Volunteer work, efforts acknowledged

International Volunteer Day celebrates volunteers’ contributions and their efforts with communities, non-government organisations, government and the private sector.
This year’s theme is GlobalApplause – a chance to applaud volunteers and acknowledge their contributions to sustainable development around the world.
The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian government initiative  that provides opportunities for skilled Australians to be placed within host organisations to work with local colleagues build capacity within the organisation.
Australian Volunteers Melaina Schuller-Tate, Tony Frugier and Shelomi Doyle are in Papua New Guinea volunteering in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, East New Britain and Port Moresby.
Schuller-Tate is working at the Bougainville Integrated Community Learning Centre, Iamaru village as a community development mentor.
“The assignment I am on is helping to set up a community learning centre in Southern Bougainville, working specifically with the Konnou people, I’m working with many different people in the family and organisation,” Schuller-Tate said.
Frugier is working with the Burnet Institute in Kokopo, East New Britain, as a research and operations mentor.
“We’re working on a really interesting project called Healthy Mothers and Babies. We’re trying to understand why there is such a high mortality rate in pregnant women in Papua New Guinea, and we want to get tangible answers about it,” Frugier said.
Doyle works at the Port Moresby Nature Park as curator of horticulture.
“My work is contributing to identifying plants in the nature park to be a scientific resource for education. I’m also training the horticulture staff to better look after the plants through health identification,” Doyle said.
Michelle McGeorge, general manager of the Nature Park said the combined zoological, botanical and cultural facility has an education and conservation focus.
“We need people to provide guidance to our staff who are hungry to learn, but unfortunately we don’t have the capacity to do the training that’s required. By having volunteers here, we can lead the change that we need for our organisation, and for our staff, so they can reach their full potential,” McGeorge said.
AVID Program has 23 volunteers working across nine provinces including Port Moresby, East New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville,, Western, Madang, Sandaun, Eastern Highlands and East Sepik.