Program Participants who have returned from their placements share their stories. Real insights can be gained from the challenges and joys of their time in their host communities.
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson is Palms Network Assistant and spent time in Bougainville, PNG (2009-2010) and Maliana, Timor Leste (2012-2013) sharing skills from 20 years in corporations. Kevin speaks of two very different placements and how culture shock works both ways.
Jamie Drew
Before Covid -and other events- Jamie had the rare opportunity of joining the Pathein community in Myanmar to strengthen staff capacity to deliver their permaculture and sustainable development program. Although his time was limited to one year from March 2019 – March 2020, he describes it as the most influential time of his life.
Helen Colla
Helen completed her 3 year placement in Samoa in December 2020. Helen speaks about finding her idiosyncratic accreditation skills suiting Samoa, the value of preparation, the joyous rewards of sharing long-term, and some unexpected Covid ripples.
Guida Cabrita
A “Palm” teaching in Timor Leste 2014-15, who shares the many gifts of life and work in the community of Bedois. She contrasts her experience with voluntourism, the depths of relationships able to be gained by living in the community and understanding that different approaches to resource, is an important and effective skill exchange.