Two win leadership awards

National
PNG High Commissioner to New Zealand Francis Agwi (left), Minnie Voi, sister Leata Voi and Gibson Gala in New Zealand. Voi was the winner of the PCF Profit with Purpose award and Gala was the winner of the PCF Pioneer Award. – Picture supplied

TWO Papua New Guineans won awards at the Inaugural Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) Youth Leadership Awards in New Zealand recently.
Gibson Gala bagged the PCF pioneer award and fellow Papua New Guinean Minnie Kalo Voi was awarded the PCF profit with purpose award.
They were among 10 people from the Pacific who were recognised for their leadership and service to their communities.
According to a statement from PCF, Gala has 15 years experience in youth leadership at the local, regional and international level.
Gala is currently studying towards a masters in disaster risk resilience at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
These programmes were sponsored by New Zealand’s ministry of foreign affairs and trade (MFAT).
Gala represented Pacific youth at the Asia Pacific Youth Parliament for Water, One Young World Summit, and Inaugural Global Intergenerational SEN Summit 2013, Kizuna Youth Programme, among others.
After graduating from the University of Papua New Guinea, Gala worked with a number of local and international organisations such as the United Nations, international non-government organisations, International Organisations for Migration, faith-based organisations, and the Global Green Growth Institute in different capacities.
He has worked in the area of youth activism, capacity building, leadership development, grassroots community engagement, humanitarian and disaster emergency, climate change, rural and international development in the Pacific region.
Minnie Kalo Voi is a second-year student in the bachelor of business management and economics at Massey University in New Zealand.
She is the recipient of the prestigious MFAT scholarship award 2019 and is employed part time by Kiwi Properties as a customer service representative in Palmerston North.
Voi said being the first of six siblings, she learnt women empowerment and leadership by service and dedication at home.