Women's Foundation of Nepal

"We begin to die the day we start being silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr

I’m currently interning with an incredible organisation, The Women’s Foundation of Nepal. While my focus is on business development and microfinance, it has come to my attention that one of their key projects is at risk of being terminated due to external funding coming to an end this month - time to put on my fundraising hat.

The Women’s Foundation requires approximately $20,000 US to continue operating their two child day care centers located in Kathmandu and Jhapa. I intend on using this blog as a means to disseminate information about women’s issues in Nepal, the Women’s Foundation as well as a the plight of the child day care centers. With all my heart, I’m calling out to you to help support this organisation and their extraordinary work.

As The Women’s Foundation's website is not currently equipped to accept donations (and I am not computer savvy enough to fix it myself), I have created a 'My Cause' account (linked below) that people can donate through.If you would rather donate directly into the Foundation's account through an international bank transfer, please contact me and I will provide you with the details.

http://www.mycause.com.au/mycause/raise_money/fundraise.php?id=49361

If larger donors would interested I am able to forward you a break-down of the budget.

www.womenepal.org

Women’s Development in Nepal
The women of Nepal face a wide range of discriminatory practices that cloud their entire existence.

Most marriages in Nepal are still arranged, meaning that the woman has little or no control about her life partner. Within her in-laws family she typically has no status. She is given the menial jobs, and works long hours with little gratification. Once she has children, her work load isn’t lessened. Instead, the traditional role of a wife is to both take care of the kids and continue to contribute to the family income through back breaking labor in the fields.

If her husband dies the Nepali woman faces the horrors of widowhood, which in many villages means being completely ostracized. Widows are often kicked out of their in-laws homes. If they are allowed to remain, they are given ever-decreasing portions of food and resources. In past times, widows would often be burned to death on their husband’s funeral pyre. Since husband and wife are supposed to become 'one', the logic was that a widow is only half a person, and so would obviously want to kill herself to remain with her other half. While widow-burning is no longer common, the underlying assumption still exists. To be a widow in Nepal is to live a half-life.

Often widows in Nepal are termed "bokshi", or witches, and are subject to extreme abuse and discrimination. Many of the victims have led very difficult lives, and once accused of being a 'bokshi', are beaten, tortured, or forced to commit degrading acts such as eating human waste, or the meat of other humans.

Further discrimination of women is seen in the traditional treatment of women who are on their period. During menstruation they are considered 'unclean', and so are cut off from participation in daily life. In extreme cases they are sent out to live in a cow shed for a week. They aren’t supposed to touch food or water, and instead have to wait for someone to bring it to them. They are not permitted to take tikka (a blessing which takes the form of red powder placed on the forehead) or enter a temple. They’re not even supposed to touch any other people. Thankfully these conditions have started to change, but particularly in rural Nepal there are still many areas where traditional practices are still common.

In Nepal the social acceptance of violence against women is still wide spread. A recent study by SAATHI shows that up to 81% of women in rural Nepal are victims of domestic abuse.

According to the latest statistics, a woman is raped every 54 minutes somewhere in Nepal. Unfortunately, most of these rape cases never come to light because the women and their families do not allow them to. No police case is filed, no trial takes place and no one is brought to justice. Shock, shame and fear of both social stigma and of being raped again as a reprisal dissuade the majority of rape victims from reporting the crime. Even if a girl and her family are bold enough to file a complaint, they must have a doctor’s report to register the case as a rape case. Most doctor’s will refuse to include rape in their reports because it would mean they would have to go to court and testify – on their own time. If they do manage to register the case, Nepalese rape laws are so inadequate that prosecution is difficult. In order for a rapist to be convicted, the victim must prove in an open court that the rapist sexually penetrated her. Not only is this very difficult to prove, but it is also embarrassing for the victim.

In addition to challenges in trial, victims face a prevailing chauvinistic view that rape is not all that big an issue since a girl is going to have sex anyway. Rape only means that she has it earlier than she otherwise would have or that she isn't too happy about the conditions in which it occurred.

The history of women’s rights in Nepal is not a cheerful one, but the country currently stands at a crossroads which could lead to a far more equal society.

The Women’s Foundation of Nepal
The Women's Foundation of Nepal (WFN) is a non-profit organization who's mission is to help regardless of caste, religion or race. WFN strives to alleviate problems through increasing public awareness of opportunities for economic and social development and by fostering social responsibility and self-reliance in developing villages.

Child Care Centers
The Women’s Foundation of Nepal runs 2 Child Care Centers (in Kathmandu and Jhapa). The centers allow parents with low incomes to leave their children in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment while they (parents) go to work, while the children get the chance to learn how to read and write, interact with their peers, and learn important social skills.

Rationale
For many children in Nepal, a safe and loving environment in which to grow up is not a reality. A combination of poverty and conflict has wreaked havoc in many homes, both in urban settings and in the rural areas of the country. The net result has been a rapid and large movement of migrants from the hill regions and villages into Kathmandu, all in search of employment. Many single mothers who needed to work either had to take their children to work with them (tied on their backs or staying nearby) or leave them unattended at home. Either option is very unsafe. There are many cases of children being killed in accidents while their parents had to leave them to go to work. One example which illustrates this is the case of Narmaya, who lost her 2 ½ year old child in New Road, Kathmandu in 2005. She was roasting corn in front of Nepal Bank Limited and the child was playing nearby. She always brought the child with her because she couldn't afford to cover their daily expenses, much less child care. Although she always tried to be careful, one day she noticed that the child was not near her as usual. She then realized that he had fallen into a small hole filled with water. Although it wasn't deep, he drowned because he fell face-first and didn't know how to turn his head. This case illustrates the basic plight of many mothers in Kathmandu.

In addition, orphaned and abandoned children who live on the streets are easy targets for criminals or the sex trade, or they simply become absorbed in Nepal's large and growing pool of child labour. Children work in factories, hotels, and as domestic servants. Long working hours and inadequate care and nutrition result in a myriad of health problems at an early age, as well as illiteracy and increased vulnerability.

It was with this in mind that The Women’s Foundation of Nepal started 2 Child Care Centers— the first was established in Kathmandu in 2008 and the second was established in Jhapa in 2009. At present, there are 50 children in the Kathmandu Center and 50 children in the Jhapa Center. These Child Care Centers provide spaces for the children of women from The Women’s Foundation shelter homes or past residents of the shelter homes, employees of The Women’s Foundation Weaving Center, the children of low income mothers from the general public (whether single or married), and orphaned or abandoned children. Many of the women were victims of domestic violence who are attempting to re-build their lives, whether from the shelter homes or otherwise. These women are often illiterate and work long hours in less-than-ideal circumstances, such as roadside vendors and in construction labour (carrying bricks and sand). A safe space for their young children is crucial. The Child Care Centers welcomes such children from the ages of 2 months to 6 years.

Objectives and Activities
Many children in Nepal lack basic care, education and a safe space in which to learn. The Child Care Centers in Kathmandu and Jhapa fulfill 2 functions: first, as a day care for the children of women with very low incomes and second, as educational homes in which the children can learn and thrive. The objectives of the Child Care Centers can be summarized as follows:
• Protect children from violent and difficult situations;
• Provide quality care in a safe environment;
• Provide basic foundational education, nutritious food and healthcare (including childhood vaccines) on time, and give children the chance to engage in important childhood activities such as drawing, story-telling and playing musical instruments.

The Child Care Centers are managed by professional and experienced staff, including 1 Principal, 1 Mother-caregiver, 2 Sister-caregivers, 3 teachers and 1 Co-ordinator. To maximize efficiency and ensure that the relevant needs of the children from different age groups are being met, the children are divided into 3 ‘Houses’. The ‘Caring House’ includes children from the age of 2 months to 2 years, and will be staffed by 1 Mother, plus 1 sister for every 5 children. The ‘Blue House’ includes all the 3-year old and 4-year old children. Their classes will be run by 1 teacher for every 10 children. Finally, the ‘Green House’ includes all the 5-year old and 6-year old children, where 1 teacher will teach every 15 children. After the age of 6, the children will go to nearby public schools.

All of the children are provided with the necessary materials for school, including books, pencils, and school uniforms. They eat 3 nutritious meals per day at school, receive medical check-ups and essential childhood vaccines, and begin their education.

Future Direction
The Women’s Foundation of Nepal is requesting support for the next five years. The Child Care Centers serve a crucial function for which there is a very high demand. For women earning 40 to 50 NR per day as labourers or vegetable vendors, affordable child care is often only a dream. At the moment, there are many requests and a waiting list for mothers who would like to get a space for their children in the Child Care Centers. The Women’s Foundation would like to be able to continue running both Centers and increase the admission so that more women and children can take advantage of these services. This year the external financial support and funding for the centers has ended. WFN urgently requires donations from you, the public, in order to ensure these child care centers continue to operate.

The total annual cost of running the Child Care Centers in Kathmandu and Jhapa is 4,164,720. NR or $59, 532. USD. The total cost for 5 years will be 20,823,600. NR or $297,660. USD. So I know I have set a huge fundraising goal of $5,000…. but let’s reach for the stars, right?

No donation is too large or too small, every cent makes a difference.

Sustainable Happiness

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" -Albert Camus

Dan Baker, a clinical psychologist whose practice draws on positive psychology and the science of happiness, writes that the greatest barrier to individual happiness is fear (Baker and Stauth, 2003). From thirty years of therapeutic experience he has drawn the following conclusion: All of our individual fears can be grouped into three basic fears: 1) Survival; 2) Fear of not having enough, and; 3) Fear of not being enough. As long as we are operating out of fear, rather than love, we will consistently pursue happiness in ways that are destructive for ourselves and others.

We can readily see that a great deal of unsustainable behavior may be governed by fears of ‘not having enough’ or ‘not being enough’. Materialism is a shelter for hiding from these fears. Some people are convinced that their jobs and possessions are actually a matter of survival, stressing themselves with a ‘life or death’ need to hold onto them – even when their material wealth is well beyond their basic needs.

“The most important message that the science of happiness tells us about money is, almost nobody thinks they have enough. In the dark recesses of our brains, free-floating fear tells us that we need more, more, more – or our very survival will be threatened” (Bakerand Stauth 2003, p.45). The dark recesses of the brain that Baker refers to are the brain stem (reptilian brain) and amygdala where fear is triggered and resides, often unconsciously. Love, compassion, and happiness are experienced in the part of the brain that developed later in our evolution, the neo-cortex. “In every one of us there is a delicate and shifting balance between the power of the reptilian brain and the power of the neo-cortex; I call this oscillating balance the dance of the spirit and the reptile” (Baker and Stauth 2003, p.45).

Baker claims that the spirit must lead this dance because the spirit is the key to happiness. Learning how to live more from our hearts, to let the spirit lead, and to understand our mutual interdependence is integral to sustainable happiness. But how does this notion of ‘sustainable happiness’ translate to community development?

In my view our efforts to create and develop sustainable communities, sustainable cities and sustainable societies will make little significant headway until we mature towards this understanding of happiness. At heart, every one of us longs to experience sustained happiness. “Happiness is a shared desire of every human being. It is possibly the ultimate thing we want while other things are wanted only as a means to its increase” (Thinley, 1998).

I recently wrote a paper which supported the contention that the concept of “happiness” is indeed relevant, if not fundamental, to sustainable community development. Finding the topic extremely captivating I’ve decided to cut-down my paper and make it far more ‘reader friendly’ for those who may be interested. Enjoy!

What is “Happiness”?
Seligman (2004) described “happiness” as a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

First coined by Aristotle in Etica Nicomahica, happiness in its earliest sense was used to translate the Greek Eudaimonia (ENVIS 2009) which drew upon the beliefs of early philosophers and religious thinkers who often defined happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. This was later elaborated upon by Russell (1930, p.2) who argued that happiness was “a relative sense of joy that varied from one culture to another and also from one individual to another”.

Today a variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches continue to strive to define happiness and identify its sources.

Happiness in the Context of Development Policy and Practice
Across the globe countries have attempted to integrate happiness into their laws and development policies, or incorporate the pursuit of happiness a part of the national psyche. Perhaps the best recognized example of this is the United States of America, whose Constitution embeds inalienable rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Leaming (2006) argues that this pursuit of happiness is inexorably linked with consumption, with the accumulation of material possessions and capitalism at all costs. Research indicates that the social conditioning that we are exposed to in industrialized countries predisposes us to seek happiness outside of ourselves, most often through consumption (O’Brien 2006).

However, as highlighted by Brinklaan (2004, p.3)“the materialism and competition that characterizes the dominant civilization in the world today have not been conducive to the pursuit of happiness, and, in many respects, actually has led in the opposite direction”.

Gross National Product (GNP), the monetary value of national economic activity, which has become the theoretical and de facto measure of national economic and developmental policies, reflects this dominant paradigm (Leaming 2006).

Reinforcing Brinklaan’s (2004) observation, Hirata (2009) argues that in spite of a multifold increase of GNP in many nations, even the wealthiest societies are still plagued by grave social problems like unemployment, child poverty, stress etc. Demonstrating this, over the past fifty years, while GNP in the US has been growing (tripling in fact), measures of subjective well-being, and life satisfactions have remained flat (O’Brien 2006).

Studies show that once we have met our basic needs, increased wealth does not contribute significantly to our well-being, calling attention to the fact that economic indicators of well-being are not sufficiently comprehensive to tell us how we are doing as a society (O’Brien 2006). Over a decade ago, the UN Development Program called for an end to what it described as “the mis-measurement of progress by economic growth alone”, recognizing that a new and ‘more legitimate’ development paradigm must be “people centered, equitably distributed and environmentally and socially sustainable” (Salvaris 2007 p.11).

In line with this, a recent, radical paradigm shift in development economics and social theory is the notion of Gross National Happiness (GNH).

For almost three decades the Government of Bhutan has given primacy to GNH over GNP. While conventional development models stress economic growth as the ultimate objective, the concept of GNH is based on the premise that true development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other (Hirata 2009).

Hargens (2007) argues that GNH can also be regarded as the next evolution in indicators for sustainable development, going beyond measuring merely material values such as production and consumption, but instead incorporating all values relevant to life on this planet, including the most subtle and profound: happiness.

In the Bhutan, happiness is not simply sensory pleasure, derived from physical comfort; rather, happiness is an innate state of mind which can be cultivated through spiritual practice, overcoming mental and emotional states which induce suffering. In the Buddhist tradition this is a path of ‘liberation’; other spiritual traditions call it self-transformation (Hirata 2009).

This definition of happiness correlates to recent findings in the area of positive psychology which indicate that authentic happiness, the enduring happiness that causes us to feel satisfied with our lives, is found through less materialistic pursuits (O’Brien, 2005). “It is grounded in intrinsic values. It is found in our relationships, meaningful work, and a sense of purpose” (O’Brien 2005, p.12).

GNH as a development model aims to create an environment within which every citizen will have a fair chance of finding happiness through a reasonable degree of effort (Hirata 2009). There are four strategies, or four pillars on which the edifice of happiness is to be erected:
Preservation and promotion of cultural values;
Conservation of the natural environment;
Establishment of good governance; and
Promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development.
Going beyond national development policy, these pillars also provide a skeleton for community development planners.

Developing Sustainable Communities
With a still-growing human population, rapidly increasing consumption and ever-increasing stresses on the environment, one of the greatest challenges confronting humanity in the 21st century is sustainability (Matson 2009). It is imperative for community development initiatives to take this challenge into consideration when undertaking the planning process (Hardin 1968, Fricker 2004).

The World Commission on Environment and Development (1987, p.1) defines sustainable development as “...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” However, with today’s consumer-driven society, many of us are locked into a system that compels us to increase our consumption (of material goods, food and land) without limit—in a world that is limited (Hardin 1968).

Diener and Seligman (2004), argue that unless our individual understanding of happiness matures to include less materialistic, individualistic views of happiness, we will continue to create communities and cities that are unsustainable.

In urban planning this means examining how we are responding to and compounding the faulty assumptions about individual happiness which are not aligned with sustainability (Hirata 2009). Therefore, as highlighted by O’Brien (2005 p.8) “as we play with new possibilities around happiness, community development and planning, my recommendation is to consider how we might plan for sustainable happiness.”

Sustainable “Development Happiness”
O’Brien (2005) defines “sustainable happiness” as the pursuit of happiness that does not exploit other people, the environment, or future generations.

Bringing sustainability and happiness together within the concept of sustainable happiness holds significant possibilities for individual, community, and global well-being. Tideman, (1977) for example queries how might cities and towns look if we adopted the notion of Gross National Happiness in our urban planning - perhaps even going so far as to honor the sacredness of individuals and nature?

Interesting examples of sustainable happiness initiatives within community development can be seen in the transport, lifestyle and healthcare sectors.

Transport
“Cities face massive population growth, particularly in the developing world. By 2030, 60 percent of the world’s population, or 5 billion people, will live in cities. The transportation sector currently accounts for around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, a growing proportion derived largely from cars and trucks”(Gerhl Architects 2010).

Without a significant move away from car-dependent suburbanization to pedestrian-friendly and public transit-oriented urban planning, cities will face growing difficulties financing the necessary infrastructure. Creating efficient transport systems is important and something that many commuters appreciate, “shaving five or ten minutes off a jam packed schedule can be a real priority for some” (O’Brien 2005, p.9).

Demonstrating remarkable leadership in the direction of sustainable happiness in the transportation sector, Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia initiated the first car-free day in the city. During his tenure he created urban infrastructure and public space that gave priority to children and to those who don’t own an automobile (O’Brien 2005). His motivation; happiness:
“We had to build a city not for businesses or automobiles, but for children and thus for people. Instead of building highways, we restricted car use. We invested in high-quality sidewalks, pedestrian streets, parks, bicycle paths, libraries; we got rid of thousands of cluttering commercial signs and planted trees. All our everyday efforts have one objective: HAPPINESS” (conversation with Penalosa in Ives, 2002).

It is well documented that our preoccupation with motorized transport has come at the expense of the most vulnerable sectors of society, the environment, and future generations (Gerhl Architects 2010).

Healthcare
While it is widely recognized that urban planning and public health are interrelated, the significance of happiness for our health and well-being is only just starting to make its way into community planning literature (O’Brien 2006). There is evidence that genuinely happy people live longer, recover from illness more quickly, and are more likely to seek out and act on health information.

In a recent article on Place Makers titled Can Cities Help You Forget Your Troubles, C’mon Get Happy?, writer Hazel Borys illustrates some of the trends in tackling the gap in measuring societal impacts. She highlights how Vancouver’s ‘Healing Cities’ project is using bio-mimicry to explore how they can design places that help the human body rebuild, repair and regenerate.

The recognition that public health and city planning are interdependent means that as our understanding of health expands to include happiness we are challenged to consider its convergence with planning (O’Brien 2006).

Conclusion
Historically development and progress was primarily seen in terms of economic growth underlying which was a development philosophy based on the cultivation of a narrow materialist self-interest and competitiveness, both at the level of the individual and at the level of the nation-state.

Despite voluminous evidence that this growth fixated model of material economy polarizes global well-being and seriously undermines environmental security, most, in the developed world at least, seem perfectly content to continue achieving happiness in irresponsible ways.

No development policy or community development program will be effective that tries to separate the economic aspect of life from the cultural and spiritual aspects, as do the capitalist and socialist models of development with their sole emphasis on the production of goods and their neglect of the full range of human well-being. “For (an individual’s) wellbeing, the needs of the whole person must be met, needs that include satisfying work, harmonious relationships, a safe and beautiful environment, and a life of the mind and spirit, as well as food, clothing, and shelter” (Hargens, S 2007).

This brings us back full circle to the question of planning for sustainable happiness. In efforts to support the widespread demand for speed and efficiency, planners may become caught up in responding to an unsustainable view of happiness from individuals and the general public (O’Brien 2005).

The perception of “happiness” will vary across cultures and societies generally, but it is clear that development without an appropriate “happiness factor” to that built into both the processes and objectives is somewhat doomed if not insofar as specific outcomes then in failing to realize all potential benefits.

This paper has explored the deeper dynamics of an economic ideology of which GNP is only the most visible aspect and asks whether Bhutan’s search for an alternative approach really entails the search for a more responsible form of happiness – one that inherently involves a more compassionate mode of being in the world.

Perhaps O’Brien (2005 p.2) best sums it up in saying that “It may well be the case that if we can begin to understand, individually and collectively, how to pursue sustainable happiness, then every other sustainability issue would be addressed.”

The 'Real World'

"There's a popular belief amongst anthropologists that you must immerse yourself in an unfamiliar world...in order to truly understand your own" – Anonymous

I have spent a great deal of my adult life travelling through and residing in the developing world. Bathing out of buckets, drawing drinking water from wells, shopping at the local markets, connecting with communities, listening to the locals, learning from them,laughing and crying with them. I immersed myself in their world and I am a better person for it.

Coming back to live in Australia – a country of wealth, political stability, freedom of speech and religion, a country that provides its citizens with infinite opportunities – was, and is hard for me. On arriving home people would continuously approach me asking "how does it feel to be back in the real world?", though all I could do is question if I really was back in the ‘real world’.

To me the streets lined with starving children, desperate mothers and unsure fathers who are all so grateful even though they are literally living hand-to-mouth, seemed extremely realistic. Looking around at home I felt empty and deflated as I realized that the very core of so many issues in the world is that we as humans have lost our humanity.

It has become apparent that many of us have become detached, desensitized and apathetic towards the overwhelming poverty, environmental degradation and the proliferation of bloodshed occurring across the world. Whether we are purposefully ignorant or simply unaware, being inactive on these issues reflects just as poorly upon us as individuals and as a society as it does on the perpetrators.

Despite having next to nothing, those that live in developing countries (which have often been ravaged by years of war) appear to have more soul, more heart and more hope than so many others that I have encountered. Ironically, these people also seem to be more aware and connected to what is truly important than those of us who live in more 'fortunate' circumstances.

In Western society it is easy to become consumed by the minutiae in life, magnifying issues that in the larger scheme of things don’t really matter. We have become so materialistic that our possessions actually possess us - we work to maintain them and to maintain a lifestyle we think we need. However, in spite of all its abstraction we seem to believe that this is the ‘real world,’ I but fail to see what is real about it.

To quote Christopher McCandless, it has become apparent that “...so many people live in unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future” (McCandless,1992). We make excuses and spend our lives trying to ensure we don’t lose this false sense of security. We reinforce fear and laziness, allowing ourselves to become the source of our own demise.

The solution is to understand that fear is universal, there are no ‘small’ fears or ‘big’ fears, no fear is greater than another; there is just fear. Once we take the personal edge off and realize that it is a perfectly normal and healthy human emotion, fear becomes more manageable, something that we can overcome and conquer. Once we achieve this it becomes apparent that we can achieve anything.

I will leave you with the words of the brilliant Professor Muhumad Yunus:

“Each person has tremendous potential. She or he alone can influence the lives of others within the communities, nations and within and beyond her or his own time.

Each of us has more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us

But it is solely up to us to decide where we want to go. We are the navigators and pilots of this planet. If we take our role seriously, we can reach the destination we seek.”

- Kate

A fork in the road

jour·ney (jûr n )
n. pl. jour·neys

1. The act of traveling from one place to another; a trip.
2. A process or course likened to traveling; a passage: the journey of life.

A journey is a process that takes many forms. A physical journey is one which can present many challenges, one which can take you from one destination to another. Similarly, an inner journey presents many obstacles. These obstacles provide us with an environment to explore ourselves; an environment which enables us to grow and evolve as we traverse from one stage in our lives to another.

A few years ago I broke away from my chosen path, a path which others believed was right for me but in my heart I knew didn’t offer the satisfaction that I seeked. Having studied and worked in the ‘business arena’ I was well on the path to what my friends and family deemed as ‘being successful’ however I sensed that there was something missing. It was then that I came to understand that happiness and success describe something different to each person, that they are words which meanings are very much tailored to each individual.

Having lived and traveled in many developing countries I’ve had the opportunity to build relationships and connect to those living in the ‘third world.’ Seeing poverty first hand and hearing the voices of those touched by it transformed me, changing my outlook and forcing me to rethink my priorities and the way I chose to live my life. With knowledge and understanding came responsibility, and it was then that I chose the path less traveled.

Ask any development worker about a career in humanitarian aid and they will tell you there is, in fact, no set career path - it is one which you must forge for yourself. Many enter the ‘industry’ as naive utopian idealists only to be let down once they realize that you can’t save the world; most retreat jaded with a broken spirit.

It takes more than passion, determination and sparkling ideals to make a difference in the developing world - it requires empathy, understanding, an awareness of global issues as well as key skills acquired through a both experience and education.

To gain the skills and experience required of me to effectively facilitate community and international development I enrolled in RMIT’s Master of Social Science (International Development) course. However, while the lessons I obtained through the RMIT have been priceless, I realized that there is a limit to the knowledge that can be gained within the classroom. To really understand how to tackle issues such as poverty one must go straight to the source.

With the aid of RMIT’s Student Development Fund I undertook a three month journey through the back blocks of South East Asia. A journey that allowed me to learn, as well as transfer my knowledge and skills to constructively contribute to and influence the lives of others within developing communities.

The RMIT Student Development Fund is a funding opportunity that aims to assist RMIT students to benefit from unique learning experiences and to widen their horizons by engaging in transformational learning.

But what is a transformational learning experience?

To me, it is one which takes you beyond what is known to you in order to discover your true potential – what you are truly capable of. A transformational learning experience challenges you, tests your aptitude and opens your mind to new schools of thought. It provides clarity and an education which transcends the walls of any classroom. These learning experiences literally transform you, the way you think and how perceive the world.

My proposed 'learning experience' (as outlined in my application) is summarised below:


My transformational learning experience includes a three month journey through South East Asia. Departing Australia on December 10th 2009, I travel to Chang Mai province in Thailand where I will be spending time with the children who attend the Northern School for the Blind and its director Pikul Leosiripong.

After my time in Chang Mai I will be traveling overland to Pak Kred, 40 minutes out of Bangkok where I will be staying as a volunteer at the Pak Kred Babies Home and being mentored by the organisation’s director, Mrs Wiphawa Udomratana.

The week commencing 21st of December I will travel overland to Siem Riep, Cambodia to visit Sunrise Children’s Village.

After my brief experience in Cambodia, I will be traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to visit the Social and Medical Centre established by Christine Noble which cares for Vietnam’s street children.


On January 11th I will be flying to the remote Pampanga province in Luzon, Philippines. Here I will undertake a two month unpaid project-officer internship with the Grameen Bank. The internship involves working with the Provincial Government of Pampanga (PGP) to help design and implement a comprehensive multi-sectoral development program. The program is aimed at a significant pro-poor expansion of the provincial economy in a short period of time. The project covers the following eight sectors:

· Economic development; including large-scale access to microcredit
· Health; including reproductive health
· Universal access to education
· Agriculture; including research in livestock
· Infrastructure; including clean water, sanitation and waste management
· Environment /Climate Change
· Governance

The project will involve spending time with the community, understanding and incorporating their needs so that they can take ownership over the project and its outcomes to ensure that it is sustainable.

While the above denotes my ‘physical journey’, through this blog I hope to convey to other RMIT students the lessons I learnt through this experience, how they have transformed me and how I have applied them to my life back in Australia.

Peace, love and salutations,

Kate