MELF Cambodia Immersion: Reflection of Programme Manager Marietta Latonio

Cohort Five of our Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) took part in their first international immersion experience in Cambodia from 25 September to 5 October 2025.

Marietta Latonio is Programme Manager of the MELF Programme and here she shares her reflection on the immersion experience for Cohort Five in Cambodia:

I led and facilitated the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) immersion for nine women coming from six countries—the United States, Ireland, Guyana, the Philippines, Kenya, and New Zealand. 

This international immersion is one of the program components that each fellow has to complete within one year of engagement.

Previous cohorts usually stayed at the Mindol Metta Karuna Reflection Centre, which is an interfaith center where Cambodians and foreigners are welcomed to spend time seeing the challenges of Cambodia through the eyes of the poor. The centre is operated by Sister Denise Coghlan, a Mercy Sister who has spent her life in Cambodia for at least four decades working with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

However, this time, we were not able to stay at the centre because it was flooded due to continuous rain for days. It reminded us about how ordinary people suffer because of the effects of climate change.

Leading and facilitating this immersion was both a humbling and transformative experience. It reinforced my idea that true leadership begins in the quiet spaces of reflection and in the courage to engage with stories of pain, resilience, and hope. Cambodians suffered so much pain, both physical and emotional. The trauma brought about by the experience from the civil war and Pol Pot regime has left deep scars on them. When meeting the Cambodian people and hearing their stories, these were filled with forgiveness and looking forward to a better life.  The MELF fellows were all in awe and moved by the compassion shown by every Cambodian and their capacity for renewal, not forgetting their suffering but being strengthened by it.

As a leader accompanying these fellows, I was moved by how each of them held space for the stories they heard.  There were moments of silence, tears, and deep empathy shared by them in group check-ins and reflections. These encounters reminded me that reconciliation is not an abstract concept; it is a daily act of courage, both personal and collective.

Personally, this immersion was also my retreat—a sacred pause to reflect on my own role as a leader and companion in this journey.  Managing the program logistics was only a part of the experience; the greater task was creating a space and atmosphere for the fellows about openness, trust, and shared learning. Observing the fellows grow in self-awareness and solidarity affirmed why MELF exists.

As I look back on this immersion, I am filled with gratitude for the privilege of accompanying the nine women and for the resilience of the Cambodian people who welcomed us wholeheartedly and their willingness to share a part of their life. To all these people, I express my deep appreciation. Mere words could not convey my huge thanks to all of them.

ENDS