A life-changing experience

Before arriving in Cambodia, I had no experience of this country and no plans to visit here. However, after being here now for more than 18 months, my husband and I are completely in love with it and planning on making it our home.

My VIA post is with a Cambodian organisation which works with the villagers, helping them become more self-sustaining in various fields (rice growing, health, gender awareness, mining advocacy and much more). My job is to edit (and sometimes write) reports which we send to donors to show them how we've used their money and the plans we have for coming programmes.

While there are some challenges in working with another culture, I have learned patience and tolerance in dealing with situations which have arisen during my time here. I have also found myself connecting with people who barely speak a word of English and discovering how a smile can speak volumes and a gesture can say more than words.

Highlights for me included visiting indigenous people in the provinces and writing reports about how people live on mining sites in far-reaching areas of the country. While they often included long car or bus rides over bad roads, there was usually something special at the end, and I've met people that I would never ordinarily met -- as well as seen parts of the country which would not be seen by casual travellers to Cambodia.

Without VIA, I would not be here. The people representing this organisation have all been solid, smart, fun and insightful and have become more than just colleagues over the years. VIA has provided a safety net in having a real person to talk to at times when that was important, as well as the ease of having a representative introduce me to local areas, and not just those which a tourist would see.

I know my work at my NGO has been appreciated as I am continually thanked when I offer support and show my colleagues better ways to write or communicate.

And, while I will continue to live in Cambodia with my husband and have lives outside VIA, I will always remember the special role it played in opening up a new world for me and introducing me to a country and people I have grown to love.