CTV> Heritier O'Brien sits down with CTV to discuss his recent trip to Africa as a Burnet Institute youth ambassadorCollingwood’s Heritier O’Brien travelled to Africa during the off-season as a youth ambassador for the Burnet Institute.
O’Brien visited Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help raise the awareness of the social and health problems that exist.
“My main goal working with the Burnet Institute was to give me an insight to the projects that they were running and exposing myself to the social problems and the health problems that are occurring in Africa," O'Brien told collingwoodfc.com.au.
“It did give me a great insight into A the problem and B the solution which the Burnet Institute are trying to come up with.”
The 21-year-old made his first trip to Africa when Collingwood undertook a two week preseason training camp in Potchefstroom (South Africa) before the 2008 season. He felt an immediate connection with the people in the area and wanted to do more to help the situation.
The Burnet Institute invited O’Brien to become a youth ambassador to assist in spreading awareness and provide a voice to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, malaria and malnourishment of children.
“The Burnet Institute and my values are congruent. I wanted to get out, for my personal development, being exposed to these things that you read about and see on the news but I actually wanted to be there on the frontline and witness it for myself.
“I have a big interest in working with HIV/AIDS because so many people are affected by it. Not only individuals but everyone around them, everyone in the community.
“Being exposed to that in Mozambique only strengthened my views on that.”
O’Brien wanted to stress to the people reading about his trip that things can be done to help solve the problem.
“For the people that are watching this, we live in the mainstream media and only get exposed to a fraction of it and I want for people to open their eyes and ask more questions. (It) will bring out a whole new collective consciousness which will result in more things being done for the people of the area.”
To find out more visit http://www.burnet.edu.au
