Sydney Anglican teenager, Rachel Le Couteur will fulfill a life's ambition when she flies out to South Africa today [Thursday Jan 27] to help AIDS orphans.
Rachel, 18, was selected from a nation-wide list of applicants by the Oak Tree Foundation, Australia's only youth-run aid agency, joining ten young Australians to star in a documentary they will help make about the trip.
A talented songwriter, Rachel will be responsible for composing the soundtrack for the documentary which is slated to screen on Channel 10.
"I'm really excited," she said. "Since I was 15, God has put on my heart the needs of South Africa."
"I think I will be confronted with the realities of the world " that so many people live in poverty."
Rachel, an active member of St Stephen's, Belrose where she teaches Scripture and leads Sunday School, said God "had pretty much everything' to do with her ending up on the tour.
"Jesus loves the poor and the marginalized," she said. "As I have sought to be more like Jesus, I have wanted to seek to love all people just as Jesus does."
The tour will be led by Oaktree founder, Hugh Evans who is the 2004 Young Australian of the Year.
Rachel will not only be visiting AIDS hospitals, meeting with development officials and learning about the AIDS pandemic, but will gain hands-on experience running art and music workshops run for local orphans. The group will spend time in Johannesburg, Durban and the AIDS ravished region of The Valley of a Thousand Hills in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Rachel said that what she likes about the Oaktree Foundation is that it is both Christian-based and completely run by youth.
"Young people often have a real passion for relief and justice issues in the world but there is not always an outlet for them," she said.
People interested in finding out more about the youth-run aid agency can visit The Oaktree Foundation website.
