Welcoming home Cambodia’s latest changemakers – Ven Champamunny

Four years of my PhD study under an Australia Awards Scholarship have nearly passed with the blink of an eye and with sweet and bitter memories. The journey felt like a roller coaster, navigating complexity and uncertainty, with highs, lows, self-doubt, breakthroughs, and everything in between.

 

I’m very proud to be graduating as a Cambodian scholar with specialised knowledge in disability-inclusive maternity care. I believe this will help Cambodian midwives provide better care for women with disability and their babies, who have too often been left out of the healthcare system. This achievement is not just mine — it belongs to every woman with disability in Cambodia who deserves respectful and inclusive care.

 

As much as I’m excited to go home, I know I’m going to deeply miss my student life at the University of Melbourne. The city, the campus, and the staff and friends at the Nossal Institute for Global Health have become a part of who I am.

What made this journey possible was never just my own effort. I’m deeply grateful for the support of the Australia Awards team, both in Cambodia and at the University of Melbourne. From the beginning, they believed in me and supported me with guidance, encouragement, and a sense of belonging far from home. Their support reminded me that I was never alone in this journey.

 

I’m also very thankful to my three supervisors for their wisdom, patience, and guidance. They helped shape me not just as a researcher, but as a stronger woman. They pushed me to think deeper, do better, and celebrate every step of my progress.

Looking back, this journey taught me that I’m stronger than I once believed. The struggles, setbacks, and long nights of writing built my patience, persistence, and perseverance. These are not just words to me — they are part of my own experience as a Cambodian scholar who never gave up.

 

As I return home, I do so with gratitude, purpose, and hope. Cambodia, I’m coming back with something meaningful to give.

I’m committed to continuing my work on disability-inclusive maternity care and using my PhD knowledge to help improve care for women with disability in Cambodia. I hope to work with government agencies, health institutions, and other partners on practical, long-term policy changes.

 

I also look forward to working with the Cambodian Midwives Council and the Cambodian Midwives Association to help midwives build the skills and confidence to provide inclusive, compassionate care.

My goal is simple: no woman with disability in Cambodia should be left behind in maternity care. I can be connected at https://www.linkedin.com/in/champamunny-ven-080bb38b/