By Precious Assah
The wife of the British ambassador to Cambodia told third year Journalism students at De Montfort University (DMU) about her own experiences growing up in Sri Lanka and the difficulties she faced working there as a journalist.
Nilma Dole-Williams visited the Leicester campus on Tuesday last week(NOV14) in a return visit after DMU became the first British university to open a campus in Cambodia in September.
Mrs Dole-Williams and her husband, Dominic Williams, the ambassador, were among the VIP guests when DMU Vice Chancellor Kate Normington formally opened the campus in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital city.
“To have DMU as the first facility is an honour and I think it’ll be a success,” Mrs Dole-Williams said during her DMU visit last week, highlighting her own background in education and recognising the growing value of British education to the people of Cambodia.
Born in Sri Lanka, Mrs Dole-Williams moved to Dubai during the war in her home country, returning at the age of 14 with a desire to contribute and give back to her community.
“I had a guilty conscience and wanted to serve my country in some way and give back,” she said.
Choosing journalism to make a difference, she faced challenges in Sri Lanka where government restrictions limited freedom of speech.
Despite constraints, she cherished the skills gained in listening to people’s stories and understanding diverse perspectives.
However, she acknowledged the limitations in achieving one’s fullest potential as a journalist in Sri Lanka, where colleagues faced imprisonment for stories challenging the government.
No longer a journalist, Mrs Dole-Williams said she still loves to write blogs, and sometimes contributes pieces on diplomacy.
She also revealed her intentions to start a female cricket team from scratch in Cambodia and offer guidance to aspiring journalists.
Over the next four years, she intends to coach and form Cambodia’s first women’s international cricket team.
To support diversity and women’s empowerment in sport, she will spend her summer coaching at the Brighton and Hove Sussex Cricket Club, and said she also hopes to work with the Leicester Cricket Club and spread her message of diversity.
Mrs Dole-Williams’ evolving career is centred on women’s empowerment. She advised young journalists to be confident, persistent, and proactive in seeking stories that can make a positive impact, emphasising the transformative power of turning negativity into a catalyst for success.
She said she hopes to write and publish a book one day, and also sees diversity being celebrated in sports including cricket.
