When Sally Hetherington OAM was 25, she packed up all her belongings and bought a one-way ticket to Cambodia, determined to make a difference through voluntourism. She had been told that her role was crucial to sustainable development, however what she saw instead was disempowered staff, children with attachment issues and an unhealthy "white saviour" syndrome in visitors. Sally knew she had to make a big change.
Sally started at the core - the local community, and developed a community centre with a team of Cambodians with the end goal of making herself redundant. Sticking to her belief of local empowerment in a country pre-dispositioned towards voluntarists was tough. Despite the countless obstacles she faced living in a community with a culture significantly different from hers, she was able to form insurmountable relationships and learn first-hand the struggles of poverty faced by community members in the outskirts of rural Siem Reap.
This memoir has five years worth of stories that will make you laugh, cry and challenge your preconceived beliefs about the best way to help people in low-income countries. It is a must read for those who want to make a positive change through ethical and sustainable development.