Initiatives of Change - Goretti Nguyen

After graduating from university in economics, she 'fell into' her job with a department store group and promotion came without any special effort. But all the time she was looking for something more fulfilling. She joined various voluntary groups that offered an opportunity to 'help people.' One of these was Australian Vietnamese Youth Today (AVYT) which held their meetings at Armagh - the Initiatives of Change center in Melbourne.

As her dissatisfaction intensified, she decided to take a year's working holiday in Europe and was desperately hoping to discover a new path for her life. But eight months later the trip was cut short and Goretti returned to Australia with nothing having changed. She went back into a job that seemed more aimless than before. She felt trapped and without direction. Her parents could not understand the root of her unhappiness, which led to an eventual breakdown in relationships.

On returning to Australia Goretti had resumed her responsibilities with AVYT and this time she started to get to know some of the people who lived in Armagh. This led to her taking part in a Life Matters course, which seemed to be exactly what she was looking for - and it was. Acquiring new strength from the nine-day course, she made two decisions. 'First and foremost to be true to myself and secondly to dare to take a chance. I knew what this meant for me. What I had so far seen, heard and read about Initiatives of Change spelt hope-giving work. Here were people who put the emphasis on the individual's power to change society - starting with themselves. This was the kind of work which would give purpose to my life, even though there was no financial comfort of security.'

Years later she reflects on where those decisions have taken her. She has traveled the world and for a time she was National Youth Coordinator for IofC in Australia. Best of all, she was where she was meant to be - in an environment where she could help young people find purpose and a 'quality of life' for themselves. She is now trying to help young people find purpose and a 'quality of life' for themselves; giving to others what she herself has long yearned for.