Last week’s guest speaker was Simon Millcock, Holistic Local Development Officer, Cambodia “SPOONS” Empowering Women project. Simon volunteers his time for this project through the Australian Volunteer Program (AVP) which matches skilled Australians with partner organisations across the Pacific, Asia and Africa to support them to achieve their own development goals. The AVP is a government-funded initiative supporting global volunteering.
SPOONS enables underprivileged Cambodian young adults to become self-supporting through education, training and employment opportunities in the hospitality industry. To date, more than 600 young people have launched their careers in hospitality – through the SPOONS café and restaurant training facility teaching authentic and creative Cambodian cuisine.
Simon’s role (among many others) at the present is to focus on building a SPOONS Alumni Exchange between Cambodia and Australian restaurants for their students to undertake 4-6 week’s upskilling to equip them with advanced skills in language, sustainability, culinary arts, food and beverage service, bakery/pastry, leadership and hospitality management. Simon is planning towards 25 alumni to have an opportunity during 2027-28 to become interns on short courses in our SA restaurants. Our own member, Helen Smith, is a mentor to one of the management teams at SPOONS. Thanks, Simon, for an inspiring talk.
This Thursday’s meeting if Coffee Catch-up at the White Picket Café from 9.30am. See you there.
Best wishes and have a great week. Yvette, President.
United in the spirit of Service we value truth, fairness and friendship; and we welcome the opportunity that Rotary gives us to contribute our talents and resources in support of others.
Rotary Club of Adelaide Light Mission Statement
To have fun and engage interest from new members and friends as we use our strengths for a better world here and abroad - a welcoming, flexible group having fun doing hands-on activities for positive impact.
