Meet Anna Rea: CLAN Community Development Intern and NCP Scholar
2024
Tell me a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Anna, I studied a Bachelor of Medical Science with a nutrition major at CQUniversity based in Cairns, Australia. I am a 2021 New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholar, where I studied Japanese and did a semester abroad at Kanagawa University, Japan, and interned with CLAN in Hanoi, Vietnam. I come from an international family, so I’ve always been fascinated by travel and languages, especially in Asia.
How and when did you (or will you) start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I completed a 14-week internship from April to July 2024 as part of the New Colombo Plan Scholarship. I was inspired by CLAN’s values and framework to support children’s health and hoped to learn about holistic public health approaches in low resource settings. CLAN also has numerous projects across different countries which allowed some flexibility to find a placement that is right for you. It was an exciting opportunity to get hands on, in-country experience working with local communities and health professionals.
Tell us about the New Colombo Plan and the opportunities it has provided you.
The New Colombo Plan is a program organised by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs that supports undergraduate students to live, study, and work in the Indo-Pacific region. My program enabled me to study in Japan for one year and complete my internship with CLAN in Hanoi, Vietnam for 14 weeks. This experience has been transformational, both personally and professionally, and one that couldn’t have happened without the support of NCP, universities, and CLAN.
What is your role within CLAN and what projects are you currently working on?
I was based at the Cerebral Palsy Family Association Vietnam (CPFAV), which is an inspiring not-for-profit organisation supporting individuals and families living with cerebral palsy (CP). The organisation is largely run by parents of children living with CP and adults living with CP. My main role was to connect with the CP community in Hanoi and assess the current state of CP support in Vietnam. From this, I developed a CLAN action plan for CP and a landscape map of CP resources and organisations in Vietnam and internationally.
What has been the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN?
I’m grateful to have met so many inspiring people through this experience. From the amazing members of CPFAV, to the philanthropic CLAN team, to the dedicated health professionals I connected with; it was inspiring to be part of an international, collaborative team of passionate people working to make a meaningful difference in children’s and their families’ lives.
Are there any key skills you developed, or lessons learned from working with CLAN?
CLAN’s framework and community-centred design was an effective stepwise approach to tackling complex issues like child health in resource-poor settings. Following this ethos demonstrated how to break down complex concepts to make a meaningful change in the community. Additionally, I learned how many people and organisations are willing to collaborate to work towards a common goal.
What is some advice you would provide others who would like to get involved, in either the NCP or CLAN, or anything that you’ve been involved in?
To keep an open mind and to take on the challenge.
What are your goals for the future?
I plan to pursue post graduate studies and a career in international nutrition research, specifically in supporting women’s and children’s nutritional health in low- and middle- income countries.
2024
Tell me a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Anna, I studied a Bachelor of Medical Science with a nutrition major at CQUniversity based in Cairns, Australia. I am a 2021 New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholar, where I studied Japanese and did a semester abroad at Kanagawa University, Japan, and interned with CLAN in Hanoi, Vietnam. I come from an international family, so I’ve always been fascinated by travel and languages, especially in Asia.
How and when did you (or will you) start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I completed a 14-week internship from April to July 2024 as part of the New Colombo Plan Scholarship. I was inspired by CLAN’s values and framework to support children’s health and hoped to learn about holistic public health approaches in low resource settings. CLAN also has numerous projects across different countries which allowed some flexibility to find a placement that is right for you. It was an exciting opportunity to get hands on, in-country experience working with local communities and health professionals.
Tell us about the New Colombo Plan and the opportunities it has provided you.
The New Colombo Plan is a program organised by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs that supports undergraduate students to live, study, and work in the Indo-Pacific region. My program enabled me to study in Japan for one year and complete my internship with CLAN in Hanoi, Vietnam for 14 weeks. This experience has been transformational, both personally and professionally, and one that couldn’t have happened without the support of NCP, universities, and CLAN.
What is your role within CLAN and what projects are you currently working on?
I was based at the Cerebral Palsy Family Association Vietnam (CPFAV), which is an inspiring not-for-profit organisation supporting individuals and families living with cerebral palsy (CP). The organisation is largely run by parents of children living with CP and adults living with CP. My main role was to connect with the CP community in Hanoi and assess the current state of CP support in Vietnam. From this, I developed a CLAN action plan for CP and a landscape map of CP resources and organisations in Vietnam and internationally.
What has been the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN?
I’m grateful to have met so many inspiring people through this experience. From the amazing members of CPFAV, to the philanthropic CLAN team, to the dedicated health professionals I connected with; it was inspiring to be part of an international, collaborative team of passionate people working to make a meaningful difference in children’s and their families’ lives.
Are there any key skills you developed, or lessons learned from working with CLAN?
CLAN’s framework and community-centred design was an effective stepwise approach to tackling complex issues like child health in resource-poor settings. Following this ethos demonstrated how to break down complex concepts to make a meaningful change in the community. Additionally, I learned how many people and organisations are willing to collaborate to work towards a common goal.
What is some advice you would provide others who would like to get involved, in either the NCP or CLAN, or anything that you’ve been involved in?
To keep an open mind and to take on the challenge.
What are your goals for the future?
I plan to pursue post graduate studies and a career in international nutrition research, specifically in supporting women’s and children’s nutritional health in low- and middle- income countries.
