Welcome
In the last few months, personnel from Australian Aid International have continued to provide valuable programs in a variety of locations throughout our region and further afield. We thank them and their close support networks for continuing this great work.
AAI is able to deliver vital programs to some of the most vulnerable communities around the world due to your continued support. Thank you.
Cambodia Project
During April 2011, AAI’s CEO, Marc Preston and the Chairperson of NGO, Save the Cambodian Children’s Fund Australia (SCCFA) Saruoun Khuon, visited the remote village of Tom Nob in eastern Cambodia to confirm preparation for the proposed construction of a school. AAI has partnered with SCCFA to build a primary school in the village of Tom Nob.
Extensive community engagement on the desired location of the school, the number of supported beneficiaries and the ongoing sustainment of the project has now been completed. Coordination has also occurred with the District Governor and the Ministry of Education to obtain the necessary approvals and support.
The Rotary Club of Bentliegh and Moorabbin Central has generously provided funds for the provision of a water hand pump that now provides clean and safe drinking water for the village.
Click here to read more about AAI’s Cambodia project.
Get Involved! - Tales from Thailand
Ulrike Kalthaus shares her experience from Mae Sot, near the Thai / Burma border
From the moment she arrived in Mae Sot, Ulrike was keen to make a difference. From her tenacious commitment to working with teacher-Molly, to spending hour after hour with students who wanted to improve their English language skills, Ulrike was a great participant in AAI’s Get Involved program in Mae Sot.
Ulrike’s report provides a real insight into her efforts to make a difference and improve the education provided to Karen students in Thailand. The children have so many challenges before them, and the positive affect that our volunteers have is immense.
Click here to read more about Ulrike's, as well as other volunteers experiences in Mae Sot, Thailand.
May Introduction to Humanitarian Operations Course
Australian Aid International continues to recognise the importance of training in the area of humanitarian response. AAI prides itself as being a leading agency that delivers high quality and comprehensive training for all individuals interested in embarking in humanitarian work around the globe. The AAI training course was at capacity yet again and the energy throughout the training was fantastic.
Training participants engaged in a variety of lessons including complex emergencies, priorities in disasters, the humanitarian system and preparing for overseas missions. All participants were very engaged throughout the course. Senior Trainer, Dominic Bowen noted, “it is refreshing to see such a dynamic group of professions that are keen to get involved; there is always a need for humanitarian professionals overseas and attending courses such as this is the first steps to getting involved.”
Read about this and other past courses.
AAI Participates in the Regional Senior Leaders’ Seminar
The Regional Senior Leaders’ Seminar is a humanitarian forum on civil and military coordination for leaders from the Asia Pacific region. It was co-hosted by the Australian Government’s Asian-Pacific Civil Military Centre of Excellence and the US Government’s Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance.
This year the Regional Senior Leaders' Seminar was held in Cairns, Queensland. Australian Aid International was represented at the forum by CEO Marc Preston who said, “the four day seminar was a great opportunity to meet other senior leaders within the humanitarian and disaster response sectors who take emergency coordination and professionalism seriously.”
The aim of the forum was to provide an opportunity for senior government and non-government officials from the region to come together to workshop civil and military issues and challenges for conflict, disaster management and humanitarian response, as well as to discuss various approaches to collaborating in multinational responses to conflict and disaster situations.
Australian Aid International’s attendance was well-received and allowed AAI to forge even stronger links with other significant actors in the region.
Sphere 2011 Launch
Gordon Willcock along with other AAI staff attended the Sphere 2011 Handbook Launch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 14 April.
The Sphere Handbook is the most widely known and internationally recognised set of common principles and universal minimum standards for humanitarian response. The minimum standards apply to four sets of life-saving activities:
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water and sanitation,
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food,
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shelter, and
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health.
The Sphere Handbook allows humanitarian actors to provide a quality response in a manner that is universally recognised as being acceptable. The handbook reflects the aid sector’s evidence-based best practices, agreed upon through an unprecedented global and open consultative process.
For more information about the Sphere 2011 edition, click here.
ACFID New Rules
The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has developed a new Code of Conduct that will be effective from January 2012. All NGOs will need to be compliant with the new Code of Conduct by January next year.
One of AAI’s main tasks this year has been to work closely with ACFID to ensure that we are meeting the requirements of the new Code of Conduct. AAI successfully re-registered with ACFID in May.
ACFID is the peak council of Australian development NGOs. It aims to promote conditions of sustainable human development in which people are able to enjoy a full range of human rights, fulfil their needs free from poverty, and live in dignity.
For more on ACIFD and the Code click here.
Meet one of our volunteers
Emma Sturrock
Emma has been working and volunteering with AAI since 2008. Emma deployed to Timor-Leste with AAI in 2009 and to the Philippines in 2010. She originally completed a Health Science degree in Canada before completing her Masters of International Health at Monash University in Melbourne.
Emma has a background in child-protection and community development and has brought her systematic approach to programming to AAI. She has been the Training Coordinator at AAI for the last two years and provided untold assistance and counsel to countless people enquiring about beginning their humanitarian careers.
Emma has recently accepted a position with Canadia Red Cross and will sadly be leaving Australia. AAI wishes Emma all the best and hopes to see her return to Australia soon. Emma will continue to provide assistance to AAI head office.
We will miss you Emma!
Follow us on Facebook
Australian Aid International continues to post updates on humanitarian events, sector news, and stories from the field on our Facebook page. We would love to hear from you and see your comments on the various posts.
Please follow us at AAI’s Facebook page.
Upcoming Events
AAI will be conducting its next Introduction to Humanitarian Operations course in July. Register now to express your interest and to secure your place on the next course.
Click here to read more about the training course and to here download your application form.
Opportunities to volunteer with AAI
Participants that successfully complete the AAI Humanitarian Operations course will have the opportunity to register with AAI for international volunteer positions. AAI will endeavour to look for an appropriate match and consider your application for international volunteer positions. All volunteers will be required to go through a selection process if a suitable position is identified.
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DONATIONS are the only way AAI can continue its work.
AAI is a non-profit organisation, which specifically targets communities that are difficult to access due to remoteness and other community vulnerabilities.
We urgently need funds from the public and private industry. Donations go directly to:
• Essential emergency supplies and equipment.
• Vital medicines.
• Keeping local humanitarian programs operational, with a focus on health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and disaster risk reduction and reconstruction projects.
• The training of local staff including doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, interpreters and drivers.
All donations are tax deductible and can be submitted through our Secure Online Payment System sponsored by
Chairperson of Save the Cambodian Children’s Fund Australia (SCCFA) Ms Saruoun Khuon inspects the water hand-pump that was funded by Rotary.
AAI’s CEO, Mr Marc Preston consults with local community members about their thoughts on education requirements.
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