BOMADERRY’S Abbie Boyd will leave soon on the opportunity of a lifetime, after recently being accepted as one of 18 Australians (nine men and nine women), aged between 21 and 25, to be given the opportunity to live and work in Indonesia for two months.
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The 21-year-old is the only New South Welshman accepted in the program, which will see them fly to Jakarta on December 18, after a week’s training in Adelaide.
“An Indonesian friend of mine, contacted me one day and sent a link found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website,” Ms Boyd said.
“It was a link about the 2016/17 Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program funded by DFAT and he advised me to take this opportunity and to submit an application straight away.
“More than 150 applicants applied for the program, and after being short-listed, a Skype video took place with an interviewing panel, where questions were asked about my application, my interests, my desire to join AIYEP and the chance to express my level of Bahasa Indonesia as best as I could.”
Boyd, who been learning Indonesian for close to three years now, jumped at the opportunity to learn more about the Indonesian culture.
“I joined this program to practice my Bahasa Indonesia and further my knowledge about the Indonesian culture, the differences and similarities and the people,” she said.
“I want to chase my dream of gaining a career in a Government department, which involves work with the bilateral relationships between Australia and Indonesia.
“My goal is to develop a multitude of soft skills in the country before applying for jobs, such as team building, leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding and conflict management.
“I also joined AIYEP to pursue my goal in giving back my experience and memories, not only to my close friends and family, but also to the youth and young adults of Australia.
“I aim to listen and document material such as personal stories, people’s life goals and facts about Indonesian culture, and create a visual photographic book filled with the material; titled ‘Stepping into the Unknown”.
“To dive into this book, will open a whole new world of knowledge, and will become a specific kind of ‘support network’ for people who need that little encouragement to step into the unknown.”
Boyd will fly to Adelaide on December 12 for six days of pre-departure orientation, which is where she will meet the other 17 Australians taking part in the experience.
“When we arrive in Indonesia, I will be staying in Jakarta for two days for a meeting held at the Australian Embassy,” she said.
“Then I will be staying in the Indonesian host province of South Sulawesi for two months.
“The group will be assigned an Indonesian counterpart who will first undertake a similar program in Australia before departing for Indonesia together to take part in work placements and partnerships, cultural performances and visits to local schools and communities, all while living with local host families.
“I will be on work experience placement during the urban stage of the exchange, in Makassar the capital of South Sulawesi.
“I will also be undertaking a development project in a rural village, Bulukumba, working with and helping local communities on business and entrepreneurship, youth and education, and women's empowerment activities.
“During the trip, I want to deepen my understanding of Indonesia and commitment to strengthening the linkages between the two countries.
“I expect to stay in a happy and safe environment with my host family that involves helpful and caring communication skills between us all.
“To live in a foreign country, will be a confronting yet knowledgeable experience that I’m sure I will appreciate.
“I expect to learn a better understanding of the language and culture, and to help my host family understand my cultural background of my country.
“I expect that I will have to adapt to different food requirements, and my living conditions will alter and seem primitive to me.
“I realise that the weather conditions will also be different and I will have to adapt to the Indonesian climate.”