The youngest daughter of the Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin has surprised everyone with her decision to take a sabbatical year and dedicate herself to volunteer work in Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The 18-year-old has left behind her life in Switzerland, where she was studying at a prestigious school, and has given up, at least for the moment, her plans to study hotel management.
Instead, she has decided to follow in the footsteps of her older brother Juan, who also volunteered in India, and work with an NGO founded by a family friend, the priest Enrique Figaredo.
This is Irene Urdangarin’s life in Cambodia
At the end of January, Irene Urdangarin arrived in Battambang, one of the most vulnerable areas of Cambodia, after paying for her own plane ticket.
She lives there with another young volunteer and works every day on education and support projects for children with physical or mental disabilities, according to the Spanish press.
She also visits the most remote villages where she lives with local families and learns about their needs.
Her work as a volunteer for the NGO Sauce has allowed her to get closer to the reality and culture of Cambodia, a country she had never visited before and to which she found it difficult to adapt.
The niece of King Felipe VI, who is tenth in line to the Spanish throne, has shown a great spirit of solidarity and an independent personality.
Her decision to move to Cambodia was welcomed by her family, but not so much by her mother, the Infanta Cristina, who at first found it difficult to accept her daughter’s decision, despite the fact that some members of the Spanish royal family have always been associated with international cooperation.
Irene Urdangarín plans to spend at least six months in the Asian country, where she will live a unique and enriching experience.