MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
AusAID
The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Federal Member for Fraser, will tonight farewell more than 100 Australian volunteers in Canberra as part of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program.
The volunteers, or AVIDs, will be deployed to 21 developing countries to complete assignments in various sectors including health, education, water and sanitation and private sector development.
"Volunteering is at the heart of building relationships between nations, individual by individual. These skilled Australian's will transfer their knowledge to help communities continue to grow, long after their assignments are over," Dr Leigh said.
"Australian volunteers play a vital role in the fight against poverty and come from a diverse range of backgrounds and include men and women aged from 18 to 83."
Australian volunteers have varying professional backgrounds which enable them to work on a range of activities including setting up medical clinics so that women can give birth safely, building stronger homes to withstand cyclones and helping children with disabilities to get to school.
"Some of these volunteers will be working in grassroots organisations in some of the most disadvantaged communities in developing countries, making a real difference to people's lives," AusAID's First Assistant Director General Margaret McKinnon said.
"Among this latest group of AVIDs are skilled Australians including as a community forestry development officer for Laos, a gender program specialist for Timor-Leste, a social worker and trainer for Vietnam, a business management teacher trainer for Mongolia and an occupational therapist trainer for Fiji," Ms McKinnon said.
His Excellency Mr Bold Ravdan, Mongolia's Ambassador to Australia, will join in the farewell celebrations at Old Parliament House in Canberra, which will include six AVID volunteers being deployed to Mongolia.
Australia has a proud history of volunteering. In 2012–13 the Australian Government will support more than 1,800 volunteers in 36 developing countries in Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, as part of our overseas aid program. Since the 1960's around 15,000 Australian volunteers have been supported in this way.
A recent survey of returned volunteers who participated in AusAID-supported volunteer assignments between 2006 and 2011 found that overwhelmingly volunteers returned from their assignments feeling satisfied with the difference they have made in their overseas communities, positive about personal and professional benefits they receive and more knowledgeable about other cultures and Australia's contribution to the region. The survey also found that they shared this understanding with their communities back in Australia, and often continued to work in the field of poverty reduction long after their volunteer assignments have ended.
AusAID Media: 0408 613 155