Passport to international opportunity

1 September 2010

The Monash-Oxfam South Africa Student Volunteer Program for January-February, 2011 has been launched and assisting in the promotion of the program are three of this year's interns who are sharing their experiences with the next generation of participants.

Earlier this year, Arts/Law student Amy Burton, MBBS student David Humphreys and Arts/Commerce student Darrell Hawkins travelled to the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal for six weeks to work with partner organisations of the Joint Oxfam HIV and AIDS Program (JOHAP).

Amy was located at the Campus Law Clinic - a JOHAP partner - based on the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Durban campus.

Amy said her education in human rights law gave her an insight into some of the issues affecting local people such as employee rights and discrimination.

"It was a wonderful experience and a reality check about the issues faced by people on a day to day basis. I realised that I may not be able to change the world in a month but if I could impact on the life of just one person and change it for the better, then my contribution was worthwhile," Amy said.

For Darrell Hawkins, a double degree in Arts/Commerce was not a natural pathway to helping people at the organisation Justice and Women, based in the city of Pietermaritzburg. However, he found his Monash education and grounding across a range of disciplines, combined with the opportunity to participate in such a worthwhile program gave him lessons for life.

"I was located in a rural office about three hours from Durban and its aim is to educate the local Melmoth community and traditional leaders about women and children's rights. Every day provided a new opportunity to learn more and to help through education and providing information," Darrell said.

"I have long been passionate about film-making and creating documentaries to help bring about change. I was able to utilise these media skills at Justice and Women to create a documentary for community leaders, teachers and parents to explore the issue of violence in the community from a youth perspective, as young people often don't have the opportunity to speak up."

Medical student David Humphreys was open-minded about what to expect as an intern with the Monash-Oxfam program. Now six months on from his placement at the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, David said the experience had a profound affect on his life.

"Hillcrest provides a holistic program of prevention and care for individuals and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. My role was to provide support to the organisation's various programs, particularly assisting members of the community to access care services and understand the treatment options available to them," David said.

"For me, the value of the experience involved learning how to support people individually while also contributing to the broader solution for this enormous global health problem. I witnessed the interface of HIV and poverty, and was privileged to share remarkable stories of hope and loss in the process. South Africa is an incredible country, and my connection there will be strengthened further next year when I undertake a medical elective in the trauma ward of a Johannesburg hospital."

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Adam Shoemaker said the Oxfam student volunteer program, an intrinsic component of the Monash passport, continues to provide life-changing opportunities.

"The student experience is unparalleled. We believe that a university education should also provide opportunities for life lessons and open doors to the international community. Our students have options to travel abroad and to capitalise on their educational foundations and that is integral to the success of the Monash Passport," Professor Shoemaker said.

"I would encourage any student who is in their second year or above to consider applying for the South Africa student volunteer program and to give themselves every opportunity to build on their academic success."

Applications for the 2011 Passport South Africa Student Volunteer Program are now open.

For more information visit the Monash Oxfam South Africa Internship Program page.