December 5th: International Volunteer day for Economic and Social Development
Happy International Volunteer day for Economic and Social Development! Did you know that Australian volunteers come to Laos every year to volunteer their time and expertise with Lao organisaitions that promote social and economic development? We would like to introduce you to Anja Wiersing, a volunteer focussing on gender issues with the Association for Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE) in Vientiane.
What are the goals of the organisation you are working for?
ADWLE is a grassroots initiative which seeks to reduce gender-based violence, to promote community behavioural change and to empower women and girls through legal education. Currently, it carries out projects in Vientiane Capital and Champasak Province with two main focal groups: university institutions and targeted village communities.
ADWLE works with teachers, students, legal professionals and organisations to mainstream gender into teaching, disseminate national and international laws and instruments related to women’s rights and to facilitate access to justice mechanisms.
Recently, ADWLE established the first legal aid clinic for female victims of gender-based violence in Laos. Its mandate includes: providing free legal assistance to vulnerable women in village mediation sessions and throughout the court system; providing general legal advice to six targeted villages; and raising awareness in the villages on national women’s rights laws.
What work are you doing?
I assist ADWLE in a variety of areas:
• Drafting funding proposals and editing donor reports;
• Strengthening ADWLE’s public profile, notably through the development of its website;
• Assisting with the overall organisational direction, including to develop its strategic plan; and
• Developing the capacity of staff to work in English.
What has been the highlight of your volunteer work?
My relationship with my colleagues has definitely been the highlight of my volunteer work. I work with seven Lao colleagues who I have gotten to know both professionally and personally. This relationship has been fostered through daily lunches, working on projects together and karaoke sessions. Their acceptance of, and openness towards, me and my work style has made my experience at ADWLE a real pleasure and a valuable learning experience in terms of understanding the work of the organisation, the working culture in Laos and Lao culture more generally.
This good working relationship has, I believe, been the reason for a number of recent achievements we have had, notably the approval of two major funding proposals.
What has been your favourite Lao experience?
What has stood out most for me has been the connections I have made; both to the people and to the land. Whether it be a daily ‘hello’ to the tuktuk drivers down my street; having a smiley face drawn on my cup of coffee at my local (and often frequented) café; seeing the multitude of butterfly species at Dreamtime; gazing at the stunning landscape from the car window; exploring the wide selection of food and drink in Vientiane with friends; floating down the river in Vang Vieng surrounded by some the most impressive mountains I have seen; being invited to share a drink with a group of people I have never met before; or watching the sky turn a fiery orange as the sun sets. These experiences have, and continue to, make living in Laos enriching.