youth development; persons with disabilities; environmental sustainability; governance; and human trafficking.

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