Hi!
For just over the last month I have been involved in a work placement with Openaid at their Carlton office working with the Information Management team. I am completing a subject as part of my Bachelor of International Relations program that requires 150 hours of placement with a non-governmental organisation, corporation or work place with an international scope. In my research of non-governmental organisations based in Melbourne I came across Openaid and was immediately attracted to the organisation for a number of reasons.
Throughout my degree I have focussed my studies largely on issues of development with a particular emphasis on the gendered experience of development, poverty and disadvantage. Openaid stood out to me for their unique approach to tackling the issues of poverty and sexual exploitation that affect women and girls across South East Asia on a daily basis. Rather than utilising a cookie-cutter approach to aid, Openaid endeavours to establish meaningful relationships with the communities they support as a means of determining the best possible way to deliver individualised assistance. As a female, I also have a strong interest in issues of gender and the way that poverty and disadvantage are becoming increasingly feminised. For this reason, Openaid’s particular focus on sexual exploitation and women’s experiences of poverty was another factor that attracted me to Openaid.
Openaid has always been aware of its small size. Despite the challenges of being a small organization, it still strives to deliver aid in the best possible manner it can and to as many people as it can. It realizes the importance of working closely with local communities to ensure that we are achieving the best possible results we can with our limited funding. Our small size ensures that we maintain ongoing relationships with the communities we help.. For example, when we provided housing to people living in unacceptable conditions, we called on members of the community to assist us in the construction. This has helped us in delivering assistance more efficiently and it has brought communities closer together.
Personally, I feel that the individualistic approach that Openaid takes is one of the strongest and most compelling aspects of the organisation. Too often development and aid can be faceless and impersonal and oftentimes there can be negative ramifications for disadvantaged communities. Openaid manages to overcome this by carefully considering the best method of assistance they can provide on an individual basis.
Coming from a financially stable background in a first world country, the opportunity to gain an education is a privilege that is easy to take for granted. Education is vital in creating opportunity for change and is a means of freedom from financial and social disadvantage. Openaid’s partnerships with schools across Thailand are fantastic programs that offer opportunities for education to young girls. They provide them with the tools to create sustainable futures. Our vision is one of aid that sustains itself long after our initial contact. It is really great to see the way our partnerships can create new confidence, positive change and reduce vulnerability to exploitation and mistreatment for young girls in South East Asia..
After more than ten years of operation in South East Asia and here in Melbourne, Openaid has found itself with a need to streamline its internal and external methods of communication, particularly as it grows and develops as an organisation. The information management team, headed by Adithi, is in charge of this important task and this is where I come in. We have begun by revamping the Openaid website, adding and streamlining information so as to give a clear idea to the public of what we are about, here at Openaid. We have also recently started a new Facebook fan page (please join us!) in the hopes that we can engage with a wider audience and get people talking about the important issues of poverty, gender issues and exploitation experienced all too often by women all over the world. We are also working on bringing out a monthly newsletter so we can keep everybody up to date with what we are working on at Openaid.
Working with Openaid is a really rewarding experience and it is fantastic to see how passionate the team is about helping others. You can support us by coming to our weekly barbecue at Essendon DFO, all proceeds of which go directly to our projects in Thailand and Burma. Alternatively, if you think you have something you can bring to the table at Openaid we would love to hear from you. We are always happy to involve people who are passionate and dedicated to helping us to provide meaningful and effective change and development.
It is an exciting time for Openaid, with plenty of hard work going on behind the scenes to raise our profile and work towards helping as many people across Southeast Asia as we possibly can. Keep your eyes on the Facebook page, Website and blog for exciting news and developments at Openaid!
Elena Prisco-Durst
