Making an Impact

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Volunteers International

S I N C E 1 9 5 1• Improving health access in Burma • Learning from a global classroom

Australian Volunteers International Magazine I Winter 2014

The future of international aid and development is an important topic for all nations. As a leading international volunteer sending agency, it is important that AVI is part of this global conversation.

In June 2014, I look forward to attending the first C20 Summit hosted by the University of Melbourne. This unique gathering provides an opportunity for hundreds of civil society delegates from Australia and abroad, to discuss the four key topics – inclusive growth and employment, infrastructure, climate and sustainability, and governance - that are shaping our global economy.

Our collective findings and recommendations from this dialogue will be referred to delegates attending the G20 in Brisbane, Australia, in November 2014. The C20’s primary aim is to allow members from civil society organisations to participate in discussions and ensure that people are put at the centre of the global economic agenda.

Responding to the ever-changing global environment is important for the success of any international not-for-profit organisation. For AVI, this means looking beyond 2015 and towards 2030. We must accept disruptive change and embrace progressive future thinking, new ideas and new partnerships, while continuing to maintain our core values.

In May I was fortunate to attend a four-day seminar presented by environmental educator and activist, Fritjof Capra at Schumacher College, Devon, United Kingdom. Evident from his teachings about the intertwined relationship between ecology, business, politics and our lives, was the need to sustain life by building and nurturing the community.

These sentiments reinforce much of the great work AVI is already doing. Communities and people-centred development is at the heart of what we do, and will continue to do, as we focus on how to better nurture sustainable communities in the future.

In this edition of AV Magazine we are transported around the globe to see the significant changes two Australian paramedics, Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson have made to improve access to health care in Burma.

As the eve of the World Cup draws closer, Australian volunteer Stan Foster explains how his work developing the first football league in the Federated States of Micronesia is changing the future health of children living in Yap.

Woodworking and Carpentry Technician, Grant Sim, highlights how teaching his students the art of carpentry has had a significant impact on improving the economic livelihoods of his students in Tanzania.

These are just some of our stories, they emphasise the incredibly positive impact Australian volunteers are having with local communities around the world every day. Warmest regards in peace.

CEO Message

AVI is a member of the International Forum for Volunteering in Development and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).

Australian Volunteers International connects people and organisations internationally to learn from each other and achieve shared goals.

AVI enables Australians to join in global efforts to reduce poverty; promote human rights, good governance and gender equality; enhance health and education services; and protect the environment.

Contents

Dimity Fifer

04 > The World Game Comes to Yap

06 > Conservation and Sustainability in Jordan

08 > Responding to Burma’s Emergency Health Needs

10 > Engaging with the Outside World

12 > Volunteering for Change

14 > A Cultural Role in Development

16 > The Confidence to Continue

18 > Adventure Awaits Volunteers in Oodnadatta

20 > Building a Better Future in Tanzania

22 > Let Our Sisters Learn

24 > A Pacific Response to Biomedical Challenges

26 > Room to Learn in Cusco

28 > Improving Burma’s Emergency Care Services

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The Role of Volunteerism in the

We are on the brink of a new development era. Governments are being asked to commit to a new set of universal sustainable development goals, keeping a focus on the importance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but at the same time expanding the responsibility and universality of development efforts.

There is growing recognition that people and communities are the driving force to help shape more successful and sustainable development programs, institutions and policies. The next global development phase therefore presents volunteer organisations with an opportunity to reshape the script, building on the foundations from the last 20 years, to ensure that human wellbeing, human security and people are central in the development discourse.

Past decades in development have demonstrated that regardless of how well a country does or how fragile it is, when people are permanently and positively engaged to support, initiate and keep on track developmental or peace efforts, then these efforts are more likely to succeed. Developmental sustainability starts with people, individually adopting a sustainable approach to life and basing their actions and values on the future they envision for their children, grandchildren and the community as a whole.

Volunteerism must be recognised as an ingredient that can bring together communities and institutions in the recipe for achieving universal sustainable development.

Internationally, volunteers can provide people-to-people contributions beyond the traditional definition of development.Through new media, boundaries of distance are circumvented by online knowledge, collaboration and volunteering. UNV’s Online Volunteering is an example of how thousands of people can engage in development virtually by sharing their expertise via online volunteering assignments.

Volunteering also makes an impact in specific areas of global concern. Countless community campaigns worldwide, relating to areas such as health, education, anti-poverty, environment and peace-building, owe their success to the voluntary engagement of concerned citizens. Increasingly, governments at national and regional levels are supporting volunteer efforts with a growing commitment to engage youth as peace and development actors, while enhancing their skills, experience and employability.

Volunteerism is gradually being understood not just for its role in helping to deliver services, but also for the substantive and distinctive contribution that volunteering makes in policy and advocacy work. The summary report from the post-2015 consultations, involving over a million people, made the impact of citizen participation clear: “The consultations have revealed a huge appetite and demand for involvement not only in the design of the development agenda, but also in its future implementation”.

At the global advocacy level, networks of volunteering organisations are also making a difference. Their work has been strengthened through the efforts of the International Forum for Volunteering in Development and other volunteering organisations. In 2013 in Paris, Forum’s annual meeting of international volunteer cooperation organisations addressed the issue of how volunteer groups could engage with post-2015 processes.

More than 50 volunteer organisations working in more than 145 countries signed on to the Paris Accord on Volunteering for Sustainable Development.

The Paris Accord highlighted “a new collective spirit and preparation to underline the power of volunteering for creating healthy, vibrant societies and the achievement of the future Sustainable Development Goals.” In 2013 a taskforce involving a broad coalition of volunteer groups enabled the first ever intervention on behalf of volunteer groups at the 2013 General Assembly High Level Event on the MDGs.

In coming decades, success in human development progress will be defined not just by how well policy and institutions tackle inequality and sustainable development, but by how people and communities are equally engaged in being mutually accountable for development progress. An important element of this new development era will be the involvement of people through volunteering for peace and development.

By Richard Dictus Executive Coordinator United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

Comment UNV

Emerging Development Era

About Richard Dictus and UNV

The UNV program is the United Nations organisation that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Richard’s 25 year career with the UN spans six continents. His has worked as a mediator, change manager and has a strong background in human resources and transformative development processes.

www.unv.org

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In 2013 Stan Foster took on the challenge to work with the FSM Football Association to bring the world game to Yap, a North Pacific nation with a population of over 11,500 people. In his volunteer role as Sports Education Program Officer, Stan has been a swimming coach, sports photographer, tournament director and softball assistant, but the main activity that has brought smiles to the faces of Yapese is their first encounter with the round ball. Stan shares his story.

It has been over a year since I first came to Yap, an island of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), to assist in establishing and developing the sport of soccer (also known as football) in the hearts and minds of communities.

Despite the initial lack of equipment and local knowledge about the game, partnerships with the local people and organisations have resulted in a weekend league competition, a weekly elementary school competition, social soccer, the Yap Youth Games and various holiday camps. I still sometimes find it hard to believe how quickly these programs have progressed.

It’s been hard work and there has been disappointments and set-backs, but the rewards easily outweigh this. The pleasure I get from seeing kids and adults now enjoying the same game that I’ve loved to play nearly all of my life, has enriched my life in many simple ways. Make way World Cup 2014… Of course the big event this year in football is the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but a lesser-known competition is making waves in the Pacific. The Micronesian Games will be held in July on the FSM island state of Pohnpei. Importantly, soccer is again one of the scheduled competitions, after an absence of some years.

Here on Yap, the excitement is building as the state soccer team prepares for the Games. Identification and preparation of the soccer development squads and the state team has been part of my assignment. Challenges have included building a first-time player skills base, having no boots or shin pads, right through to a lack of training facilities and equipment. Luckily the Yapese are resourceful and so after seven months of training, preparing our passports and visas, fundraising, and ramping up the team spirit, we’re ready for Micronesia’s equivalent of the World Cup.

By Stan Foster

The World Game Comes to Yap

1 > Junior soccer players learn the world game. Photo > Stan Foster

2 > Australian volunteer Stan Foster (back right) training students. Photo > Leo Pugram

3 > Stan driving the soccer van purchased with funds obtained from the Planet Wheeler Foundation and AVI Community Grant Scheme. Photo > Stan Foster

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Here comes the soccer van With the help of AVI/Planet Wheeler Community Grants Scheme funding, the Yap Sport Council purchased the soccer van to take soccer to the elementary schools.

The soccer van is so well recognised that when we arrive at schools, children come running out with huge smiles to help get the equipment out of the van. They now set out the pitch while I put on my boots. It’s worth noting that in many ways Yap is still traditional in its culture and traditions. The complex social and gender systems still exist with seven different hierarchies in each municipality. As a broader development tool, the game breaks down some of the cultural barriers and encourages the building of teamwork and leadership, with teachers praising the outcomes. Ulithi gets a kick out of soccer The State of Yap covers over 6000 kilometres of the North Pacific ocean, with 78 smaller islands spread across this vast distance - 18 of which are inhabited. One of those small islands is beautiful Ulithi, which boasts a population of less than 700 people. I am fortunate to have had the island included as a place I go to as part of my assignment.

The introduction of soccer to Ulithi on my first visit was an historic occasion. The adults and children had no knowledge of the game, with basketball and volleyball the predominant sports played on the island. Soccer was an instant success, particularly with primary school children who arrived early for the clinics each day. They enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a friendly competition.

The second visit to Ulithi was to do follow-up coaches training in the morning and then practical demonstrations with the youth in the afternoon. After my departure I am hopeful the will become strong advocates for continuing soccer’s presence. It’s a wait and see situation, because of the remoteness of the island, but the taste for the game is definitely there. Eyes on Micronesia 2014 Many eyes will be on Brazil this year as the best players in the world compete in the wonderful game of football. While the Yapese are not there yet, they will continue to celebrate the game with very basic equipment and facilities, much laughter and good-natured competition. For some competing in the Micronesian Games will be a world first. Perhaps one day a few will compete in a world class event as players who learned to love the game on a little island in the middle of the North Pacific.

This is a position of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

Country Focus Federated States of Micronesia

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4, 5 & 6 > Senior State soccer players practising for the Micronesian Games. Photos > Leo Pugram

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Living in the Middle East is not new to me, and I feel happy and at home in my little Aqaba apartment. I am close to the main township and within a 10-minute walk from everything I need. Being a woman without any transport is always difficult in this part of the world, but I have overcome this by maintaining good humour and respecting my hosts. I am grateful for them devoting their time to my travels between my two work locations in Aqaba and Wadi Rum, and take advantage of these car trips to converse with people one-on-one so we all start to understand a bit more about one another’s values.

Driving to work at the Wadi Rum Protected Area (WRPA) I pass the great majestic hills, sculptured landscapes and many changes in vegetation. The Wadi Rum topography is every bit worthy of its World Heritage status and is possibly amongst the most beautiful places on earth. It is also home to the endangered species of Arabian Oryx that the WRPA team and Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) are trying to breed and conserve.

Essentially my job is analysing the needs of all stakeholders, in particular the government, community and private stakeholders and ensuring the sustainability of the Oryx Conservation Project. Gathering information on the day-to-day health of regional animals has not been easy to obtain. By partnering with the sole private veterinary practice in Aqaba, I have been able to accompany their veterinarian into the field, and it has paid off handsomely.

After eight months, the WRPA team offered me a small lodging at the Wadi Rum Visitors Centre, in the Tourist Police quarters. I

By Michele Cotton

Conservation and Sustainability in Jordan

stay out in Wadi Rum for two to four nights a week and spend the rest of the time in Aqaba. It is my base for working with the local Ministry of Agriculture veterinarians to help them establish a small clinic for animals. This has been achieved, despite my only having one day a week for the past 12 months in which to attend to this.

The communities I work with and the WRPA Ranger Team are largely Bedouin from the southern part of Jordan, Wadi Rum and nearby villages. Traditionally the people here are nomadic and some still live on remote sites, in big handmade tents, surrounded by the various animals they breed and graze in the region. In Aqaba most people I work with are employed by the Government, they are more urbane than their desert cousins but all are friendly, love to laugh and are welcoming of people from other countries.

Day-to-day spent in Wadi Rum is very variable, sometimes I work in the office to maintain a database of the oryx herd that I originally created, other times I’m in the field. There had been no formal recording previously so now the WRPA rangers and management enjoy referring to it as they see its value. I also work with the rangers and staff to survey the behaviour of the oryx and to document their grazing habits throughout the year. We hope to be able to publish some new data on this in the near future.

My most significant contribution has been my ability to understand the needs and constraints of each organisation I work with. The lack of resources, both financial and human, is consistent across all sectors, but things don’t always require a large amount of money to be thrown at them. I am fortunate to have had a lot of previous experience in improvising and as a result I’ve been able to assist people to find alternative ways to cost effectively address some of these problems.

I hope that over time, my colleagues continue to connect with outside organisations, and successfully share and apply knowledge to ensure the conservation of these beautiful animals and the sustainability of the surrounding communities.

This is a position of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

Australian volunteer and Veterinarian Michele Cotton, has always been drawn to the desert. Twenty years of living and working in Saudi Arabia highlighted the complexities of operating in the Middle East and the need for increased veterinary care services in the region. When a veterinary adviser position became available in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone in Southern Jordan, Michele’s decision to volunteer was an easy one. This is Michele’s story.

Country Focus Jordan

Above left > Australian volunteer Michele Cotton with a baby oryx. Left > The endangered species of Arabian Oryx. Photos > Courtesy Michele Cotton

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1 > The Wadi Rum Village and Protected Area.

2 > The WRPA Ranger Team with a newly microchipped baby oryx.

3 > Australian volunteer Michele Cotton, WRPA, Park Manager Nasser Zawideh and the WRPA Ranger.

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4 > Rock carvings of Arabian Oryx in the protected area.

5 > A herd of Arabian Oryx in the project enclosure.

6 > Volunteer Michele Cotton with a WRPA Ranger Abdullah Saba.

Photos > Courtesy Michele Cotton

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Having extensive experience in clinical settings as well as delivering medical education at a number of tertiary institutions, both Nigel and Jarad are well placed to develop an ambulance service and paramedic training processes that meet the needs of the people in Burma.

Days are busy and often centred around work at the Yangon General Hospital Emergency Department. Nigel and Jarad work with doctors, train nurses and assist with patient care, or work with orderlies on safe lifting techniques and how to use various equipment.

“We are currently in the process of establishing a national framework for ambulance and pre-hospital care as part of the Ministry of Health (MOH) strategy, and identifying ways to train and develop ambulance crews over the long-term,” Jarad said.

“I also assist in the Emergency Department’s Resuscitation Room. I’ve seen significant developments in my first six months here thanks to the passion of the local health staff, and a number of international specialists, including another AVID volunteer.”

Despite living in Yangon for less than 12 months, both volunteers have already made significant contributions to improve ambulance operations, increase healthcare access and provide equitable training and education options for staff.

Responding to Burma’s Emergency Health Needs

Emergency medicine is a very new concept in Burma. A priority of the Ministry of Health is to improve the nation’s emergency medical services. This is being achieved with the support of two Australian volunteer Ambulance Development and Crew trainers, Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson.

In 2013, Adelaide residents Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson decided to take their paramedic skills overseas to Yangon General Hospital, Burma’s largest public hospital. Despite having a bed capacity of 1,500, no ambulance service exists as we may know it in Australia. More than 70-80 percent of patients arrive at the hospital by taxi or transport other than an ambulance.

“The hospital has suffered from years of limited funding and is very resource poor compared to an average hospital at home,” Nigel explained.

“Patients need to pay for their own medications and treatments. They need to rely on their families to feed them, and often to provide some of their care. There are no sheets on the beds, no bathrooms with shower facilities or white clean walls. People that attend this hospital generally cannot afford a private hospital, the majority come from very poor backgrounds.”

By Fran Noonan

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Country Focus Burma

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“I have recently managed to write up a national curriculum for a Post Graduate Diploma in Emergency Nursing that has now been accepted by the Government and will begin in January 2015 at one of the universities here. This is exciting as it is the first of its kind in Burma and introduces a lot of new ideas about teaching methods and assessments,” said Nigel.

“Together with National Doctors we assisted in training a core group of ambulance crews in preparation for the South East Asian games hosted by Burma in December 2013. We also advised regarding the purchase of medical emergency vehicles and equipment, and assisted in training over 1,200 volunteers in basic life support and mass disaster preparedness.”

Jarad said it is an exciting time for emergency health professionals who are pushing for change and development in their country.

“After our assignments finish, I hope the MOH can continue to develop the Emergency Medicine Service in Burma and filter this out to the regions beyond Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw. If a government-based ambulance service can be established and a nationalised network formed, the vast majority of Burmese will have better access to emergency health care.”

These are positions of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

1 > (l-r) Ambulance Instructor Mg Mg Myint, Australian volunteer Ambulance Service and Crew Trainer Jarad Wilkinson, Myanmar Red Cross volunteer, and Australian volunteer Ambulance Service and Crew Trainer Nigel Klein at Yangon General Hospital, Burma. 2 > Jarad and Myanmar Red Cross volunteer inspecting equipment in the ambulance. 3 > Nigel and Mg Mg Myint inspecting equipment in the ambulance. 4 > Nigel and Jarad working with local hospital staff and examining an emergency patient at Yangon General Hospital, Burma. Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

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Country Focus Myanmar

Engaging With the Outside WorldBy Chris Chaffe

With the democratisation of Burma and the nation recently opening its doors, Australian volunteers like Chris Chaffe have jumped at the chance to support the country’s political transition and strengthen the capacity of local communities. Chris shares his experiences working as English Foreign Language Curriculum and Teacher Trainer at the Yezin Agricultural University.

My new home at Yezin Agricultural University (YAU) is about 25 kilometres from Nay Pyi Taw the new capital of Burma. The whole area has long been rich farmland. As you drive in the main driveway you pass fields of rice paddy, and horticultural crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and beans. These crops are grown without pesticide and are in high demand by the local staff.

The university itself has been in its current location for over 40 years. Despite its village-like atmosphere, it has a thriving population of around 2,000 undergraduate students, and 300 postgraduate students and academic staff. I find it very easy to get on with other people living at Yezin, there is a welcoming atmosphere that is warm and inclusive.

At the university, my role is to prepare comprehensive recommendations on revisions to English Language Training Curriculum and upgrade the English Foreign Language (EFL) training skills of YAU staff.

Agriculture already plays, and will continue to play an increasingly important role in Burma’s development in the future. There is a basic level of English language skills that already exist in this country, but I believe with further development in this area, Yezin could become a regional centre for study of agricultural sciences in English. This is important, as currently so much of the research andinternational communications are in English.

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A day in the life…

Monday to Friday, my day usually starts at about 5am as I go on a training walk with the local members of the Burmese Hiking and Mountaineering Federation. During work hours I am busy gathering my teaching material, setting and correcting assignments, and updating course and student records.

During my first semester I had 53 postgraduate students who each received three hours of tuition time each week. Four evenings a week I ran two-hour classes for the academic staff to provide meaningful practice in English language and improve their speaking skills. I also regularly met up with teachers in the English Department to help them with any enquiries they might have, and to provide advice on teaching techniques.

Professionally the response I’ve had from the postgraduate course in my first semester has been the best experience I have had so far. There was good attendance, I received good feedback on the usefulness of the course, and the students put in a real effort to do assignments well and learn new skills. I hope that the course I am currently working on with the postgraduate students, and my efforts to integrate this into part of the university teaching culture will later be seen as significant.

It’s very hard to work out which aspect has been most significant for me personally. Maybe it is the fact that someone from a ‘Western’ culture who is working here for a lengthy period of time can observe that Burmese culture becoming less isolated and insular. A new foreign face confirms the trend towards greater engagement with the outside world.

This is a position of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

Opposite > Australian volunteer and EFL Curriculum & Teacher Trainer, Chris Chaffe, with students at Yezin Agricultural University, Nay Pyi Taw, Burma, during the early morning field practical class. 1 > Students in class at Yezin Agricultural University, Nay Pyi Taw, Burma. 2 > Soe Pain Oo, 3rd year Field Practical Teacher, with Australian volunteer EFL Curriculum and Teacher Trainer Chris Chaffe and students at Yezin Agricultural University Nay Pyi Taw, Burma. 3 > Physics Lecturer and Grade 1 Registrar, Tin Ko Ko, and Chris Chaffe teach students at Yezin Agricultural University, Nay Pyi Taw, Burma. 4 > Tin Ko Ko and Chris Chaffe with students at Yezin Agricultural University, Nay Pyi Taw, Burma. Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

Country Focus Burma

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Volunteering for ChangeBy Hannah Ford

Eight University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts students have followed in the footsteps of Herb Feith, AVI’s and Australia’s first international volunteer. Also a University of Melbourne student, Herb travelled to Yogyakarta in 1951 to take part in a unique people-centred development experience, an overseas volunteer assignment. Sixty years on, students are learning from a similar experience.

The Community Volunteering for Change – Global is a pilot project of the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts. It is a credit-bearing subject available to students university wide, and is delivered collaboratively with Australian Volunteers International and Indonesian partner organisation SATUNAMA. The six-week-long project immerses second and third year students in a rural Indonesian setting, and promotes community empowerment through a global learning experience.

Working alongside SATUNAMA staff, the students learnt to use empowerment techniques as part of their contribution to a range of local community projects, research and community engagement activities.

“It has enabled me to move beyond a simple theory-based understanding of a developing society and take part in an initiative which deals directly with the livelihoods, aspirations and concerns of local communities” said Victor Fisher, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student.

“As a practical experience this has empowered me to consider, in new ways, the implications, obstacles and individual stories which comprise development issues. It has inserted an emotional dimension into my understanding of notions of poverty, deprivation, inequality and limited political participation.”

During their placement at SATUNAMA, the students worked in small groups across four key subject areas: Assistance and Advocacy; Capacity Development; Media and Knowledge Management; and Program Development.

Third-year student, Kate Foley, has always had an interest in social justice, but working within the Media and Knowledge Management team at SATUNAMA opened her eyes to how different skill sets could be used in a development context.

“I have come to realise that development does not necessarily belong to only a select few job titles. Working in the Media and Knowledge Management Department has helped me realise that development requires many different roles, undertaken by many different types of people.”

According to Stella Paramita, SATUNAMA’s Program Development Coordinator, the success of the program relied on the participants’ adaptability, flexibility, and willingness to develop existing skills and knowledge, as well as learn from SATUNAMA and the local communities.

“The best indicator of the success of this program and the participants is the very positive response they received from all communities in regards to the work they did. This is not just an indicator of the participants’ analytical, professional skills and development – but also a strong indication of their ability to engage with communities in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner,” she said.

“The program had significant benefits for SATUNAMA with the program participants able to assist in identifying community issues, challenges, and needs, and provide input and recommendations for future community development activities.”

As well as the benefits for the organisation and the local communities, the students involved in the program reflected on the experience as a time of immense learning and personal growth.

“If I were to summarise the past few months with one phrase I might say that it was a period of ‘intensive learning’,” said Huw Hutchison, a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Indonesian.

“It is rare that one learns in such an immersive environment, and I relished the opportunity to do so. With each passing day, especially while in the field, I felt myself growing; personally, emotionally, and intellectually.”

For many, the personal development aspect was coupled with a heightened awareness of the impact of meaningful contributions at a community-level.

Kate Foley explained,“the most significant change - one I hope I can now act upon, carry with me, and apply to every area of my life – is the acknowledgement that no contribution is too small or insignificant. Every step forward, every action made with purely someone else’s wellbeing in mind – this is how we reach change.”

Community Volunteering for Change – Global is a University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts project, delivered in partnership with AVI and SATUNAMA.

Melbourne University Faculty of Arts Indonesia

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1 > (l-r) Melbourne University Faculty of Arts students Huw Hutchison, Louella Willis and Kate Foley learning to play gamelan instruments at host village Gunung Kelir, Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta Indonesia. 2 > AVI Project Team Leader Mick Dan, tasting turmeric root at Gunung Kelir village. 3 > (-r) Hendrian Paul (Komunitas Satu Hati) and Victor Fisher (Melbourne University Student) at SATUNAMA office in Yogyakarta. Komunitas Satu Hati is a partner organization of SATUNAMA, based in Muncar, Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. 4 > Huw Hutchison (Melbourne University Student) and Wartiyah (Gunung Kelir community member) at the community medicinal herb garden.

5 > (l-r) Goat raising is one of the main income sources of Gunung Kelir villagers. 6 > (l-r) Melbourne University students Ni Putu Ika Pradnya Larasyati and Kate Foley cooking breakfast at her homestay host kitchen in Gunung Kelir Village. 7 > Melbourne University student Larnie Hewat (second from left) with village community members (l-r) Gito, Painem and Supangat at the community medicinal plant garden learning how to plant traditional medicinal plants. 8 > (l-r) Murati, Ngatmi, Wartiyah, Sutinem, Surati, Tukirah, Parilah and Dadi, members of Paguyuban Petani Tanaman Obat (Organization of Farmers of Medicinal Plants) at Gunung Kelir village. Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

A Cultural Role in DevelopmentBy Jon Hunter, AVI Country Manager - Indonesia

With a population of over 230 million people in Indonesia, spread over thousands of islands, including over 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural identities developed over centuries; communities and individuals are becoming increasingly marginalised. It is not just by the speed of economic development in Indonesia, but also due to the tools and language used in the design and implementation of development programs.

The greatest single impact that cultural development organisations have is providing the appropriate tools and mechanisms for communities to actively participate in their own development. Community development should not be considered only in terms of economic growth and improved service provision, but it should be a means to achieve fairer, stronger and more resilient communities.

Incorporating culture into all development policies, be they related to education, communication, health, livelihoods, or any other component of development, can contribute significantly to poverty alleviation and important benefits to social cohesion.

Volunteers and project participants working with cultural development organisations through AVI on programs such as the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program have contributed to a range of sustainable livelihoods, education and income generation outcomes.

This includes the establishment of an annual environmental arts festival in Central Java, the development of an online resource for cultural mapping and learning across the Indonesian archipelago and the creation of a plant database to use in the production of traditional dying and weaving.

Creating a cultural hub in Yogjakarta

In Yogyakarta, Australian volunteer Kristi Monfries is using her arts management skills to support local organisation Bumi Pemuda Rahayu (BPR), its staff and community members to achieve their vision to become a vital community arts hub and international model of environmentally-sustainable arts and culture.

In doing this, BPR is increasing community exposure to global arts and culture, providing a creative learning and event space, and supporting community business opportunities. For organisations like BPR, cultural development enables people to have a say in, and control over, their own development and enable to engage and participate directly with wider development issues.

This is a position of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

1 > The Papermoon Puppet theatre uses locally sourced materials, including bamboo mesh for puppet making. This provides support for local industries. (l-r): Suharlik, Briliant Yalva Farelyi, Maria Tri Sulistyani (Papermoon Puppet Theatre), Kristi Maya Dewi Monfries.

2 > BPR will be a cultural hub for local families. A priority of BPR will be to provide local communities with the opportunity to learn and improve their creative skills and attend cultural events. (r-l): BPR workshop attendee Suharlik from Dlingo village, Bantul District, Jogjakarta Province and her son Briliant Yalva Farelyi.

3 > The centre aims to be a leading cultural model of environmental sustainability. Local communities will have access to some of the world’s international thinkers, artisans, architects and performance artists, as the centre aims to be a major arts destination for international workshops, discussions and for short-term and long-term residencies. (l-r): Yuana Arista Sari, Novita Agit Syauma, Muhammad Hanif Al Husein playing with bamboo sticks to make puppet frames. BPR, Dlingo, Bantul District, Jogjakarta Province, Indonesia.

Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

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Country Focus Indonesia

4 > Australian volunteer Kristi Maya Dewi Monfries (above left) shares her arts management skills with Indonesian artists such as Iwan Effendi from the Papermoon Puppet Theatre and her colleagues at BPR. She develops their capability to deliver local and global environmentally-sustainable events, training programs and implement an internationally-recognised model of environmental sustainability in the arts.

5 > Local children benefit from BPR’s arts workshops. Here the Papermoon Puppet Theatre artists share their knowledge to build the confidence and skills of children at their puppet making workshop held at the BPR centre. (l-r): Octo Cornelius from the Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Muhammad Hanif Al Husein from Dlingo village show off a puppet made with bamboo frame and dry grass body.

Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

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The Confidence to ContinueBy Fran Noonan

Palmira Pires is Director of the East Timor Development Agency (ETDA) in Timor-Leste, an organisation committed to responding to the nation’s youth unemployment issues. Since 1998, ETDA has utilised the skills and expertise of 34 Australian volunteers to become one of Timor’s leading vocational education and training agencies. Australian volunteer and Hospitality Training Mentor Jocelyn Condon is currently supporting ETDA’s vision to establish hospitality and tourism training opportunities for Timor’s young people. They talk to AVI’s Communications Coordinator Fran Noonan about achieving this vision.

Fran: Provide a brief overview of ETDA including details on the service you deliver to the community.

Palmira: The inception of the organisation that eventually became ETDA began in 1998 with the support of Australian Volunteers International. Originally the focus of ETDA was to collect information to inform the United Nations and other agencies such as the World Bank in directing post-conflict aid efforts. ETDA has since expanded its services to provide training in many of the areas this work identified.

ETDA is now one of Timor-Leste’s most well-known and respected vocational education and training NGO’s operating in Dili.

Our agency provides affordable and practical training opportunities for Timor-Leste’s unemployed youth. At present, ETDA runs courses in IT, English, administration, finance, management, jewellery making, creative art and more. Our trainers are currently practicing delivering a new hospitality training course which will start very soon in ETDA’s new hospitality and tourism training centre. Fran: Tell us about the communities ETDA works with.

Palmira: ETDA is based in Dili, and provides critical links between Dili and the outer districts. We have run programs and monitoring in many of the districts of Dili, and our new hospitality course will cater specifically for disadvantaged students from more remote areas, who we will be able to accommodate in our new training centre’s dormitory. Geographically, Timor-Leste is a difficult place to navigate, with poor road conditions in much of the country, making accessibility to many districts difficult and time consuming. This makes accessing good vocational training opportunities for Timor-Leste’s youth very tough. Fran: What are the challenges ETDA and these communities face?

Palmira: The biggest challenge we face is youth unemployment. Youth unemployment figures nationally stand at nearly 50 percent for those aged between 18-25.

Lack of education, training and practical skills are all contributors to this problem. Many years of conflict has meant that education was constantly interrupted and school rarely consistently attended for many of the youth in this age bracket.

Without basic literacy, knowledge or skills, these youth now struggle to find jobs. ETDA’s challenge is to effectively equip youth with the skills they need to meet the demand for labour in Timor-Leste. ETDA predicts that demand for hospitality-based skills and services will continue to grow as the nation’s tourism industry expands, and so our new hospitality and tourism training centre hopes to help meet some of this demand with as many local workers as possible. Fran: What is the day-to-day focus of your work activities at ETDA?

Palmira: Most of my time is spent leading, directing and mentoring the staff to make sure they meet the objectives of the organisation. I try to mentor everyone from the managers to the cleaners, and try to give time to everyone.

Jocelyn: At the moment I’m working on getting our first ever hospitality training package off the ground. For me, this means that no two days are the same, and there’s never a dull moment. Right now, my counterpart, our training team and I are practicing the delivery of our training using all our new resources and equipment, and ironing out the kinks in the translation of the materials.

In the past few months we have also advertised our new training packages to all the local hospitality businesses in Dili, spent time collaborating on new processes for the use of our new facilities and equipment, held an opening ceremony for our training centre, and an open day for our partners to engage with us about our plans for our training and facilities. Fran: How have Australian volunteers assisted ETDA achieve their vision?

Palmira: Volunteers can help us meet what is lacking, and to be there to support the staff. Often concepts are new to them

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and they don’t feel they can take it on. They need mentoring, guidance and encouragement, so they have the confidence to continue the initiatives after the volunteer has left. They know it is only for a short-term so they have to take advantage of the volunteer’s knowledge while it is there. Most of our work is based on volunteers. We start off this way with skilled advisers, get the knowledge and momentum and move forward from there. Almost all of ETDA’s programs have started this way.

Jocelyn: For ETDA, I think the use of volunteers means that ETDA can continue to move forward with carrying out great initiatives like a hospitality training program, and build the capacity of ETDA’s own staff who want to learn these skills.

I think it is particularly difficult for local NGO’s like ETDA to attract staff with the capacity and knowledge to achieve what they need without any guidance or technical assistance from the beginning. Volunteers at ETDA build the capacity of the existing staff, by developing their skills on-the-job. Fran: As a volunteer what are some of the challenges you have faced?

Jocelyn: Language has been a challenge and at times a limitation, as I’m sure is true for many volunteers. Now that I’ve been in Timor for close to 11 months, it’s becoming less and less of a problem. Luckily, my counterpart speaks great English and has been very obliging in helping conduct meetings and presentations. We have also realised that many of the skills required to train and learn hospitality can be done without needing a common language, because it’s all about doing. Occasionally we still struggle with communicating about some of the more technical aspects of hospitality, such as food safety, cross contamination and technical (usually French) terms for styles of table setting, but we’re getting there! Aside from this barrier, I can’t say we’ve had that many other challenges. ETDA is a great organisation to be partnered with as a volunteer. They have been most welcoming and open to facilitating the success of my assignment in every way possible. Fran: How does your work and the work of ETDA support the communities of Timor-Leste?

Palmira: I have set up a training centre for the people of East Timor to come and receive training. We established a place where people can come and learn at a professional standard so that they can get real skills, and in turn real jobs.

Jocelyn: I think this is a bit hard for me to answer right now, because I feel like we’re just getting started, and I hope the most significant impact is yet to come. I think I’ve been able to contribute somewhat through the development of our training curriculum, the lesson plans, and learning resources. I’m most excited about building the capacity of our trainers over my remaining 15 months to be able to deliver this training, effectively, helping ETDA expand and deliver accredited Certificate I and II courses in Hospitality, and helping develop internal processes to ensure the tourism and hospitality training centre runs as smoothly as possible. Fran: What do you hope for ETDA’s future? Palmira: To be able to continue to deliver the services we do currently so youth can get skills and are trained by skilled Timorese.

Jocelyn: ETDA has many big dreams, which will hopefully soon be in reach. Mostly, I hope that a sustainable, organised and effective tourism and hospitality training centre is soon up and running. I hope that the students participating in this training are able to reap real benefits in employment terms. This is a partner and volunteer position of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

Opposite top > Palmira Pires, Director of the East Timor Development Agency in Timor-Leste. Opposite bottom > Australian volunteer Hospitality Training Mentor Jocelyn Condon Right > Jocelyn teaching students hospitality skills at ETDA. Photos > Courtesy Jocelyn Condon

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Aboriginal Volunteer Program Oodnadatta

Adventure Awaits Volunteers in OodnadattaBy Fran Noonan

For Australian volunteers Dale Weegberg and Alice Krakouer, the chance to travel to the remote Aboriginal community of Oodnadatta on a 10-week volunteer project was a life-changing, learning experience.

Both Dale and Alice worked on community-driven projects, identified by Oodnadatta’s community leaders. They worked with the Oodnadatta Aboriginal School to help improve literacy levels of students who had fallen behind, assisted aged-care residents to develop and maintain community vegetable gardens, and worked on a beautification project with the Dunjiba Community Council.

In July 2014 AVI will send its third intake of Aboriginal Volunteers to Oodnadatta.

AVI Aboriginal Volunteer Program Coordinator, Christina Jenkins, said that AVI are proud to partner with the Oodnadatta community, the South Australian Aboriginal Reference Group and Volunteering SA&NT to support the third intake of Aboriginal volunteers.

“Dale and Alice have been really great role models for this project. They have both come away with increased self-confidence, a greater resilience, and a stronger sense of their place in the community.”

Dale said the experience was a huge confidence builder and a great learning opportunity.

“I really had to step out of my comfort zone and learnt a lot from the people of Oodnadatta.”

“The friendships I’ve made will be life-long connections, and even though I haven’t been there in a little while, I am still in contact with many of the people I met during my stay,” he said.

For Alice, living in a remote community was a stark contrast from her usual life back in Perth.

“Living in Oodnadatta was completely different to what I knew but the whole experience really enhanced my cultural knowledge,” she said.

“It was a privilege to meet the community members. It is a group of people I will always feel connected too, it was like having a whole new family around.”

The Aboriginal Volunteers Program will take place from mid-July until mid-September 2014.

Above > Volunteer Dale Weegberg saying goodbye to students at the Oodnadatta Aboriginal School. Photo > Becky Last / AVI

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Aboriginal Youth Exchange By Christine Crosby

Environmental education, skills development and youth engagement will be the focus of the six-week Classic Wallabies’ Exchange; an Australian volunteer experience in South Africa developed for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Based in Hoedspruit, seven hours drive from Johannesburg, six Aboriginal volunteers will work in partnership with local communities and staff from Children’s Eco Training on:

> a community research project

> the Keyhole Garden project

> the Eco Village Project plan

According to Children’s Eco Training CEO Corne Havenga, these project activities are responding to the organisation’s commitment to conserve the natural heritage of South Africa through youth empowerment.

Classic Wallabies’ Exchange South Africa

Above > Elephants roam freely in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Photo > Emma Judge

Be a part of the International Indigenous Volunteer NetworkIIVN is sharing the global stories of Indigenous Australians and working to:

• Connect more Indigenous people with international volunteering, learning and work opportunities • Increase Indigenous participation in international volunteering • Promote the contribution made by Australian Indigenous people to international communities

Find out how you can support and participate in IIVN at www.iivn.org.au

tollfree 1800 331 292 email iivn@australianvolunteers.com

Proudly supported by the Australian Government and Australian Volunteers International.

Ed Story - IIVN Coordinator and proud Aboriginal Wangai man.

“Children’s Eco Training activities work to empower youth by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to become well-educated young adults,” she said. “Therefore we place great emphasis on both education and environmental education.

By creating awareness amongst young people to fully understand the intrinsic value of their environment, they will subsequently be working toward protecting this environment for the future.

“The volunteers’ participation in these projects will increase their own environmental awareness, while developing skills in teamwork, leadership and community development,” she said.

As part of their project activities, volunteers will work with young school students from communities based in the Klaserie Private Nature Research and the nearby rural village of Acornhoek.

The Classic Wallabies’ Exchange will take place in June/July 2014.

The program is delivered as part of the Australian Government’s Australian Volunteers for International Development program, in partnership with Eidos Institute, the Classic Wallabies, Australian Volunteers International and the Make a Difference Foundation in South Africa.

Above > Volunteer Dale Weegberg saying goodbye to students at the Oodnadatta Aboriginal School. Photo > Becky Last / AVI

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Better Future

By Fran Noonan

After travelling through Africa in the mid-80s’ as a backpacker, Queensland resident Grant Sim developed a strong connection with the region. Thirty years on, Grant has returned to Moshi, Tanzania, as an Australian volunteer Woodworking and Carpentry Technician to improve the livelihoods of students at the Forest Industries Training Institute. This is Grant’s story.

In Tanzania, recent education reports indicate that 60 percent of students who sat the Form Four (equivalent to Year 10 in Australia) exams in 2012 achieved between 0 and 10 percent. Given that education is seen as the key to climbing out of the poverty cycle, it is important for institutes like the Forest Industries Training Institute (FITI) to allow students, with low pass rates to continue with their tertiary education. For some students it is their only chance of getting a certificate or diploma and having a reasonably well-paid job when they graduate.

My role here at FITI is to train students in woodwork skills, furniture- making and building construction. The first major challenge when I arrived was the state of disrepair in the woodwork teaching facilities. No maintenance on buildings, machinery or upgrading

Building a

in Tanzania

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Better Future

Country Focus Tanzania

of tools had been undertaken in years, all contributing to the poor work ethic and low productivity levels of the students.

With support from the Principal, we planned ways to improve the productivity and upgrade the workshop. Assisted by two young graduates, John and Justin, I began making timber ladders, workbenches, trestles, repairing the machinery, fixing holes in the floor, setting up work systems and generally getting the place to look like an organised workshop.

John and Justin are in a small group of five I have trained in the two years I’ve been volunteering in Moshi. They are a great source of pride for FITI and myself. They have helped me with teaching the students, as my Swahili is not great and the students don’t always understand my English. They also obtained the top marks in their year group and as a result were sponsored by FITI to study for their diplomas in Arusha, which is a very rare occurrence.

I have also trained Frank, Kini and Edwin. After six months of training, Frank obtained a tutoring position in Iringa. Edwin and Kini’s families are unable to help them financially so we appealed to our friends and family back in Australia to fund both these men through further studies. All five of these young men are now better educated in their chosen fields, both theoretically and as young competent tradesmen heading for a brighter future.

Some time after I arrived in Moshi I was approached by an Australian nurse to come and look at a health clinic she was working at. The doctor at the clinic was keen to provide a palliative care facility for the people in the Kilimanjaro region. The clinic was in a very run-down state and needed a major overhaul before it could be approved for palliative care.

My job as a builder, was to project manage the renovation of this building and ensure a high quality of workmanship. With the permission of our Principal, I used this opportunity to teach my young tradesmen various aspects of the building process. We did a lot of our own work, making trusses, building shelves and cupboards, and putting cover strips on the ceilings.

There is now a volunteer Clinical and Palliative Care Nurse, through the Australian Government’s Australian Volunteer for International Development (AVID) program, working at the clinic. She is assisting the local doctor with strengthening patient and family counselling, home visit systems, and diagnostic assessment and referral processes.

Being in a position to bring about positive changes to people’s lives is a rewarding experience. It will be sad to leave a town where you walk down the street and people call out ‘hello teacher’. However it is pleasing to know that more AVID volunteers will be supporting the community’s vision to deliver a better future through education and health.

This is a position of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), is an Australian Government initiative.

Building a

in Tanzania

1 & 2 > Australian volunteer Grant Sim passes on his woodworking and carpentry skills to students at the Forest Industries Training Institute. 3 > The workshop at the Forest Industries Training Institute, Moshi, Tanzania. 4 > Grant mentors his students in woodworking skills. 5 > A student uses new machinery in the workshop. Photos > Matthew Willman

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By Hannah Ford

Let Our Sisters Learn

For pastoralist children in the isolated Afar region of Ethiopia, access to education has always been extremely limited. For girls, there is even less opportunity. Responding to this situation is the Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA), which began its first literacy program in 1996.

Since this time APDA’s program has evolved to improve the coverage and quality of education in the Afar region, focusing on education options that are appropriate in the pastoralist setting. While primary level education is being achieved in many areas through a combination of mobile and static education, the next challenge was to come up with a solution for how the children would continue on. Following on from their literacy program, APDA has been piloting a strategy that will ensure more girls gain access to education on an ongoing basis. Through The Road Less Travelled, a partnership project led by Anglican Overseas Aid, APDA has established a student hostel in the town of Asayita. Pastoralist children from remote rural areas move to the town to live in the student hostel accommodation during the school term, so they have the opportunity to continue learning. They are supported to live while they attend the local government school from grade five onwards. A key priority of the hostel is to increase girls’ participation in education – a challenge which has seen some resistance from the pastoralist communities. One factor which has helped to pave the way for Afar girls is the presence of the hostel house mother, Lako.

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Lako is a mother from the same remote community as the students, and took up the volunteer role of house mother at the hostel when APDA was looking for someone. “They needed someone, so I said I’d go. The best thing I can do is look after children. If our children learn, we can have a great future.” During the school term, Lako is the caregiver for a group of 27 students of various ages, including 12 girls. As a mother of nine children, she has plenty of experience and is trusted by the community. Most of her children are grown up with their own families now, but her youngest child, Salama, lives with her at the student hostel along with two of her nieces. Lako is a strong advocate for girls’ education. She is illiterate, and before APDA’s program began in the area she remembers there were no opportunities for education in her community. But she believes girls can be just as smart, and do just as well as boys in school. “Let our sisters learn,” Lako says. She works with the Community Development Committees, clan leaders, and women’s leaders to explain and promote the benefits of girls’ education. At first she faced a wall of concerns – the community was worried about the girls’ safety in the town. Beyond that, they were worried if they got an education, the girls would never return to their community.

But for Lako, the chance that some of the students will return and give back to their community what they have gained through education, is a chance worth fighting for. “What are we doing here if not to go back to teach our community. What are [the students] here for, if not for that?” In the first year it was difficult to get girls into the hostel, but with ongoing community consultations, as time went on people began to come around to the idea and realise the benefits of giving their daughters the opportunity to get an education. When the students in Lako’s care are asked what they dream of doing when they grow up, many talk of going back to their community and becoming teachers, health extension workers, and doctors. “These children learn, we then have a future, they will be the future. Before, there was no education…but in the hands of these children, even the Government will come to realise [the Afar] know our rights, we’ll work for our rights. “Before APDA, we were people with closed eyes, and no idea what is going on around us, no idea how to care for ourselves. Now we have women’s extension workers, we have literacy teachers. If these children learn, the future will get brighter and better, thanks to the organisation.” The Road Less Travelled is being delivered by Anglican Overseas Aid in partnership with the Afar Pastoralist Development Association (Ethiopia), the Mothers’ Union (Kenya), the Nossal Institute for Global Health and Australian Volunteers International. This project is delivered with support from the Australian Government.

Learn more about the project at: www.aroadlesstravelled.net/blog

Opposite > Lako with her niece, seven-year-old Hawa, the youngest girl in her care at the APDA student hostel, which is supported by The Road Less Travelled project. The emphasis is on promoting girls education. Above > Lako provides care for 27 students who live in APDA’s student hostel in the town of Asayita. The hostel initiative allows children from extremely remote pastoralist communities to continue their education in a safe and supportive environment. Photos > Kate Holt / Anglican Overseas Aid

AVI Partnership The Road Less Travelled

Across the Pacific region, governments are establishing partnerships to address a range of local health challenges. Improving hospital access to funding and expertise, to maintain, operate and upgrade biomedical equipment, is among one of the priority areas in this health challenge.

Health ministries across the Pacific have identified the need to upskill local technicians and medical staff as the most sustainable and effective way to address the region’s biomedical challenges. It has been recognised that securing the expertise of biomedical engineers to the Pacific is central to achieving this.

Since 2009, seven Pacific Island Governments have utilised the support of the Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism’s (PACTAM) Biomedical Engineering Maintenance Initiative (BEMI), Australian Government-funded programs delivered by Australian Volunteers International. Accessing the expertise of 10 biomedical engineers, the region’s hospitals are beginning to realise their vision of access to reliable biomedical equipment.

Currently three Biomedical Engineers are working across six Pacific Island nations - Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Samoa and Kiribati, as part of the project. While ensuring their work is relevant to the countries they are working in, all engineers are balancing comprehensive training activities with the implementation of improved biomedical industry standards and guidelines.

By Christine Crosby

A Pacific Response to Biomedical Challenges

Delivering long-term and sustainable outcomes have been the priority of the work of Biomedical Engineer Sens Matai, who is currently working in the Solomon Islands.

“To ensure work continues after you are gone, there is a great emphasis on the transfer of skills and knowledge for all the biomedical technicians,” Sens explained.

“This involves hands-on training with technicians as well as medical staff across a range of departments, and national health institutions. For me, this means focusing beyond the needs of the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. All my activities, including training or changes in guidelines must take into account the needs of staff at Provincial Hospitals.

“Mentoring local biomedical technicians is an integral part of the roles, however training and skills transfer must be extended to other medical staff. I have trained 86 nurses in equipment care and operation across four hospitals in the Solomon Islands. Nurses now can carry out basic user maintenance, basic repairs, change filters and accessories on a range of medical equipment.”

Sen’s commitment to cross-department training has also resulted in maternal health nurses now skilled in the maintenance and operation of the cardiotocograph machine, which is used to observe a mother’s contractions and foetal heart rate prior to birth.

Scott Everden, based in Vanuatu and Tuvalu, describes the work of the biomedical engineers as a delicate balance of managing the daily demands, and planning for long-term health provision.

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PACTAM Biomedical Engineering Maintenance Initiative (BEMI)

“Responding to the local training needs of hospital staff is vital, however this must be coordinated with the implementation of national policy and procedure framework for the sector,” Scott said.

“This approach will ensure we move from being reactive; it enables a planned approach to maintenance, training, procurement and financial management. It is about changing the mindset about the work from just being about equipment failure, to promoting a long- term planned approach.”

Similar to his biomedical engineer counterparts working across the Pacific, Scott has found that with the introduction of any new policy, procedure or system, a training or capacity building approach goes hand-in-hand with any change. This was highlighted with his work overseeing the rollout of the computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) in Vanuatu.

“A major objective of my role,” Scott said, “has been to deliver efficiencies in the management of hospital assets and equipment maintenance schedules. To do this we are implementing a new computerised system and are complementing this roll out with a number of training activities. This training has involved introducing staff to basic computer training, as well as training them in the use of the CMMS.”

In his work in Kiribati and Samoa, Noel Kitto has used a two- pronged approach of introducing higher level policies and procedures, while delivering hands-on mentoring. Noel has recognised that building trust and good working relationships is essential in this approach.

“In developing procedural documents and in my mentoring, I took time to listen to the local people, and learnt about the working environment and context. I believe in the saying to ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood’ has been key to the success of this program so far,” Noel said. The Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism (PACTAM) is an Australian Government initiative managed by AVI.

Opposite > Noel Kitto (BEMI for Samoa and Kiribati), Sanjeev Hiremath (PACTAM Biomedical Engineer for Palau), Andy Lyons (returned BEMI for Tonga), Sens Matai (BEMI for Solomon Islands and Nauru) and Scott Everden (BEMI for Vanuatu and Tuvalu) at the Pacific Biomedical Engineers Meeting, held in Suva in November 2013. Photo > Courtesy Meg Barnes 1 > Scott Everden (far left) conducting a training session with biomed technicians from around the Pacific.Photo > Courtesy Meg Barnes 2 > Noel Kitto with colleague Ngaouea in Kiribati. Photo > Courtesy Meg Barnes 3 > PACTAM Biomedical Engineer Sens Matai (right) with Principal Biomed Technician Wheatley Neva in front of equipment they have upgraded at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. Photo > Courtesy Jane MacDonald

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Room to Learn in CuscoBy Hannah Ford

For Piers Luttrell, a 23-year-old Arts/Commerce student, the decision to participate in Macquarie University’s PACE International seemed like the ideal way to contribute his skills to a rural community while learning about development in a practical setting.

Run in partnership with Australian Volunteers International (AVI), PACE International offers Macquarie University students the unique opportunity to work and learn in partnership with communities overseas.

Piers had been following the PACE program closely for the past couple of years, and knew he wanted to test himself with an experience of this nature – it was just a matter of finding the right project.

“As I began to delve further into the different PACE projects available, there was one that caught my eye; Peru. I saw the potential for me to utilise the skills I had in a positive way for the local community,” he said.

“Working in construction to help build a classroom for the local kids, as well as teaching classes, was something I felt I could successfully contribute to. It was time to step out of my comfort zone and into the real world.”

Together with 14 other students, Piers travelled to Peru in January this year where the group spent one month working with long-term PACE partner, Peru’s Challenge, a local non-government organisation.

“Their vision is to empower the poorest and most vulnerable rural populations in and around Cusco,” Piers said. “They focus the work they do through the schools of the local communities and from them, out into the wider community. Included in this work is the building of schools, connecting houses to safe drinking water, installing toilets, and providing volunteer teachers.”

Working on a locally-identified need, with a specific task for completion during their placement, meant that the students were able to achieve tangible results for the local community and a great sense of satisfaction in the work they had done.

“I believe my most significant contribution to the project was helping in the construction of the new classroom. The feeling of seeing the finished product at the end of project is something words cannot describe. We arrived to a building containing only four walls, we left with a classroom complete and ready to accommodate another 40 children.”

Jane Gavel, co-founder of Peru’s Challenge, said the long-term support they receive from the PACE program through volunteers, plays a significant role in their success as an organisation.

“Having PACE continually support Peru’s Challenge year after year has helped us with our relationship building. We now have the confidence to ensure all of our volunteer groups sign on for the long-term, rather than just one-off projects. This helps us with our planning and commitments to the communities.

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“The confidence level of community members increases dramatically when PACE participants are working in the school and community. The enthusiasm the participants bring to the work they do motivates the local community members to work alongside them, and show the students how proud they are and how much they value the assistance that the PACE program consistently provides. It makes our job much easier!”

Jane said this motivation was expressed by feedback from the community, who said of the volunteers: “You are the reason why we keep going. We feel proud and confident when you all come to help. It gives us hope that we are doing the right thing, side by side with you.”

For Piers and his fellow students, the experience of volunteering in a developing community was not without its challenges, but he accepted this as part of any new experience.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced was dealing with the confronting nature of the project. We grow up reading and hearing about the circumstances of communities in developing countries, however nothing can prepare you for seeing it first-hand.”

On the upside, he learnt to appreciate things more. With a specific goal in mind, it was essential the students could overcome these challenges with the support of one another, and work together with the community to get the job done.

“You realise that things you take for granted would be considered more than a luxury within the community. You realise that no matter how you are feeling on a given day, there is important work that needs to be done, and when you put it all in perspective, you have no trouble getting back into the right frame of mind and getting stuck in.”

Piers left Peru with a new perspective and greater appreciation for the work of organisations like Peru’s Challenge, who work tirelessly to improve the standard of living for developing communities.

“Peru’s Challenge gave me a greater perspective on life. I was only on the PACE program for one month, which is not nearly enough time to fully understand and appreciate the work they are doing.

“However, to be part of a small chapter of the overall grand scheme, has taught me many things. I learnt how to work within a team environment towards a common goal, as well as the need to focus on helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”

To learn more about Peru’s Challenge, visit www.peruschallenge.com

PACE International is a Macquarie University initiative, delivered in partnership with AVI.

Macquarie University PACE International Peru

Room to Learn in Cusco

Opposite > Llama at Machu Picchu, Peru

Photo > Sabrina Fuechslea

1 > Students working on the new classroom interior. 2 > Students delivering health and hygiene activities with local school children. 3 > Piers (behind child wearing red stripe jacket in front row) celebrating the completion of the new classroom with fellow students and the community. Photos > Lana Turvey

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Improving Burma’s Emergency Care ServicesBy Sarah Smith

A range of Australian and global health organisations have partnered with the Ministry of Health in Burma to support their vision of lifting the nation’s standard of emergency care. In 2012, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) officially committed to their partnership with the Ministry of Health. Together, they developed an approach to respond to the country’s emergency care needs.

As part of this approach, the partnership has overseen the establishment of an 18-month Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine, which was designed through the collaboration of Fellows of ACEM and surgeons from Hong Kong. Two years on, Burma’s first 18 emergency physicians have graduated and a second group of students have commenced the course.

To ensure the sustainable development of emergency medicine in the nation, ACEM established a relationship with AVI. As an Australian Partner Organisation, ACEM supported the placement of a volunteer emergency physician through the Australian Government’s Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program.

As part of a two-year assignment, Australian volunteer and Emergency Physician, Rose Skalicky, is mentoring the 18 new emergency care graduates who are now working in a clinical environment. Education remains at the heart of strengthening Burma’s emergency care, and Rose’s role involves advising Emergency Medicine teachers and students. She is also assisting with the development of a full Masters of Medical Science Program in Emergency Medicine, and an Emergency Nursing Diploma. Both courses are scheduled to commence in 2015.

This work is being supported by two Australian volunteer Ambulance Development and Crew Trainers, Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson. (Read their story on pages 8-9)

According to Dr Georgina Phillips, a Fellow of ACEM, the contribution of skilled volunteers has supported the roll-out of the partnership’s vision. “The on the ground work of Dr Rose Skalicky and ambulance trainers, Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson, is absolutely crucial to the progress and sustainability of the program.”

Australian Partner Organisations are Australian-based organisations lending valuable support to AVID volunteer assignments and their overseas partner organisations.

Australian Partner Organisation

1 > Australian volunteer and Emergency Physician Rosanne Skalicky-Klein, Dr Khine Shwe Wah and Dr Khin Sanmoe, assess an X-ray at Yangon General Hospital, Burma

2 > Australian volunteer Ambulance Service Development and Crew Trainers, Nigel Klein and Jarad Wilkinson, with Dr Khin Sanmoe and Dr. Khine Shwe Wah, Yangon General Hospital, Burma.

3 > Australian volunteer and Emergency Physician, Rosanne Skalicky-Klein, examining an emergency patient at Yangon General Hospital, Burma.

Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono

This is a partnership of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), an Australian Government initiative.

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Below > Australian volunteer Technical and Vocational Education and Training specialist, Robyn Jackson (centre), with her colleagues Daw Mi Mi Khaing and Daw Myat Thida Tun outside the Comprehensive Education Sector Review office, Yangon, Burma. Photo > Harjono Djoyobisono

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Friends of AVI brings a renewed focus to 2014By Jane Noonan

2014 brings an exciting new phase for the Friends of AVI network, as the New Year is welcomed with a renewed sense

of vigour and focus. In the post launch phase of 2013, Friends of AVI is rolling out a new theme for 2014 to continue to engage with the community. With over 650 members, the network is growing steadily. The Friends of AVI theme for 2014 is Women and Girls in the Asia-Pacific region. The network aims to promote and engage with global initiatives that directly lead to female empowerment and progress on health and education globally.

Too many women and girls are held back in life because of their gender. It has been identified that when a girl is educated, community livelihoods change for the better. Health and education outcomes improve and the wider community benefits, the flow-down effect is truly inspiring. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, highlighted the situation in a recent article, “We know the benefits of investing in girls…it leads to increased prosperity not just for individuals but for their communities…it provides returns for decades”.

Friends of AVI is delighted kick start this dialogue on this issue and will be hosting a range of inspiring events and opportunities for Friends and their networks to attend and be involved.

Melbourne Friends will be treated to the second annual Unconference on the 14th June, co-hosted by Friends of AVI and the Melbourne Development Circle. After a great success in 2013, we look forward to once again welcoming some of Melbourne’s brightest thinkers for a day of passionate debate and thought provoking discussion on social enterprise and the international development sector.

The 2014 schedule of events will also include exclusive invitations to the Annual Friends of AVI General Lecture and the AVI Annual General Meeting held in late 2014. Both events will give Friends a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, share ideas and learn more about global issues, sustainable solutions and international volunteering.

In addition to these events, there will also be opportunities for interested Friends to engage in discussion forums that Australian Volunteers International is involved with throughout the year.

2014 is shaping up to be a big year for Friends of AVI. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for your quarterly e-Newsletter. For weekly updates you can “Like” on the Friends of AVI Facebook.www.facebook.com/friendsofavi

To become a Friend of AVI: www.australianvolunteers.com/friends-signup.aspx

Friends of AVI

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Please consider making a donation to Australian Volunteers International (AVI)

June 2014

As a close friend of AVI’s, I’d like to introduce myself and extend my heartfelt thanks to you for engaging in the work of AVI. I’ve recently had the privilege of stepping into the role as Chair of the Board at AVI. This is following the retirement of The Honourable Justice Richard Refshauge, who I might add, has left very big shoes to fill!

Richard and I are both former AVI volunteers. My time spent as a volunteer teacher in the late 1970s in Malaysia was seminal, not just in terms of my career, but my whole life.

I left Australia with a few years of teaching experience and a degree focused on South East Asian history and politics. I thought I was pretty well informed but my two years volunteering taught me so much more, about myself and my role in the world, and about people more broadly.

Living, working and learning with colleagues in Kuching, Sarawak deepened my appreciation of the complexities and issues faced by developing communities. From the devastating impacts of extreme poverty and the lack of access to health care, to broader challenges such as political instability and natural disasters.

These hardships can make sustaining a livelihood seemingly impossible. But where there is adversity, there is resilience. People can and will continue to flourish. Collectively we can contribute to common good.

Australian Indigenous leader and former Australian of the Year, Professor Michael Dodson, shared some wise words when speaking about community development. He said “…each little step creates a platform for more success - a little more self-esteem, and a little more sense of what’s possible.”

I feel these words really sum up the ethos at AVI. To respectfully and with much humility, walk in solidarity with people; taking small steps together towards positive and sustainable change. We all have a role to play in our global community. Especially in today’s ever-changing landscape, we must harness the power of people.

Together with my fellow board members, our CEO Dimity Fifer, the staff at AVI and the communities with which we work, I thank you for supporting us to continue the fight for justice and equality across the globe.

We may be one of Australia’s oldest international development agencies; but we still rely on the support of people like you. AVI has grown considerably over the years and we are committed to our vision of making a difference to the lives of many people into the future.

I thank you for your engagement and contribution on this journey and ask you to please consider donating to Australian Volunteers International before the end of the financial year on June 30.

We can only achieve this vision with your support, for which we are truly grateful.

Yours sincerely

Kathy Townsend Chair Australian Volunteers International

before the end of the financial year on June 30.

Above > Former Australian volunteer Maths Teacher and Chair of the AVI Board Kathy Townsend, seen sharing a moment after a three-legged race with colleague

Molly Chong and students in Kuching Sarawak in Malaysia, 1978.

Photo > Courtesy Kathy Townsend

Please find my cheque / money order made payable to: Australian Volunteers International

Please debit my credit card:

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All donations over $2 are tax deductible

AV Magazine Appeal (617) Post or fax form to AVI Melbourne office. Details on back cover.

Please send me more information on: Becoming an AVI volunteer Leaving a bequest in my Will to AVI

I would like to make a single gift of $_________ OR I would like to make a regular gift to AVI by pledging a monthly gift of $_________ (Pledge program donors give a monthly donation of $25 or more that is debited from their credit card on the 20th of each month until notification is received in writing to change or terminate their pledge).

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Support the work of AVI

AVI WOULD LIKE TO GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR AUSTRALIAN SUPPORTERS:

Ainaro Midwife Support Committee Anglican Board of MissionAustralian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia & the PacificAustralian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)Australasian College for Emergency MedicineBaptist World Aid AustraliaBlue Mountains East Timor Friendship CommitteeCBMCBM-Nossal PartnershipFriends of BaguiaFriends of AileuFriends of SameFriends of MalianaFriends of VenilaleGood Shepherd AustraliaLive and Learn Environmental Education Australia Marist Asia-Pacific SolidarityMenzies School of Health Research MESCH (Medical Sustainable Educational Community Help) Motivation Australia Order of MaltaCentre for International Child Health Ryder Cheshire Foundation Australia Trinh Foundation Australia LtdZoos Victoria

Our BoardMs Kathy Townsend (Chair) Ms Alison Crook AO (Deputy Chair) Mr Robert McLean (Deputy Chair)Mr Kurt Fearnley OAMMs Jenny McGregorMs Sam MostynMr Greg ThompsonMs Jennifer Johnston

Our PresidentMs Margaret Jackson AC

Our Life Members Mr Bill Armstrong AOMrs Betty FeithDr Bob MeyennMr Hugh O’Neill AO

Our Patrons Evonne Goolagong Cawley AO, MBEDame Carol Kidu Hon E G Whitlam AC, QC Hon Elizabeth Evatt ACHon Jose Ramos Horta Hon Michael Kirby AC, CMGSir Gustav Nossal AC, CBEProf Lowitja O’Donoghue AC, CBERt Hon Ian Sinclair AC

Our Programs > Aboriginal Volunteer Program - Oodnadatta> Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID)> Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) > Cambodian Midwives Education Project > Classic Wallabies’ Exchange> Friends of AVI > International Indigenous Volunteer Network (IIVN) > Macquarie University PACE International Program > University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts Community Volunteering for Change - Global > Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism (PACTAM)

AV Magazine

Australian Volunteer is AVI’s free magazine, published twice a year. Contributions and good quality photographs are encouraged. Send enquiries and submissions to: The Editor, Australian Volunteer, PO Box 350, Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia. Email > mystory@australianvolunteers.com Subscriptions > If this copy was not mailed personally to you, sign up as a member at our website: www.australianvolunteers.com and choose to receive new issues online or print. Unsubscribe > info@australianvolunteers.com Advertising enquiries > mystory@australianvolunteers.com Editors > Fran Noonan, Christine Crosby Sub-editor > Dan Sybaczynkyj, Hannah FordGraphic Design > Bree Manley Printing > David Alexander (printed on recycled paper) Distribution > Complete Mailing (posted in biodegradable plastic wrap) Cover > (r-l) Melbourne University Faculty of Arts student, Kate Foley, sweeping the backyard of her homestay host Sarimin (pictured) at Gunung Kelir village in Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Inside cover > Typical house in Gunung Kelir village where Melbourne University Faculty of Arts students spent time with their host families and the community.Photos > Harjono Djoyobisono www.australianvolunteers.com

www.australianaidvolunteers.gov.au

Photo > Harjono Djoyobisono

RSVP to a free information session or FIND OUT MORE at www.australianvolunteers.com or phone tollfree 1800 331 292.

Australian Volunteers for International Development is an Australian Government aid initiative.

Australian Volunteers InternationalHead Office 71 Argyle Street Post PO Box 350Fitzroy Victoria 3065 Australia ABN 88 004 613 067

Tel +61 3 9279 1788 Fax +61 3 9419 4280 Email info@australianvolunteers.com

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Live, work and learn in a developing community just like Kerry (centre), who worked as Communications Adviser with Transparency International Fiji.

Supported with a living allowance, accommodation and airfares; Australian volunteers across the globe are sharing their qualifications and experience with others.

PUT YOURSELF IN THE PICTURE: VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS

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