Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, Papua New Guinea
The major source of revenue and opportunity for the people of this province is the Ok Tedi open cut copper mine, operated by BHP Billiton. While providing some opportunity, the mine has also brought challenges to the region as large numbers of people have migrated to Kiunga to seek economic opportunities. Despite the mineral riches of the area, the Western Province remains PNG’s least developed province, partly due to the swampy terrain and partly due to the ongoing export of wealth.
The Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga is the major service provider for the people of Western Province in education, health and other social services. It runs primary and secondary schools, hospitals, women’s programs and leadership training amongst others.
Bishop Gilles Cote placed a request with Palms Australia for a Financial Administrator and a Manager of Human Resources to work with and mentor local staff.
Esther and Paul
Palms Australia recruited Esther Sim and Paul Tan to meet the needs of Daru-Kiunga.
Esther is a Chartered and Public Accountant from South Australia who has volunteered to train staff in Kiunga. Esther brings 28 years of experience in accounting and financial management to the position. She has worked in a leadership capacity and taken responsibility for training junior accountants and non-accounting personnel.
Paul brings a diverse skillset ranging from scuba and underwater photography instruction, to aircraft maintenance engineering to teaching English as a Second Language. It will be his management and communication skills which will be most use to his work in Kiunga.
Paul has worked in cross-cultural and multi-cultural settings many times. His studies and extensive experience in creative communication mean he is well placed to mentor his PNG counterpart in Human Resources skills.
Paul and Esther have volunteered many times locally, in both Adelaide and Singapore, and are well equipped to contribute to providing sustainable services to the people of PNG’s Western Province.
Once more into the fray
December 9, 2011
Volunteering can be both a challenging and immensely rewarding experience. Few returnees would claim to remain unchanged by the experience. Some, such as Des Hansen, from Foster in Victoria, and Monica Morrison from Mollymook, NSW, value the experience so much that they return for another placement. Each is well aware of the sorts of challenges they will face, though the specifics are different each time, but each can see that they again can be part of meaningful change by plunging in again.
Monica Morrison has previously volunteered with the Catholic Teachers College (CTC) in Baucau in Timor-Leste. While there she worked with trainee teachers and lecturers at the college, sharing her expertise in education and psychology and sharing in the expertise of her East Timorese colleagues in what works, or does not work, in East Timor. Monica’s presence, guidance and enthusiasm was greatly appreciated by those with whom she worked.
Now Monica is readying herself for departure to work with Edmund Rice Sinon School (ERSS) in Arusha, Tanzania. Like CTC Baucau, Edmund Rice has a long history with Palms Australia and Monica will be the latest in a series of volunteers who have contributed to improved education for the children of Tanzania. Interestingly, Monica will be joining two more “repeat” Palms volunteers in Arusha, Kathy Brick, also at ERSS and Jenny Ferris, at Food Water Shelter.
Des will be joining three other Palms volunteers in Kiunga, John Gartner, Paul Tan and Esther Sim, who are working on improving the programs of the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, which include Emmaus Farm. Again, this is a long-term partner of Palms Australia, with numerous volunteers over the years responding to challenges in youth work, education and sustainable agriculture. Des will be a welcome addition to an ongoing partnership which is making a real, positive difference in people’s lives.
Des and Monica are not unique in returning to the field – there are over 100 volunteers who have done more than one placement with Palms Australia – but each time someone returns to volunteer again, we are excited to receive them. Those who have volunteered before often have a headstart because while there may still be culture jolts, we know they have the tools to work through them. Provided they don’t expect each experience to be the same, they can be more effective in their work exchanging skills. Repeat volunteers are more likely to be motivated out of a sense of solidarity and enjoyment of other cultures, which appear to be more indicative than other motivations of effective cross-cultural engagement. Furthermore, the willingness of volunteers to return to Palms serves as an endorsement that, at least, we as an organisation are getting something right. Such feedback from our volunteers complements the positive feedback we receive from our partner agencies and encourages us that we are successful in achieving our three-point mission.
As always, we must remind our readers that our work relies on your support. While, Monica’s placement is largely funded (though not entirely) by AusAID and ERSS, we must cover the entire cost of Des’ placement from our own networks. The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga has agreed to provide accommodation and a modest living allowance to Des, but we still need assistance covering costs such as flights, insurance and support. By covering these small amounts, in 2012 we will provide a full year’s worth of expert labour to ERSS and Emmaus Farm. You can donate directly to support our work in Tanzania or PNG by selecting Monica or Des from the drop-down list on our donation page.
Paul and Esther’s Community News no. 2
March 14, 2011
The dearth of suitable infrastructures of any sort – no accessible roads, no mail service, no banking service, out of cell phone range – seemingly manifest themselves in the desperate messages that are going through the airwaves of the Western province.
Click here to read the full article
Paul and Esther’s CommUNITY News no. 1
December 10, 2010
“Welcome to Kiunga!” shouted a guard from behind locked gates. He saw us peering into the very large and privileged compound, fenced and razor-wired.
Click here to read the full article
More articles
Write to Esther and Paul
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To donate to support Esther and Paul's placement in Kiunga, please use the form below. If you would like to make a general donation to Palms Australia, please use our dedicated donation page.
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Your donation will be placed towards the costs of sending and supporting Esther and Paul as a volunteer in Kiunga. In the event that monies are raised above the amount required, Palms Australia will use them to support the placement of other volunteers. For more information contact Palms Australia.
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Or call us on (02) 9518 9551 to make a donation by phone. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR WORK!Papua New Guinea
Population: 5,931,769
Area: 462,840 sq. km.
Median Age: 21.5
Literacy: 57.3 %
Languages: New Guinea Pidgin, English, Motu, 820 indigenous languages
The terrain of Papua New Guinea varies from its rugged mountainous spine to its beautiful beaches to its volcanic islands to one of the world’s largest swamps and the large river systems of the Sepik and Fly rivers. These geographical differences have created a unique country with many diverse cultures. The ties within a family [...]