| Sports |
PNG woman applies new global leadership skills
One of the two women chosen last year
by Esso Highlands Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil
Corporation in Papua New Guinea, to attend a Global Women in
Management: Building Leaders for Development course in the US,
Dominica Bessie Abo, returned to Washington in May for further
training.
Dominica Bessie Abo, Director of Anglicare StopAIDS PNG, and
Sisa Kini, Executive Director of CDI from PNG were selected
along with 23 other community leaders from around the world, for
the all-expenses-paid scholarships to attend the one-month
course in Washington DC.
The course is designed for female managers working in
development-focused community organisations around the world. It
provides training and coaching designed to strengthen management
skills and leadership abilities. It is sponsored by the
ExxonMobil Foundation's Educating Women and Girls Initiative and
is run by the Centre for Development and Population Activities.
Each year ExxonMobil affiliates internationally are invited to
nominate candidates.
The objective is to help participants and their organisations
create positive and sustainable changes at all levels of their
communities.
After completing the course, to Dominica's surprise she was
invited back to do further training.
"I was very thrilled," she said. "I asked why did they pick me,
and they said they were watching us throughout the course and
they saw that I was very keen."
Dominica went back to Washington D.C. in May to complete her
coaching training, which she said was very interesting.
"The idea is that I can now pass on what I have learned to other
women in Papua New Guinea but also elsewhere in the world over
the phone or online," she said.
Not long after she arrived back in Port Moresby Dominica had her
first opportunity to put her training into practice.
"I was approached by a woman who was appointed to an executive
role in a world-wide organisation," said Dominica. "She was
seeking some advice and guidance. I had just arrived back from
my training so it was very good timing."
So what is a key message that Dominica passes on to the women
she coaches?
"I tell them that just because they are in a position of
leadership it doesn't mean that they aren't supposed to have
their own problems and issues. And I tell them that there are
people they can call on for advice, support, coaching and
mentoring."
Dominica said she was very grateful to ExxonMobil for giving her
the opportunity to do this community coaching work.
"I really feel it is a worthwhile and rewarding role, and this
opportunity came as a result of ExxonMobil nominating me for the
training last year," she said.
 
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