Esther and Paul volunteering in Papua New Guinea

Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, Papua New Guinea

The diocese of Daru-Kiunga is covers a very large area of PNG's Western Province. Many Western Province communities are in very remote areas with limited access to health and education facilities.

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.