Welcome to the second edition of our

new quarterly Exchange Magazine.

The focus of this edition of Exchange

is on how we as individuals can make

an impact. Often working

in development requires working

together as a team, and within a

community, to achieve sustainable

goals and outcomes. This requires

us to make choices that can impact

on our environment, on our neighbours

and on the world.

The AYAD Program has a focus on partnerships and people working

together to achieve poverty alleviation, institutional strengthening

and capacity building. Our joint projects rely on a diverse range of

individuals working collaboratively to achieve a range of outcomes.

Without the dedication, inspiration and passion of these individuals

our projects could not succeed. Nicolas Best’s article (page 8)

demonstrates how a sense of family and many individuals working

together will have long term impacts on street children in the

Philippines, while Penny Clark’s article (page 14) shows that

determination by a broad range of partners can achieve healthy

drinking water for communities living in the Mekong Delta.

But it’s not all about the work individuals are doing in the field. You

don’t have to choose to work overseas in development to make an

impact on communities across the Asia Pacific. Simple choices about

what food we eat and what clothes we wear can have impacts far

beyond the local shops. Elissa Fox’s article (page 4) and Amy Wan’s

article (page 20) provide a thought provoking discussion on the impact

of consumer choices on local producers and artisans in Nepal and

Indonesia.

We would like you to join us in thanking the dedicated individuals

that make up our Host Organisations and communities, Australian

Partner Organisations and AYADs. In particular, we congratulate them

for making choices that work towards addressing global poverty and

universal human rights.

This quarter also brings the launch of the new AYAD website at

www.ayad.com.au which is easier to navigate, contains some great

stories and looks fantastic. The AYAD Program are looking forward to

continuing the improvement of the site over the next year to include

more online functions so take a moment to check it out.

Finally, on the topic of individual impact, the AYAD Program is sad to

farewell our hard-working Partnerships Manager, Sian Blackwell, who

is heading overseas for the next stage of what we are sure will be a

very successful career. She will be sorely missed by both the AYAD

Team and the Australian Partner Organisations with whom she has

worked. We wish her all the best.

Season’s greetings and we look forward to working with you in 2008!

Best wishes,

Ray Ash, AYAD Project Director

Ray Ash

AYAD Project DirectorThe Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) Program

aims to strengthen mutual understanding between Australia and the

countries of the Asia Pacific region and make a positive contribution

to development. The Program achieves these aims by placing skilled

young Australians (18-30) on short-term assignments in developing

countries in the Asia Pacific region. AYAD volunteers work with

local counterparts in Host Organisations to achieve sustainable

development outcomes through capacity building, skills exchange and

institutional strengthening.

The AYAD Program provides support to AYADs including living and

accommodation allowances, flights, pre-departure training, in-country

management, insurance, medicals and debrief on return.

The AYAD Program is an Australian Government, AusAID initiative and

is fully funded by the Australian Government’s overseas aid agency,

AusAID. AYAD is managed by Austraining International, a South

Australian international project management company.

The Micro Enterprise Panacea

Run, Jump, Create in the Philippines

Tools of the Trade

Well-Rounded Education

Water for Life

More than Fish & (taro) Chips

Development Internships: Lara Jacques & UNIFEM Australia

The Truth About Handicrafts

Australian Partner Organisations

AYAD Calendar

4

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

23

Editor Erin Green

Sub Editor Orit Bierenboim, Rachel Walpole

Design: Danny Connery

Agency of New Design.com

Contributors:

James Allsop

Ray Ash

Nicolas Best

Penny Clark

Elissa Fox

Lara Jacques

Anh Tran

Cheryl Walker

Amy Wan

Photo credits:

Cover Photo - Josh Estey

The Micro Enterprise Panacea - Elissa Fox

Run, Jump, Create in the Philippines - Josh Estey

Tools of the Trade - James Allsop

Well-Rounded Education - Anh Tran, Luke Brown

Water for Life - Heidi Wideroe

More than Fish & (taro) Chips - Cheryl Walker

Development Internships - Lara Jacques

The Truth About Handicrafts - Amy Wan

Exchange Magazine welcomes submissions from

AYADs and alumni (RAYADs), Host Organisations and

Australian Partner Organisations. Please contact the

AYAD Marketing Manager, Erin Green at

info@ayad.com.au for further information.

Exchange is printed on recycled paper.

Run, Jump, Create in the Philippines <Exchange October - December

t h e m i c r o e n t e r p r i s e p a n a c e a

The sun sets over Kathmandu where AYAD Elissa Fox is working on,

microenterprise projects to empower Nepals poorest and most disadvantaged.

Top right : MEDEP micro enterprise projects are having a big impact on local

workers, their families and businesses.

For most of us, the decision to buy one kettle

rather than another comes down to personal

choice, but as AYAD Elissa Fox discovers while

on assignment in Nepal, our purchasing choices

could be having a bigger impact on development

issues than first realised. Leading us through

a fascinating debate around the role and

effectiveness of micro enterprise projects, Elissa

shares her own experience working on micro

enterprise in Nepal and raises some thought-

provoking questions about where to from here.

An average day for me here in Nepal could involve

helping pack honey transported from the village into

brightly labelled jars, or hiking one thousand vertical

meters to visit an orange cordial production site

in the hills, or rearranging furniture to improve the

atmosphere of a Kathmandu sales outlet. There really

is no average day!

I am working with the Micro Enterprise Development

Program, a joint initiative of the UNDP/Nepal and the

Nepal Government to economically empower Nepal’s

poorest and most disadvantaged groups - including

women, Dalits and Janajati’s (untouchable caste) -

by creating income and employment opportunities

through micro enterprise.

It’s a popular poverty alleviation strategy in Nepal and

many other parts of Asia at the moment, partly I think

because it makes such good, logical sense to donors.

I know it makes sense to me, and that’s why I decided

to come and to use my experience in marketing, an

area with a reputation for being more cut-throat than

caring, to try to support the MEDEP initiative.

There’s a lot of talk about micro enterprise and its

associated issues at the moment, with many sallying

into the debate on poverty solutions waving around

concepts like micro finance and technology inclusion

as ultimate solutions to poverty. There are plenty of

advocates arguing that if only we could get the capital,

or the computers, or the craftsmanship into the hands

of the poor, we could deal a fatal blow to world poverty

as we know it.

But while micro enterprise undoubtedly has a key role

to play, the evidence suggests there’s plenty of room

for improvement in the construction of the concept as

many people are not able to meet their basic needs

after years of borrowing, with most using their loans

to buy food rather than invest in businesses. What

is going wrong? And what can be done to turn the

situation around?

Perhaps the first place to look for answers is in

the modern history of development aid and micro

enterprise as a poverty alleviation program.

Micro enterprise is not a new concept – since time

immemorial, individuals producing goods or providing

services and trading them in the market have formed

the most basic level of economic activity. Accordingly,

in the experience of the developed world, it’s to these

foundations that people and governments turn in time

of economic hardship.

Government support for small business and “ma and

pa” operations across the developed world increased

throughout the 20th century during depressions and

recessions, only to wane in favour of big business in

times of plenty. And the Western world’s approach to

development aid for third world countries, a concept

only really formalised in the late 1940s has mostly

reflected these changing trends.

Large-scale anti-poverty projects with multi billion

dollar price tags implemented by behemoth

organisations have had their time in the not-for-profit

sun, as multinational conglomerates enjoyed tax

breaks and policy privileges in the corporate sector.

But after years of globalisation, homogenisation and

continual widening of the rich-poor gap, it seems

there’s been something of an awakening to the flaws of

big business in the West, and a backlash against it.

Workers are demanding flexible hours and family

friendly arrangements or abandoning the corporate

infrastructure altogether. “Buy local” campaigns are

rallying citizens to keep their consumer dollar within

national borders. The slow food movement is gathering

pace in resistance to the ubiquitous fast food, low

taste culture.

One-of-a-kind, handcrafted clothes and homewares

are hailed as an expression of individuality while

their mass produced counterparts are seen as a

sign of conformity. And micro enterprise, brought to

prominence by the success of operations like the

Grameen Bank and Opportunity International in the

1970s and 80s, has experienced a surge in foreign aid

policy popularity.

This backlash has had a huge impact on the

developing world as well. Aid delivery via small, locally

operated projects is now favoured over remotely

managed, international NGOs and program strategies

focused on cutting the foreign funding apron strings

sooner rather than later are the new conventional

wisdom.

These trends significantly alter the course of funding

flows, with micro enterprise a darling of the current

policy push. But for the most part, the developing

world has skipped the step of disenfranchisement with

big business that in part is driving the program donors

as it leaps into the arms of micro enterprise – which

has always formed the backbone of its economies but

is now fêted in policy.

The effect of this leap is that many micro entrepreneurs,

instead of embracing the competitive advantages

at the essence of a micro enterprise, are trying to

replicate the big business model on a small scale.

Instead of concentrating efforts on designing and

5

t h e m i c r o e n t e r p r i s e p a n a c e a

developing unique products that reflect the ever

changing nuances of the market, the focus is on

duplicating the style of the homogenised competition.

Instead of deliberately charging premium prices that

reflect the extra time and creativity required to produce

unique, individually crafted products, there’s a doomed

battle to match the price of the mass produced

competition, and perpetual pressure to cut costs and

wring out the last drop of labour capacity.

Instead of preserving the traditional techniques

necessary to produce finely crafted, premium goods,

handlooms and wooden spoons are being replaced by

powerlooms and industrial mixers to produce cheaper

imitations of the originals. And the result is a swath of

struggling micro enterprises churning out a plethora

of products that are neither handcrafted nor mass

produced, but are inferior to both, which consequently

are given a lukewarm reception at best in the market.

Perhaps one of the keys to resolving these

shortcomings lies in reconsidering how micro

enterprise programs are typically constructed. Firstly,

there seems to be some confusion about the difference

between micro enterprise and micro finance. Micro

finance, as the name suggests, is concerned primarily

with providing the cash necessary to operate the

business. Micro finance services often also encompass

some analysis and feedback on the business plan and

training on basic budgeting and accounting skills as

a means of ensuring a return on their investment, but

that capital is the main focal point.

Capital is an important component in establishing and

growing an enterprise, but it’s by no means the only

one, and the potential achievements of a program that

focuses solely on the provision of credit are restricted

from outset. In fact, any program that focuses on just

one element of enterprise development constrains

its own success. Programs concentrated on skills

development, or improving access to technology,

in isolation from other key components, like credit

provision, entrepreneurship training and product

marketing, are no better at delivering more than

mediocre outcomes.

On the other hand, MEDEP boasts a healthy – and

realistic – success rate of 95% in establishing

sustainable enterprises among the poor. The

program takes a unique approach by providing a

package of services that covers the key elements of

entrepreneurship, and offering these services to new

micro entrepreneurs in sequential order.

Business management skills training is provided

before technical skills training; access to credit and

technology are addressed after that. The MEDEP

model aims to develop micro entrepreneurs who

are equipped to grow their business from start up

to maturity and overcome the inevitable operational

hiccups, rather than simply providing potential

entrepreneurs with a hammer and hoping they will be

able to figure out how to build the house themselves.

Statistics aside, MEDEP is slowly but surely having

a real impact on people’s lives. Take Junu Maya for

example. She’s a mother of two and a member of

the untouchable Dalit caste, living in the mountainous

Ramechhap district. Her family were landless and

managed to get by on the wage she and her husband

earned by crushing stone for use in local construction

sites. But her husband was killed in crossfire in fighting

between the Nepal Army and the Maoist rebels near

their village, leaving her to support her children and her

elderly mother-in-law alone.

Junu Maya was identified by a MEDEP field worker

as a target recipient of the program’s support. She

decided she would like to open a tailoring business

and participated in a week-long entrepreneurship

training course in her village, then a three week tailoring

training program at a district centre. As Junu Maya was

a victim of the civil war, she received a government

grant of 25,000 Nepali rupees, or 450 Australian

dollars, which she used to buy a sewing machine and

start her business. She now earns up to 300 Nepali

rupees, $5.50 a day – enough to feed her family, send

her children to school, and even save some money

for emergencies. Her simple sewing service is popular

among the locals, but she wants to learn how to tailor

modern designs and is already planning to expand her

business.

The design of programs at a government or NGO level

is vital to the success of micro enterprise as a solution

to poverty – but the economic empowerment of people

like Janu Maya is also dependent on society’s attitude

to consumption. And this is the point at which we all,

as consumers, have a responsibility in shaping our

own communities’ future. What do we demand from

the products we buy? Is low price at any cost our main

criteria? How much value do we place on marketers’

brands? Is it important to consider the social and

environmental impact of our purchasing choices? Do

those choices play a role in preserving traditions and

skills or do they act to weaken them?

It may be part of the answer to reducing poverty, but

micro enterprise also raises a maelstrom of questions

and the concept’s full impact won’t be achieved until

they are addressed, not just by policy makers but by

the public.

t h e m i c r o e n t e r p r i s e p a n a c e a

‘Instead of preserving the traditional techniques necessary to produce

finely crafted, premium goods, handlooms and wooden spoons are

being replaced by powerlooms and industrial mixers to produce cheaper

imitations of the originals.’

Left: Both hand and mass produced products are available at Kathmandu

markets. Right: Hand crafted Yak wool fabric

7

The warmth and welcome of the Philippines

has played an integral part in the work being

done by AYAD Nicolas Best and his host

organisation, Unang Hakbang Foundation.

Working with street children in Metro Manila

Nicolas has had the opportunity to draw

strongly on the Filipino sense of family and

working together to make his assignment a

success. Here he shares his experience with us:

children from Mandaluyong City, one of the several

cities of Metro Manila. The program is especially

important because a lack of healthy play spaces

and recreational options near their homes can lead

to these kids turning to the streets to play or beg,

and sometimes to have their first experiences at

sniffing glue.

The program was not only designed to keep

children off the street, but to promote values,

discipline and fair play and to raise consciousness

about the importance of good health and a clean

environment.

At first the prospect of organising such a program

with practically no funding or contacts was quite

daunting. We had very limited funds and needed

coaches to volunteer their time, all of the equipment

and prizes to be donated, and all the venues to

be leased for free. I was sure that there would be

people interested in supporting a program like TTL

- the challenge was how to make a month-long

program out of good intentions.

Over three long months of researching, planning,

phone calls and letters, we met with dozens of

institutions and generous individuals who joined

our efforts either by volunteering their time or

I am on my way to my first day of work. There is a

tropical storm outside and the wind proves to be

too much for my new umbrella. I get to my new

workplace just on time, totally drenched but excited

to finally start work. I then realise that the gates of

the centre are closed, and there is no one there.

I hadn’t even stepped into the office but I had

already learned my first lesson about working in the

Philippines. Punctuality is not a big thing. ‘It can

only get better’, I said to myself. It did. It got better

than I ever thought it would.

Working as a community development worker for

Unang Hakbang Foundation (UHF), a Metro Manila

based NGO engaged in helping children on the

street and in urban poor communities, has been an

amazing experience. My workload has been full of

surprises. Throughout the year I have found myself

teaching out-of-school children how to bake pies

for a livelihood project, filling in as a football coach,

and coordinating a month long recreational program

for over 500 disadvantaged children.

Coordinating Talon, Takbo, Likha (TTL) which means

Run, Jump, Create has been one of the highlights

of my assignment. TTL is a four week sports and

arts summer holiday’s program for underprivileged

through donations. These included universities,

three local government units, the Philippine Football

Association, and even the Philippine Armed Forces.

One of the meetings that I arranged was in a military

base, in which the Undersecretary of Defence and

several other high ranking military officials were

present. While not a situation I had ever imagined

myself in, we were able to arrange for some of their

personnel to teach martial arts to our children.

The planning of the program was hard work but

it was also great fun. With over 500 children

participating in nine different sports and arts

activities, the program was a success. Over 30

coaches were involved and over 40 community

volunteers and staff helped with the logistics and

day to day running of the program.

Because of the number of volunteers and donors

not only were we able to provide the children with

fun and safe activities over a month, but also give

them snacks everyday. The program also had

sustainable outcomes, including establishing new

partnerships and working relationships with several

institutions, media coverage that enhanced the

profile of the Unang Hakbang Foundation and by

providing vital experience for my counterpart worker

to be able to replicate the program next year.

9

One of my favourite aspects of Filipino culture is

the importance of the family. Sharing home cooked

Filipino meals with the children and my co-workers

every lunch time is always one of my favourite

parts of my day. However, with families also come

responsibilities. I was told that if I found a Filipino

girlfriend while I was here, I had to make sure I

introduce her to them. As they were my family

here, it was their responsibility to make sure I was

choosing the right one!

The family environment is also very evident at work

and in the way you address the people you work

with. I call my co-workers Ate and Kuya (older

sister/brother) and the children that I work with call

me Kuya Nick. But it is not only about names; my

co-workers really treat me like family, and from day

one they have made sure I felt at home.

After living in Manila for eleven months, I am

certainly going to have a hard time leaving but

I know that I’ve been a part of a project that

has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping

disadvantaged children and, like my time in the

Philippines, it will only get better.

Left and middle : Nick working with street kids in Manila.

Right : Detail of drop-in-centre wall mural.

Trades based assignments are on the rise with the AYAD Program as we work with trades and vocational partners to bring these valuable skills to assignments across the Asia Pacific region. AYAD James Allsop is a carpenter who spent ten months working in Papua New Guinea, his story shows how strong trade skills can have a tangible and long lasting impact on communities that goes beyond just having four walls and a roof.

Many of the communities where they work are on small

isolated islands and the church provides the main

avenue for basic care and development. Boat transport

and sometimes radio contact are the only means of

contact with the larger centres like Alotau.

Working with the locals was one of the best parts of

making the jobs worthwhile. When we were preparing a

team for each job I always tried to get a mix of workers

- some with building skills and others with absolutely

none. It was a good way to ensure that two outcomes

were achieved: the work got done and a broader range

of people in the community learnt new skills.

It was also a lot of fun working with the local guys.

I asked one labourer how old he was (he looked 25ish).

He sat and thought before answering, ‘I think 50 or 48,

yes 48’. I asked him if he was sure and he didn’t look

too certain so I asked him what year he was born in.

Straight away he said 1978. He was rapt when I told

him he was only 29!

One project I worked on was the building of a local

Health Centre. While I was working on it I started to

come to an understanding of the impact this Heath

Centre work would have in the community. As a result

of the work we were doing, some more funds (about

$30 000) had been given, because the donors saw that

things were finally starting to happen at the site.

The Health Centre will now be able to provide an

ambulance to be used for fast transport to Alotau

Hospital in emergencies and the new labour and

emergency wards will make a big difference. It was a

good feeling seeing pregnant mothers who will benefit

from having access to health care in the immediate

future.

Sometimes after finishing a job I still felt like I hadn’t

done enough. Finishing a classroom or health centre

does not necessarily mean it will be looked after and

maintained well. My ten months on assignment were an

important first step towards long term sustainability but

my Host Organisation and I are hoping the training of

local workers in building and maintenance will continue

so the buildings will last and fulfil their function for local

communities.

Working in PNG gave me the kind of experience that

only working abroad can provide. I constantly overcame

work related challenges - usually related to transport

and the availability of materials. Overcoming these

issues meant solving problems in different ways, and

helped to put my problems at home into perspective.

Working in these communities was a humbling

experience; these people with so little were so incredibly

generous to me, and I could see that my being there

really made a difference.

The most valuable thing I have come back with is

the confidence in my abilities and with what can be

achieved with a bit of perseverance and hard work.

I’ve often heard that being a good tradesman isn’t

about how you react when things go well, but how you

respond when things go wrong. I hope that I passed on

both counts.

Looking back, I gained so much from my experience as

an AYAD and I couldn’t recommend the Program highly

enough to others with a trade or skill. We can make a

huge contribution and our contribution is needed.

My time in PNG was incredibly challenging. I will never

think back and say it was easy, but I will always say it

was worth it.

As a tradesperson, if you’re anything like me, you’re

probably thinking that the AYAD Program is a pretty

fancy sort of a program for a carpenter - but I can tell

you that being part of the AYAD program was one of the

most challenging, but rewarding things I have ever done.

I felt honoured that a regular carpenter could be of use

in this way. Not only that, but I really felt like carpentry

was a job where I could provide a useful way to improve

others skills.

In country, I wasn’t far wrong - carpentry and other trade

skills are definitely needed and considered valuable. The

great thing about having a trade means that I was able

to make a tangible difference to those communities - I

could see and touch what I’d done. I could see what it

meant to the people within each community.

It was quite a shock to turn up on the first day of work in

my tool belt and work boots and discover that the locals

had turned up in shorts and bare feet, with no tools.

Often through all the jobs, I would be the only one able

to work as the others couldn’t stand on the concrete

slab because it would burn their feet!

My Host Organisation, the Uniting Church Mission of

Papua New Guinea is based in Milne Bay province.

Left and Centre : Constructing new wards for the Health Centre in

Milne Bay province. Right : James and his counterparts during a break.

Returned AYAD Anh Tran is now leading the charge of young engineers transforming development landscapes through her work with Engineers Without Borders.

“The landscapes of developing countries are covered with wells

constructed by well meaning organisations but within a few years

they are dilapidated and rusting away,” says Anh, “the poor return to

drinking contaminated water which makes them ill and the poverty

cycle continues.”

Now a new wave of engineers, educated to approach development

issues holistically, will hopefully make this scenario a thing of the past.

Young engineers are emerging as a group of skilled professionals

that not only have technological skills, but also a social focus and an

environmental conscience. One way this paradigm shift is occurring in

Australia is through the work of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

Anh Tran, a recent AYAD in Cambodia, is at the helm of this change

after taking up an AYAD Development Internship with Engineers

Without Borders.

Initially, Anh’s one month internship with EWB involved her conducting

an investigation into the feasibility of a pilot program involving

partnerships with EWB, other NGOs and education institutions in

Cambodia.

She used this experience to re-familiarise herself with the education

and development sector in Australia. From this opportunity, the door

opened for her to work on sustainable development with the EWB

education team.

“Coming back from Cambodia, I couldn’t imagine going back to a

regular job – I needed something with a challenge” says Anh.

And that is exactly what she got – the EWB Challenge to be precise.

“The EWB Challenge is a national first year engineering design

program that encourages engineering students to take a holistic

approach to sustainable development” says Anh.

Anh is busy working on next year’s EWB Challenge which will partner

with Resource Development International Cambodia (RDIC), an

international NGO based in Kandal province, 30 minutes outside

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

The students will work on community-driven projects ranging from

designing systems that provide safe drinking water, appropriate

infrastructure and power from renewable energy sources to designing

an inexpensive, portable chicken hatchery from orange plastic ice

boxes to improve the livelihood of poor Cambodian farmers.

Emphasis is placed on designs being practical with materials, skills

and maintenance sourced locally where possible. More importantly,

the design needs to be integrated within the social and environmental

context, with merit given to solutions that involve community

participation and education.

“We see many examples of great ideas floundering because of

communities not taking ownership of the solutions,” says Anh, “We

don’t want to thrust technology upon communities, we want to involve

them in the decision making process. This is why we present our local

partners with the students’ designs and work together with them to

implement appropriate solutions.”

Anh’s experiences in Cambodia as an AYAD have given her the

confidence to deal with a range of issues that arise in her new

position. The challenges associated with grass-root development and,

in particular, implementing appropriate technology in communities has

a lot to do with cross-cultural understanding.

“We work closely with the local communities through our local partner

RDIC to implement solutions that are community driven,” says Anh.

For the students, the EWB Challenge exposes them to other cultures

and experiences different from their own.

“The EWB Challenge has been one of the greatest mind opening

and skill developing projects I have undertaken,” said a student

Left : The changing face of engineering.

Middle : Well in Prey Veng village.

Right : Human powered irrigation system.

participating in the program. “It’s a good feeling being involved in

any activity or anything worthwhile. It gives a sense of purpose and a

meaning to my education.”

The students gain an appreciation for the impact they will have both

as future engineers, and as global citizens.

Anh believes her experience as an AYAD and the opportunity offered

through her Development Internship have given her a unique position

to add real value to the work of Engineers Without Borders and have a

strong impact in her chosen field.

Anh reflects, “An engineer once told me that to transform the

landscape, you must first change the culture. I can only hope that by

changing the culture of how technology is applied to development –

the landscape of broken wells will no longer impede the development

of the people.”

Engineers Without Borders Australia works with disadvantaged communities

to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of

sustainable engineering projects. Through the process of helping people in need we

become more socially aware and responsible, improve ourselves, inspire others to

action and further our ultimate goal of sustainable development.

www.ewb.org.au

3

WATER FOR LIFE

Access to clean water and adequate drainage

systems are an integral part of ensuring healthy

communities. In three towns in the Mekong Delta

the Australian and Vietnamese Governments are

working together to improve the standard of living

for local people through extension of the existing

water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

The Three Delta Towns Water Supply and

Sanitation Project is an Australian and Vietnamese

Government joint funded project in the Mekong

Delta towns of Bac Lieu, Ha Tien and Sa Dec. The

project involves large scale construction of facilities

and infrastructure but also focuses on developing

the capacity of local institutions to manage these

systems in the long term.

AYAD Penny Clark is on assignment as a

Construction Assistant on the works being

undertaken in Bac Lieu, located within the rice

plains of the Mekong Delta, about 280 kilometres

south of Ho Chi Minh City. Penny’s assignment

is also supported by her Australian Partner

Organisation, GHD Pty Ltd.

Despite being the capital of Bac Lieu Province, and

home to more than 140,000 people, Bac Lieu is

well off the tourist route, and receives few foreign

visitors. Commercial opportunities in the town are

limited, with administration, agriculture and trade

comprising the largest industries. As a result, many

of the residents live a very simple, subsistence

existence.

“An important goal for my assignment is the

transfer of knowledge and skills to locals for future

construction projects,” explains Penny.

This is being achieved by consistent monitoring

of the construction and discussing any technical,

quality or safety issues with the contractors

and water supply company staff. Discussions

are conducted both informally through on site

meetings and in more formal training sessions

where appropriate. As very few people in Bac Lieu

speak English, instructions and conversations

are conducted with the help of the project’s

interpreters. As a result the process of negotiations

and discussions is a lot slower than it would be in

Australia.

Often Penny and her colleagues will visit a nearby

coffee shop, to sit down with the contractor and

discuss any issues over drawings and a refreshing

drink. These informal meetings have also been

a great chance for Penny to get to know the

contractors on a personal level. Many of the

contractors were not born in Bac Lieu, and so their

experiences of relocating have been interesting for

Penny to compare with her own experience.

“These coffee break opportunities have also

been some of the best chances to work on my

Vietnamese!” laughs Penny.

The attitude towards safety during construction is

considerably more care-free in Bac Lieu compared

with Australia. One aspect of Penny’s work has

been to oversee and improve the occupational

health and safety practices on the construction

sites.

Without the robust legal framework for OH&S

that exists in Australia, there is less motivation for

contractors to prioritise the safety of their sites at

Bac Lieu. To address this issue any construction

safety issues, such as inappropriate protection

for workers, dangerous electrical cables, poor soil

stability or bracing on excavations are identified

during site inspections and highlighted to the

contractor with an emphasis on the potential

implications of these behaviours. A major challenge

for Penny is to help the contractor see the rationale

behind safety procedures that seem obvious

from an Australian construction perspective, but

unnecessary from a Vietnamese one.

“I am fortunate to be involved with this project

at a time when so much construction is being

undertaken in Bac Lieu and, provided everything

runs to schedule, I will witness the completion of

the new land fill, water treatment plant, elevated

tank, and primary drainage canal for the town. It is

inspiring to know that these developments will have

a positive impact on the lives of people in Bac Lieu.”

The existing water supply and sanitation systems in

Bac Lieu were established decades ago and have

not been augmented in many years. Prior to the

project commencement, only one third of the town’s

population had access to piped water, which was

limited in pressure and reliability.

Extensive flooding, particularly during the wet

season, is common due to an insufficient drainage

system and the flooding causes a range of health

and safety issues for the local community including

diseases carried in dirty water and safe access to

homes and community facilities.

The Bac Lieu water supply company has helped

identify infrastructure upgrades that will provide a

more reliable supply of safe water and improved

sanitation and drainage facilities to residents. The

assets being developed in Bac Lieu by the Three

Delta Towns project will be operated and maintained

by the local water supply company in the future.

The local community is very supportive of the

project. Smaller works have already been completed

including upgrades to the drainage and sewerage

systems in small alleys which have been undertaken

at a number of places throughout the town.

Construction works on the scale and complexity of

the Three Delta Towns Project are unprecedented

in Bac Lieu. The project has been a steep learning

curve for the staff at the local water supply company,

as well as the many contractors, labourers and

external supervisors employed in the project.

MORE THAN FISH & (TARO) CHIPS

Coconut plantation in Samoa: agriculture is one of the most important sectors in the Samoan economy.

Facing page left to right : Cheryl with her counterpart, Senele.Cheryl tries her hand at making coconut cream.‘Start Your Own Business’ course in Savaii.Village retail shop.Printing factory in Savaii.

Traditional practices and new training are

combining in rural Samoa to develop local

businesses and ensure the ongoing resilience of

the local economy. With that resilience comes

greater security for local communities and

incentives to halt urban migration and preserve

local traditions. AYAD Cheryl Walker has been

working with the Small Business Enterprise

Centre (SBEC) to develop and implement small

business training on Savaii, Samoa.

Samoa is a Pacific success story when it comes to

local enterprise development which is contributing

to its strong economic growth. The country remains,

however, one of the worlds 49 Least Developed

Countries with a population of around 180,000.

Entrepreneurial individuals are transforming traditional

skills and knowledge into small and sustainable

businesses in rural areas to relieve the stress on urban

areas which are seeing an increase in social problems

in part attributed to by high unemployment and high

migration rates from the rural areas.

SBEC works with new and existing small businesses

to provide training and business advisory services.

SBEC has a clear strategy to target predominantly rural

individuals to promote sustainable income generation

through small business development and is supported

by the Asian Development Bank and NZAID.

They also assist in the facilitation of access to financial

resources through the Small Business Loan Guarantee

Scheme (SBLGS). The scheme was set up to provide

clients with access to funds by guaranteeing 80% of

a client’s loan with one of the selected participating

financial institutions. Ordinarily, gaining a loan is difficult

for many individuals who do not have the collateral to

provide to the banks as security.

AYAD Cheryl Walker has been working in the training

department at SBEC for the past year to assist them in

providing courses and materials for training including

Start Your Own Business and Marketing and Finance

courses. These courses provide individuals with a

range of skills and tools to help them start and build

a successful and sustainable small business. SBEC

services particularly focus on disadvantaged groups

such as youth and women in rural areas.

“Samoa faces challenges in enterprise development

including the dependency on a small resource base,

limited markets for products and the high cost of

imports,” says Cheryl, “we aim to work with local

people to build sustainable businesses.”

With SBEC, Cheryl has been working with businesses

across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing,

handicrafts, retail and tourism. Specific small

businesses include fishing, cattle farming, poultry, taro

chips, garment makers and the list goes on.

“I often get asked what type of businesses we are

assisting in Samoa. We help such a wide cross

section of businesses, my answer varies every time!”

says Cheryl. “Our focus in Savaii, however, is working

with individuals to take advantage of the income

opportunities within important traditional sectors like

agriculture and fishing. These sectors are critical to the

success of the Samoan economy”.

There are changing patterns in employment in Samoa

with a general movement of people out of subsistence

production generally (like agriculture and fishing). This

movement is threatening the stability and effectiveness

of local income generation.

SBEC’s role is to develop and strengthen the existing

entrepreneurial ability in rural areas so that people

already doing some basic income generation, like

selling taro by the side of the road for short term cash

flow, can develop a reliable income stream from their

activities. In rural areas SBEC conducts business

ideas training which focuses on working with existing

methods and identifying ways that this can generate

income for the community.

A profitable small business means not only the creation

of jobs but provides an incentive for individuals to

stay in the village, it can help to retain family ties and

keep tradition alive within the community. The income

generated provides for both the immediate and

extended family and provides a better future for rural

communities.

Cheryl believes the most interesting part of her role has

been the field visits to these businesses and spending

time in the rural office in Savaii. Commonly known as

the ‘big island’ Savaii is larger than the main island of

Upolu but has only 20% of the population.

“Savaii is experiencing large scale migration to the

main island of Upolu at an alarming rate as residents,

especially young people, are forced to leave their

villages in search of work,” explains Cheryl.

7

SBEC is concentrating a lot of its efforts on small

enterprise development in Savaii in an effort to keep

individuals in the village and in turn keep tradition alive.

Living in the village on Savaii has been one of the most

rewarding parts of Cheryl’s experience in Samoa.

“I have learnt to prepare the staples of Samoan food

including taro, breadfruit and coconut cream,” says

Cheryl, “it’s great to sleep in the front room of a local

family’s house surrounded by four generations of

family members, from grandma down to the great

grandchildren. Living in the village has allowed me to

gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the

Samoan way of life”.

Over the past year, Cheryl has worked with SBEC

who have trained more than 500 participants and

helped more than 100 people start their own business.

Approximately 75% of these have been rural based

businesses.

A Start Your Own Business course SBEC ran in Savaii

in September is a clear example of the effectiveness

and popularity of the training.

“The class has been jam packed and there is a waiting

list for the next course,” laughs Cheryl, “Individuals have

come from villages as far as an hour bus journey away

to attend the class each day. In usual Samoan fashion

it’s been really fun.”

About : Lara Jacques and her fellow Tonga AYADs on assignment

Right : Lara Jacques with counterpart Fatai.

Far right : At the opening of new office with staff members.

From making long lasting relationships in Tonga to

joining UNIFEM Australia in the fight against gender

discrimination in developing countries, AYAD Lara

Jacques tells us about the opportunity to work

in her field of interest and continue the work she

started while on assignment back in Australia.

While on assignment in Tonga Lara worked for the

Tongan National Centre for Women and Children

in the capital Nuku’alofa as an Administration

Officer. Her role was to help develop and maintain

an efficient filing system, train the staff to have

sound computer skills and in bank reconciliation

procedures so the current staff would be better

equipped to respond to the requests of donors and

maintain key processes in project accountability.

The Tongan National Centre for Women and

Children aims to stop family violence and the abuse

of women and children in Tonga, through providing

support for women and children who were or had

experienced violence or abuse and also to educate

women and the Tongan society in general about

women and children rights through workshops and

information groups.

The Centre believes that an educational approach

will bring change to social attitudes so that these

issues may be discussed and people will be more

prepared to seek help.

The Centre achieves its aim through a range

of different activities. Lara had many great

experiencesworking in Tonga including

participating in the centre’s first ever bucket fund

raising event where centre staff hit the streets

to ask for donations from the community and

organising a fete at the centre.

“We organised a fete for the centre, only to have

it pour down with rain on that day,” Lara recalls,

“many children turned up anyway and I spent the

day playing games in the mud and developing

relationships with these children some of whom

were to be our clients later on.”

During Lara’s time in Tonga, the centre moved into

larger offices, gained a greater profile within society

through fundraising activities, workshops and

information sessions conducted by the Tongan staff

and volunteers at the centre.

“Through the work and contribution I was able

to make at the centre and also the friendships

developed with my work colleagues and the other

volunteers, my time in Tonga was to be inspirational

and continues to have an impact on my future

career and personal goals” says Lara

Lara wanted to continue to develop her

understanding of the issues facing women not

9

only in the Pacific but across the world. After

speaking with the AYAD Program Lara decided to

apply for one of the AYAD Program’s Development

Internships.

The AYAD Program Supports 30 Development

Internships every year to provide returned AYADs

(RAYADs) with opportunities to continue their

professional interest in the field of development

upon their return to Australia.

Similar to the AYAD Program, Development

Internships are designed to mutually benefit both

the RAYAD and host organization. Development

Internships provide funding of up to $1,200 to

support the RAYAD as an intern for 20 working

days (4 weeks full-time) and must be completed

within one year of finishing an AYAD assignment.

“Through the help of the AYAD Program I was

able to do a one month internship with UNIFEM

Australia. This was a great opportunity for me

to continue the work I had being doing while on

assignment and also help me build networks in my

field of interest,” says Lara.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women

was founded in 1976 with the aim to foster

women’s empowerment and gender equality.

UNIFEM Australia is the National Committee for

Development Internship:

Lara Jacques & UNIFEM Australia

UNIFEM in Australia and raises public awareness

on the issues of women and through fundraising

supports specific UNIFEM projects.

During her time at UNIFEM Australia Lara

developed four fact sheets and four information

sheets on specific issues relating to gender,

including the Convention on the Elimination of All

Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

and Gender and HIV.

“My time at UNIFEM, allowed me to experience

another organisation working on increasing gender

equality and also further develop my understanding

of key conventions in relation to gender and

development,” says Lara

“Both my experience as an AYAD in Tonga and

as a Development Intern at UNIFEM Australia

has provided me with not only knowledge and

experience in the field of gender and development

but most importantly these experiences have

cemented my personal goal of making a

contribution towards gender equality for women.”

If you want to know more about applying for or

hosting a Development internship check out the

Development Internship Guidelines and Application

form available for download from

www.ayad.com.au/aspx/development_internships.aspx

or email rayad@ayad.com.au

The road to success in the world of handicraft

business in Bali is seldom a straight one.

There are financial issues, problems with raw

materials, greedy middlemen and many other

bumps on the road to overcome.

Three years ago, Balinese souvenir producer, Ibu

Sunati was under the impression that she was a

step closer to having a successful business - she

received a large order from an Australian buyer for

a shipment of basket-woven tissue box holders.

Once the products were made, Sunati was given

a cheque for 25 million rupiahs (approximately

US$2,600) from a local cargo company who acted

as an intermediary for the buyer. The cheque turned

out to be fraudulent but Sunati could not afford to

take legal action. Unfortunately, what happened

to Sunati is quite common in the craft business

but small producers, like her, continue to take the

chance.

Sunati did not let the incident bring her down and

so she started from scratch again and continued

to work. Tragically, she suffered another shock

when the local market in which her retail shop was

located was burned to the ground in May this year.

With no insurance, she lost everything and became

heavily in debt.

Far left : On the road to market.

Above : Local souvenir producers weaving baskets.

Local non-profit-organisation, the Wahana Kria

Putri Foundation (WKP) and its micro business

development program offered Sunati loan

provisions to help get her business back on track.

The Foundation was founded by two indigenous

women in Denpasar, Bali in 1996 in response to

widespread poverty in Bali. Its primary program

is developing small businesses through a system

of women’s group lending methodologies and

individual loans.

WKP aims to reach low-income widows and

women with families in rural areas, as well as poorly

educated unemployed women and street vendors

in urban areas.

The Foundation’s approach to poverty alleviation

ensures that the poor are given the opportunity to

establish a sustainable source of income and are

able to take care of themselves, their family and the

local community.

Recently, the Foundation established a Business

Development Services program that aims to help

these small businesses expand. Australian Youth

Ambassador for Development Amy Wan was

assigned as a project officer to train her counterpart

in handicraft development and marketing. The

strategy is to create a brand, refine the products

to western standards and approach Australian

retailers who may be interested in importing the

goods for sale. Hence, the label Bali Artisans was

established.

Drawing on her experience as a designer, Amy

began to put together Bali Artisans’ first product

catalogue - handcrafted silver jewellery created

by Made Sudani, a partner producer who lives a

rural village in Gianyar. The jewellery business is

particularly tricky in Bali as there are already many

large manufacturers. Competition is extremely fierce

and many home-based silversmiths, like Made,

struggle to make a sale.

During times when she does not have any

purchase orders, Made and her husband do

contract work at the factories to put bread on the

table. With a three-month-old daughter under the

care of her grandmother, Made hopes that her

business will improve so that she can work from

home and spend more time with her daughter.

One of the most common problems that handicraft

producers face is being paid short of their worth.

On her first trip to Bangli, an agricultural town

about an hour from Denpasar, Amy met Ibu Miskin

21

AUSTRALIAN PARTNER ORGANISATIONS

The AYAD Program works with a diverse range of

Australian Partner Organisations who provide support,

enthusiasm and expertise to projects in all our partner

countries.

Australian Partner Organisations (APOs) are

Australian government departments, non-government

organisations (NGOs), educational institutions and

private companies that have or wish to establish links

with organisations working in development in the Asia

Pacific region.

The benefits of being an Australian Partner

Organisation are many and varied including building

new partnerships in our region, providing an amazing

professional development opportunity for staff and

making a positive contribution to development.

If you are interested in learning more about partnering

with the AYAD Program please contact the AYAD

Partnerships Team at apo@ayad.com.au

or (freecall) 1800 225 592.

- a young basket weaver who claimed that her

middleman pays her 18,700 rupiahs (approximately

AUD$2.50) for a full day’s worth of weaving boxes.

She is required to weave twelve a day. Despite

knowing that each of her boxes are retailing at

$6 each in popular tourists shops, she refuses to

argue with her middleman for fear of losing the

business.

The problem is mostly caused by a lack of

education and limited access to the consumer

market. However, the Business Development

Services program is offering free training in

business management and product pricing, as well

as fair trading.

Fair Trade is an agreement between producers

and buyers to trade products at a fair price.

Producers are usually paid above the minimum

wage and work in a safe and clean environment.

Bali Artisans is a strong supporter of fair trade and

strictly adheres to the policies as set out by the

International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT).

Partner producers are given 70% of the turnover

from product sales whilst 30% goes to Bali Artisans

to cover the cost of overheads and project funding.

‘Fair trade works because it gives the “back-room” producer a chance to finally earn what they deserve.

All of the craftspeople I’ve met here are in a state of desperation but they know that help is on the way. It

moved me to see the smile on Made’s face when I showed her the catalogue I did for her.’ said Amy. Her

jewellery is beginning to attract some interest from Australia and Hong Kong.

When asked about what she would like to do with the money earned from sales, Made Sudani says she

plans to reinvest in her business and create more experimental pieces. ‘I like the fact that I am relying on

my own abilities to get the business going and give my daughter a secure future. Bali Artisans has given

me the respect and support I needed to keep myself motivated.’

When Amy completes her assignment next June, she hopes to maintain a strong relationship with

Wahana Kria Putri and continue to promote Bali Artisans in Australia. She hopes to participate in the Fair

Trade Fortnight next May, an event organised by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand,

and to set up a stall to promote Bali Artisans’ products to the western audience.

So the next time you’re in Bali, keep an eye out for Bali Artisans. And remember that as a consumer, the

fate of people like Made Sudani and Ibu Miskin is in your hands.

The Truth about Handicrafts

• Aceh Research Training Institute

• ACIAR

• ADRA Australia

• ANZ Bank

• Asia Pacific Journalism Centre

• AUSTCARE

• Australian Development Gateway

• Australian Foundation for Asia and the Pacific

• Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology

• Australian Mekong Resource Centre

• Australian National University

• Australian Orangutan Project

• Australian Red Cross Society

• Australian Rugby Union

• Australian Sports Commission

• Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Australia

• Box Hill Tafe

• Burnet Institute

• CARE Australia

• Caritas Australia

• Central Queensland University

• Charles Darwin University

• Chisholm Institute

• Christian Blind Mission International

• City of Melbourne

• Commonwealth Ombudsman

• Constitutional Centre of Western Australia

• CSIRO Livestock Industries

• Deakin University

• Department of Agriculture and Food,

Western Australia

• Department of Primary Industries

• Department of Primary Industries and

Fisheries

• Department of Public Health

• Department of the Environment and Water

Resources

• Environment Secure Australia

• Environmental Defender’s Office Ltd

• FIBA Oceania (Oceania Basketball

Confederation)

• Flinders University

• Foundation for Developing Cambodian

Communities

• George Institute for International Health

• GHD Pty Ltd

• Griffith University

• Habitat for Humanity

• Hassall and Associates International

• Hope Worldwide

• Humane Society International

• iEARN

• International Australian Football Council

• International Cricket Council East Asia-Pacific

• International Rugby Board

• International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics

• International Women’s Development Agency

• Interserve Australia Land Equity International Pty Ltd

• Macquarie University

• Marie Stopes International Australia

• Monash University Accident Research Centre

• Murdoch University

• National Library of Australia

• Oxfam Australia

• Oxfam Community Aid Abroad Plan International

• Planning Institute Australia

• PLC Sydney

• Queensland University of Technology

• Royal Australasian College of Physicians

• Royal Children’s Hospital International

• Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

• Royal Life Saving Association of Australia

• SAGRIC International Pty Ltd

• Save the Children Australia

• Scouts Australia

• Speech Language & Learning: Educational Therapy

• Susila Dharma Australia Inc.

• TAFE Queensland

• Tafe SA

• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians

• Triathlon Australia

• UNHCR Australia

• UNICEF - Australia

• UNIFEM Australia

• Union Aid Abroad- APHEDA

• UniQuest Pty Ltd

• Uniting International Mission

• University of Adelaide

• University of Newcastle

• University of Queensland

• University of Sydney

• University of Tasmania

• University of Technology Sydney

• University of Western Sydney

• URS Australia Pty Ltd

• URS Sustainable Development Australia

• Western Australia Department of Agriculture

• Western Sydney Institute of TAFE

• World Society for the Protection of Animals

• World Vision

• World Wide Fund

• World Youth International

October

5 Intake 21 Applications due

20-21 State Representative Workshop (Melbourne)

November

4-9 In-Country Management Workshop

24-25 RAYAD Debrief (Melbourne)

December

3 Intake 22 APO Advertised assignments due

5 International Volunteers Day

January

12-13 State Representative Workshop (Adelaide)

21 Perth and Darwin Information Sessions

22 Adelaide and Sydney Information Sessions

23 Melbourne and Canberra Information Sessions

24 Hobart and Brisbane Information Sessions

February

1 Intake 22 (June 08) Assignments online

4-16 Intake 21 Pre-Departure Training (Canberra)

TBC Intake 21 AYADs head in country

6 Intake 23 APO Advertised assignments due

9-10 RAYAD Debrief (Sydney)

29 Intake 22 APO nominated candidate

assignments due

March

7 Intake 22 applications close

11 10th Anniversary AYAD Forum

These details are correct at time of printing. Please

check www.ayad.com.au for the latest information.

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The AYAD Program would like to thank our current active APOs for their involvement and support.

23

au

Australia Freecall : 1800 225 592

Telephone : +61 (8) 8364 8500

Email : info@ayad.com.au

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