Mansfield Center YSEALI Fellows with EmpowerMT

Over the next four weeks EmpowerMT will be hosting two leaders from South East Asia as part of the Mansfield Center’s YSEALI Fellowship Program. Ung Hanty, from Cambodia, and Aung Lwin, from Myanmar, will be spending time at EmpowerMT learning about our programs, visiting with our partners and getting a sense of how non-profit organizations work here. They will be spending much of their time with our Development & Communications Specialist Jesse Jaeger but will also be getting out to trainings, clubs and other programs.

Here are personal introductions and reflections on their first day from Hanty and Aung:

Ung Hanty:

My name is Hanty, originally from SiemReap Cambodia and I am currently working for a non-profit local NGO call Weaves of Cambodia located in Preahvihea province, north of the country and close  to Thai border.

The NGO works to support the disability people who suffered from landmine accident by providing the sustainable skill of weaving to them with the opportunity to employ and earn money to support their family economic and can send their children to school.

My main responsibility is handling all inquiries: manage the show room, communicate between the studio manager and products order, sale, financial record, and consignment management at the 5 star hotels.

I am applying for the YSEALI pro fellowship program in the purpose of getting the opportunity to visit the organization process in the U.S, society engagement. Beyond, is to learn about culture, the way that American people communicate and support each other and how they build relationship between organization partners.

Last, to fulfill my dream of visiting  a beautiful Missoula city.

Aung Lwin:

I am Aung Lwin from Dawei, Taninthari region, Myanmar. I work for a small community based organization called Dawei Watch Foundation. Our organization mostly focuses on training youth issues around civic engagement. Yong people in our region didn’t access to proper information and opportunity to empower themselves as well as their community as the area is isolated for many decades. And therefore, Dawei Watch Foundation was established to give Dawei youth a room to learn issues related to civilians and make stronger their future life and contribute their community.

It is really fortunate for me to be here in the US as a professional fellow of the YSEALI program. It is also one of my dreams to travel to the US and learn how Americans work together to grow their nation and contribute world wealth.

Today is our first day at Empowerment MT office with my colleague Hanty Ung from Cambodia. Our fellowship coordinator Jesse Jaeger explained us what Empowerment MT is doing here in Missoula and across Montana. I hope visiting Jesse work for three weeks will give me a sense of what is civic engagement really mean in US context and learn some useful methods that I can apply in my organization.

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