Together, we
can achieve anything.
Whether it is the in-country project partners, universities, university lecturers, supervisors and students we work with, staff and health professionals, or local people on the ground in places where we operate, Nineteen Degrees put great focus on people and relationships.
Meet some of the different people making Nineteen Degrees what it is today. Get to know some of those you are likely to meet in Australia and on the ground in Asia and read some of their stories and perspectives.
Fi Reeves
Founder & Director
With 20 years of experience working internationally across Asia, Europe and Australia, Fi, Nineteen Degrees’ Founder and Managing Director, has a passion for social justice, cultural diversity, delivering outcomes and providing honest and innovative experiences for Australian tertiary students.
Nineteen Degrees’ vision is positive and sustainable community-led impact through respectful long-term partnerships with community stakeholders and Australian universities through the dynamic nature of a social enterprise.
Fi is never happier than when working with groups and communities on the ground in Asia but also loves running and in recent years managed to combine both these loves convincing a few die-hard students to run in the Delhi half marathon with her. Perhaps next year Laos will be on the agenda!
For more information, see also Fi's LinkedIn profile.
“After 15 years in the community development and educational travel sectors in Asia I was compelled to start Nineteen Degrees as a social enterprise supporting community service programs with vulnerable populations in resources poor regions of Asia and providing international placement options for university students.
We work with local community stakeholders to identify community service needs and encourage and assist families to access those services and advocate social justice. In turn we assess the community development goals against university requirements and learning outcomes to form sustainable and outcome oriented programs. The key focus we feel for sustainable development is to ensure participation and decision making is inclusive and client-centred and so collaboration with key stakeholders, families and individuals is crucial to the success of the programs.
I am so proud of what our groups have achieved so far and nothing brings me greater joy than to see firsthand on my trips to Asia how open and welcoming the local communities are to Nineteen Degrees University groups! ”
— Fiona Reeves, Founder & Director
Hazel Rands - Ambassador
MAP; Grad Cert Clinical Teaching; BN; RN, RM.
Senior Lecturer & Internationalisation Lead,
Griffith University, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Hazel has over 30 years’ worth of nursing experience - paediatric, emergency, oncology and midwifery in community, rural and international health settings. As Academic Lead for the Griffith University’s international clinical placements since 2010, she is a wealth of knowledge and an inspiration, especially when it comes to community engagement, student career development and supporting transformational learning. Hazel has presented her research at international conferences and she spent two years as Program Director of the Singapore based Griffith Bachelor of Nursing Program, but we love to see her hands-on during placements and providing students with guidance and knowledge.
For more information, see also Hazel’s Staff profile.
Michelle Desmarchelier - Operations
We proudly work with Michelle to book all of our group placement flights and manage group operations. Michelle has worked in various roles within the Travel Industry for the past 30 years, ranging from specialist niche travel companies, wholesalers and retail travel agencies both in Australia and the UK. During this time, she has developed close working relationships with preferred airlines and in country hosts and is therefore able to sprovide the best possible support to our groups.
For more information, see also Michelle's website.
Sonam Sangpo - Nepal Host Partner
Sonam lives in Pokhara with his wife and sons. When Sonam was young, he and his family escaped Tibet which has motivated him to be actively involved within the Tibetan community in Pokhara and in north- eastern India. He counts himself truly lucky to have a nice house in Tashi Ling, and highly values his friends and the community he lives in. In addition to working tirelessly within the responsible tourism sector in Nepal, Sonam has spent a number of years working for the Lions Club in Pokhara.
Vichhay Chhean - Cambodia Host Partner
Meet the wonderful Vichhay! He is our host partner in Cambodia and what would we do without him. Always prompt and enthusiastic in correspondence, he’s an outstanding host on the ground and takes a personal responsibility for all groups visiting Siem Reap. When he’s not working in local communities and improving their life chances, you’ll find him raising money for the many causes he supports especially This Life in Cambodia.
Phuong Coi - Vietnam Host Partner
Phuong is our wonderful host partner and we love her! She has over 13 years working in tourism and hospitality, this experience gives her a multitude of skills ready to liaise with Nineteen Degrees students on their international clinical placements. No challenge is too big, and she is always full of smiles! Since joining the team in 2008, she is our go-to person in Vietnam!
Chipseng Thor - Laos Host Partner
We have worked with Chipseng in Laos for over 10 years and are constantly amazed by his passion and tireless work ethic to build the capacity of the communities we work with along the Seuang Valley north of Luang Prabang. Having grown up in a small H'Mong village Chipseng understands the culture and community needs better than anyone. He has a wonderful sense of humour and is never far from the Bocce field at the end of the day or playing a heated game of soccer with the support team and local health workers. Laos vs Australia is the highlight of a week!
Australian owned & operated
We work inclusively with host sites & local partner organisations.