Dear LIFT,

I want to say I think that LIFT is doing a wonderful job reaching out to young people and helping them to connect with each other as well. 

The LIFT issue from May 23, 2012 uses the word “social work” to describe any kind of “doing good for the community”, but in reality social work is an academic field in which Royal University of Phnom Penh offers an excellent Bachelor’s degree and also an area of professional work for those with the degree.  

I heartily encourage young people to do good in the community and we can call it community service or service learning, if it is connected to an academic program, usually at a University.

I realise this academic degree is new to Cambodia and I also know that many people have done work in particular areas, such as counselling for HIV/AIDS programs, mobility for blind people and assistance for poor communities.  

Now, however, we need to begin to think of social work as a profession for which people get degrees and prepare themselves for this important task in Cambodia.

Thanks for all the excellent work you are doing!

Luise Ahrens

NGO Maryknoll

The views expressed are solely of the author himself and do not reflect the institution’s positions.