Connect

2

Austraining International continually and tirelessly works with

its key clients and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive,

responsive and targeted VIDA Program. Over the past twelve

months Austraining International has worked with AusAID and

our key stakeholders to guide and support the development of

the new Australian Government Volunteer Program, which will

more closely integrate VIDA with the Australian Government’s

other international volunteer programs. Austraining International

is one of three selected core partners that will implement this

new program on behalf of AusAID, working alongside the other

core partners Australian Red Cross and Australian Volunteers

International. Watch this space for news about the upcoming

official launch of the new program.

As a core partner, Austraining International has been provided

with a long term commitment from AusAID to support our

volunteer programs, including VIDA, for a period of up to 10 years.

This is excellent news for VIDA, its volunteers, stakeholders, Host

and Partner Organisations, as it provides an opportunity to focus

on a wide range of long term strategies designed to improve

and strengthen the VIDA Program. These strategies have been

developed from feedback from our stakeholders and many of the

volunteers that we have met during volunteer review missions and

strategic planning sessions. They include:

• Strengthening our in-country network

• Building long term partnerships with Host Organisations and our

Australian Partner Organisations

• Improving support for families and partners

• Continuing the implementation of a responsive program allowing

for more flexible mobilisations of volunteers to support the Host

Organisation

• Increasing our focus on development effectiveness

• Increasing the use of online tools and systems throughout the

volunteer cycle – reducing our carbon footprint

• Expanding our in-country orientation programs to include

increased language training where appropriate

Over the first five and a half years of operations, VIDA volunteers

have assisted 426 Host Organisations in 17 countries in the Asia

Pacific region across eight development sectors. The Program

continues to expand this year with the addition of new countries

such as the Maldives, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The VIDA Program has achieved its growth due to the

commitment and the efforts of the VIDA team, its volunteers, the

support from Host Organisations and the engagement of the

returned volunteers through the Alumni. The VIDA Program is

now well positioned for the next decade and I would like to thank

the dedicated staff of VIDA, the volunteers and Host and Partner

Organisations for their dedication and commitment that has made

a great Program even greater.

Welcome

Volunteers work hard to reach work plan goals and to achieve

their assignment objectives but, as the stories in this issue of

Connect reveal, the life of a volunteer is as much about the

unexpected and the joys and challenges of participating in the

life of the broader community as it is about time spent in the

workplace.

The phrase I have heard most often from returned volunteers

is, “The experience was different to what I expected and I learnt

so much more than I was able to give.” What a wonderful

endorsement of volunteering as an exchange and a process

whereby both the community and the individual volunteer benefit

by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity by purposefully

creating opportunities for participation.

The VIDA family is growing. After more than 5 years of operation

the Alumni is strengthening and we have recently appointed a

number of VIDA Connectors across Australia. We encourage

Alumni to become involved in VIDA Connection- you can read

about our Connectors on page 34.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to lead the VIDA team

over the past two and a half years as we have progressively

implemented innovations and steadily grown and strengthened

the Program.

The efforts of all involved – volunteers, Australian Partner

Organisations, the VIDA team and Austraining International

support staff have been recognised as the Program is transitioning

into its next five years under the new Australian Government

Volunteer Program Partnership Agreement, working alongside

Australian Volunteers International and Australian Red Cross.

Further recognition of the VIDA Program’s capacity to contribute

through its volunteers to effective development outcomes is

evident in Austraining International’s success in leading the

expansion of the Australian Government Volunteer Program to

Latin America and the Caribbean. Starting this year, volunteers

will be mobilising to Peru and Bolivia in South America and to

Dominica in the Caribbean, with other countries coming online in

following years. This is an exciting development for Austraining

and AusAID, as this is the first time these locations will host

Australian Government volunteers.

So, a day in the life of this Program Manager is there is much

work to be done!

Ray Ash

VIDA Program Director

Cover Photo:

Jenn Brown and Kaye Ellliot

with workshop participants at

Lifeline Fiji, See page 22 for

their story

Sally Brokensha

VIDA Program Manager

Volunteering for International Development from Australia

The Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA) Program places skilled Australian volunteers on assignments in Asia and the Pacifi c. The Program is funded by AusAID, the Australian Government’s international development agency.

Volunteers work with local people to share knowledge, develop sustainable skills and build the capacity of individuals, organisations and communities in line with partner government and Australian Government development priorities and the Millennium Development Goals.

VIDA volunteers work in the following countries: Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam. Pacifi c: Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

The VIDA Program works with educational institutions, government departments, NGOs, international NGOs and private companies in Australia and partner countries to develop volunteer assignments and build networks between Australia and the Asia Pacifi c region.

Sally Brokensha

Dustin Barter

A Day in the Life...

Cow Banks

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Ben Clare


Expecting The Unexpected

Andrew Bynon

New Beginnings in Paradise

Contents

Dan and Beth Gilfillan


of a VIDA couple

Bill Tynan

A Week in the Life...

Seven Days, One School

Jenn Brown and Kaye Elliot


Fitting into Fiji

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Eeli Lee

Faith in the Phillippines

Kym Blechynden

Chaos, Contradictions

and Culture

Roslyn Jettner


Fruit and Fellowship in Samoa

Andrew Rettig

Rolling Solomons Style

VIDA Connectors

Dot Laughton and

David Somerville

Andrew BynonCountry Vanuatu | Assignment Management Officer

Host Organisation Vanuatu Paralympic Committee

7Jessie’s orientation was in Mele Village, where we decided to stay for the year. Mele is about 15km from the capital, Port Vila and is the biggest village in Vanuatu with around 5,000 people, and has power, telephone lines, and water from the river. We figured we could live without hot water for a year and make the $1.50 commute into town by bus.

Because Jessie had spent her village stay there, we were easily integrated into the village. She already had been ‘adopted’ into a family and had a custom name. We quickly got used to the change in culture, lack of privacy, chooks, pigs and cold water, and local string-band music being played at four or five in the morning as loud as possible, because most people were up then anyway.

I helped out with the work at VSDP and, through that, became aware of an organisation trying to get off the ground, the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee organisation. An opportunity to undertake an assignment as a VIDA volunteer was advertised and before I knew I had successfully applied.

The assignment is working with some committed individuals with a disability who want to play sport. My tasks include strategic planning, liaising with the Oceania and International Paralympic Committee, working with sponsors, sporting organisations, government departments and coaching, all alongside my counterpart.

One month into my position, we found out Jessie, who had by then completed her Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development assignment, was pregnant. When we thought about it, we realised that Vanuatu would be the perfect place for a baby. We had loads of ‘family’ in the village to help, we were fairly safe from malaria, and with a few screens on the house could reduce the risk of dengue fever. The only down side was due to insurance requirements, Jessie had to return to Australia for the last 3 months of the pregnancy while I stayed in Vanuatu, which was very difficult. Every time we talked on Skype her belly was getting bigger and bigger.

I flew back to join her at 38 weeks, thinking I was cutting time fine. In the end, our little baby decided to make us wait a little longer (too much ‘island time’ in utero). Eventually, a week late, our beautiful little girl Matilda Jean Bynon was born.

My time in Australia flew by and before I knew it, it was time to get back to work. Our focus for 2010 was developing Tennis. The Vanuatu Tennis Federation and Port Vila Tennis School were working hard to improve the sport and it was chosen as our priority sport for development.

Earlier in 2010 we had run a clinic with Australian National Wheelchair Tennis Coach, Greg Crump, and elite Australian wheelchair tennis player, Michael Dobbie thanks to funding from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Silver Fund for Development. In this one week clinic, our players developed more skills than they had in the four years the Program had been running. Greg and Michael encouraged us to find funding for two of our players to compete in the Victorian Wheelchair Tennis Open.

Thanks to the Pacific Petroleum Company, the funding was found and I flew to Melbourne to meet Tom Tete and Rodney Ben, the first Vanuatu players to compete in an ITF Wheelchair Tennis Sanctioned Event. We were happy with the results, especially as it was their first event, with Rodney progressing to the semi-final of the Consolation Draw where he went head to head with the eventual overall winner.

I flew back to Vanuatu, and three weeks later, following her two month immunisations and medicals, Jessie and Matilda arrived and we started village life as a family. Everyone in Mele loves Matilda and she too has a custom name. She has been blessed by Jessie’s ‘Papa’, a Pastor, in front of the church. Luckily she is a very social baby and loves all the attention.

But we’ve found it a lot harder than we had thought it would be. The ’family’ side of things is great. But little things that we could deal with before are harder when you haven’t had much sleep, and you have a little person to care for, especially the constant noise from the village.

Fortunately, Christmas and New Year is also house-sitting season, and we were out of the village for almost a month. It made us realise what we were missing out on, especially having hot water, so we decided to rent a new place in a quieter environment for the rest of my contract. Our new rental is a two minute walk to the local surf break, so we are back to living the dream.

2011 will be a different year, with the joy Matilda brings us, moving into a new house, and expanding the Program at work. With the success of our disability sports program last year, we have numerous offers of sponsorship, so we’re looking at starting athletics in the northern provinces, a beginner’s tennis program for youth with a disability, and for our elite tennis stars we’re in training for the 2012 Asia-Pacific Qualifications of the World Team Cup, the Davis Cup of Wheelchair Tennis. We are all keeping our fingers crossed!

Above: Jessie’s papa,

Pastor Chilia, and

Matilda

Left: Andrew, Jessie

and Matilda in

Vanuatu

Top left inset: Tom in

action at the Victorian

wheelchair tennis

open

Top middle inset:

Andrew Bynon and

Rodney at tennis

training

New Beginnings in ParadiseIn March 2009, my wife Jessie and I arrived in Vanuatu. Jessie was embarking on a

volunteer assignment as Educator for Community Rehabilitation workers with a non-

government organisation called the Vanuatu Society for Disabled People (VSDP). I

came along for the experience. I wanted to find out what it would be like to live in

paradise.

8

A Day in the Life... Follow eight amazing people on a normal day, living the volunteer life

A Day in the Life... Follow eight amazing people on a normal day, living the volunteer life

In my role as Inclusive Education Officer, I work with school students who are

blind or vision impaired and Special Needs Education Society in English (SENESE)

staff. SENESE offers support services to children with intellectual, hearing and

vision disabilities who attend regular schools throughout the country. Their

primary goal is to ensure all school students with disabilities are fully included in

the Samoan education system and are adequately provided for in terms of

logistical and moral support.

10

Above: Ben with

his counterparts at

SENESE

Right: Ben is

undertaking his

second VIDA

assignment

Activities at SENESE include Braille training for students, SENESE

staff and family members, instruction on inclusive education

practices as they apply to Samoa in the government approved

Inclusive Education Plan, boosting capacity for SENESE through

working with existing partnerships and forming new connections

both within Samoa and internationally. SENESE also coordinates

a national eye screening program in partnership with the National

Health Services and several international organisations.

So far I am really enjoying my assignment and I thought I would

share a typical day with you. Keep in mind there is no such thing

as a typical day in this part of the world as plans change suddenly

without notice and it is always wise to expect the unexpected!

Nevertheless, some aspects of my work do constitute a pattern

and the below summary is what happened recently.

6:30 AM: the alarm sounds and a comfortable night’s sleep

comes to an end. There’s no time to hit the snooze button, as

although life in the Pacific runs at a slower pace, Samoans are

up early and it is often customary to pray and thank the Lord for

the new day he has brought us. Following this, I just have time

for a quick bite to eat, usually whatever cereal is available in the

supermarket and then it’s out the door and off to work! The bus

system in Samoa is very inadequate with overcrowding and no

working timetables to speak of. It is common for people to sit on

top of one another and if you are lucky enough to have a seat,

you will most likely end up nursing a child or two. Despite the

uncomfortable ride, it is a good way to meet the locals who are

always interested in having a chat! I am also fortunate in that I

am friendly with a local cab driver who often gives me a lift to and

from work, another good opportunity to interact with the locals

but in more comfort.

8:15 AM or thereabouts: I arrive at work and although I have

probably made plans for the day, I am prepared to change them,

depending on what has happened since the previous day. Today

I find out I am visiting the rural village of Saanapu where a 9-year-

old boy named Tuli attends the local primary school. Tuli, who is

totally blind, is an amazing student who achieves excellent marks

in class and is a well-known and respected member of his school.

His teacher’s aid, Shanna, is the perfect example of a good helper

and is now fluent in Braille. She is on excellent terms with school

staff and Tuli’s family.

10:30 AM: We arrive in Saanapu and receive a very warm

welcome from the school principal, students and teachers. We are

met by Shanna who takes us into Tuli’s classroom and updates

us on what has happened since our last visit. Today, Shanna tells

us Tuli has just completed his exams and has scored third out

of his class of thirty! I then sit with Shanna, Tuli and his teacher

who is busy running English, Samoan and Maths classes. At this

time Tuli is using his Mountbatten Brailler and is definitely keeping

up with the rest of his class. The Mountbatten, an Australian

invention, allows Tuli to hear as well as feel what he is Brailing. It

also means his teacher, who is not familiar with Braille, can read

his work instantly through a small computer screen connected

to the machine which outputs the Brailed materials in print. Tuli

has received the first ever Mountbatten for Samoa which was

organised by my Australian Partner Organisation, the Royal

Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney and was purchased

with funds donated by AUSAID.

11:30 AM: lunchtime and everyone is having a ball! Unlike

Australian schools, there is only one break throughout the day

and school finishes at 1:30 PM. Lunchtime is similar to western

schools with a teacher or two on duty to supervise the children

who eat and then play for an hour. Today is a very special one in

the life of Saanapu Primary School as Rotary have just donated

a library of books and the CEO of the Ministry of Education has

just arrived to officially open it. Following a traditional welcome

Ben ClareCountry Samoa | Assignment Inclusive Education Officer

Host Organisation Special Needs Education Society in English (SENESE) | www.seneseinclusive-edu.ws

Australian Partner Organisation Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children | www.ridbc.org.au

A Day in the Life…Expecting the Unexpected

Ben ClareCountry Samoa | Assignment Inclusive Education Officer

Host Organisation Special Needs Education Society in English (SENESE) | www.seneseinclusive-edu.ws

Australian Partner Organisation Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children | www.ridbc.org.au

ceremony in which Tuli is a prominent participant and features

dancing to local and reggae music, the CEO and Principal make

long speeches in Samoan and the library is officially open! We

all go for a tour and marvel over what has been created for the

students and surprise surprise, there are some Braille texts in the

library just for Tuli!

1:00 PM: we embark on the long drive back to Apia, excited and

thrilled with how the day has turned out and satisfied the inclusive

education experiment is working.

3:30 PM: end of the work day for us and it’s time to relax in the

lovely tropical weather!

5:00 PM. After months of eating too much Samoan food and not

getting enough exercise, I decide to take advantage of the balmy

weather and go for a long walk with my flat mate who is also a

good mate. Living close to the sports complex which was built to

host the Pacific Games several years ago, I join many Samoans

and foreigners who are keen to get some exercise and take in the

lovely weather. I always say the best times of day in the tropics

are when the sun is rising and setting!

7:00 PM: I have worked up quite an appetite after work and the

walk so it’s time for dinner! No doubt I am undoing some of the

work the exercise did for me but once your body has acclimatised

to the warmer weather, it is common to be hungry and definitely

thirsty a lot of the time. Samoan food which often consists of taro,

breadfruit, cooked bananas and fish is not exactly unhealthy but

if you eat lots of it, you can gain weight quite quickly! Also, most

drinks which include coconuts and powdered cordials contain

heaps of sugar.

I usually have dinner with my flat mate but tonight there are

several others joining us at our place, Samoan members of our

church who have become very close friends and have welcomed

me into their families with open arms.

10:00 PM: A great day is at an end and I prepare to do it all again

tomorrow!

a

A

Day

In

The

Life

12

aA

Day

In

The

Life

Dan and Beth Gilfillan

Country East Timor

Beth’s assignment Programs Advisor for Ermera District Library

Dan’s assignment Project Management Advisor for Ermera District Library

Host Organisation Ermera District Administration

13

Half of all adults in East Timor are unable to read and write, and Ermera District has the worst rates in the country. In three years time, the Biblioteka Ermera (Ermera Library) wants to have six branches, a mobile service and be publishing books in the local languages Mambae, Kemak and Tetun.

Daniel is the Project Management Advisor to the Biblioteka Ermera project, overseeing the construction of buildings, development of the collection and liaison with donors. Beth is the Programs Advisor, assisting the management committee and staff to establish an active library service with reading programs in the library as well as outreach services. Beth and Daniel had previously worked in East Timor prior to beginning this assignment. Here is a day in their lives…

We had a wonderful day in the library today. Our landlady is a primary school teacher, and today brought two other teachers and 42 Year 3 and 4 students. They stayed with us for an hour running through a program we had prepared to do with them.

In the afternoon, 30 kids came to use the library, many whom had come with their class this morning. This is a big increase on previous weeks. This afternoon staff member Adelino and I got the kids to write up public notices telling people the library is open, and where it is located. Between the 30 of them they wrote 112 notices to hand out to friends, neighbours and adults who have never been to the library. They are in the kids’ own handwriting with a coloured border which they all drew - I reckon they looked fantastic. I got them to do this after a few were getting a bit fi dgety after an hour and a half of quiet reading. It was a very heartwarming day to get so many new faces into the library. It was great to connect with a school whose visit was totally initiated by the teachers who also provided us with a list of books they would like us to stock: Portuguese grammar, explained in the local language Tetun, a copy of the complete curriculum in Tetun, and a Portuguese/Tetun dictionary. We want to try and get those resources in the next month if possible – to be responsive to those who use the library.

Lots more exciting things are happening with the library – proposals are going in this week to both the Australian and New Zealand Embassies, there is liaison with possible builders about the design and costs of construction, and a lot of the kids who came today said they’ll be back on Thursday. Yay! At the moment, with only one staff member and so many other tasks to do, the library is only open to the public two days a week. Adelino has been busy working with Dan writing a proposal in Tetun to the

President’s Offi ce. Most proposals need to be in English and so it is great to be able to write some proposals in Tetun.

Dan worked hard today preparing a proposal to the Australian Embassy small grants program for US$35,000 towards construction and, as we speak, is typing on my clapped out computer, working on a proposal to the NZ Embassy. We need to fi nd a whole lot of different donors to each contribute a bit as the total cost for construction will be around $100,000.

We’re each kept very busy at the moment, working with Adelino and the management committee on various aspects of the project, and also watching how things evolve. We’re lucky as we’ve worked here before, have some language skills and know the people in the community – it makes it easier to contribute now, otherwise we’d still be learning how things are done. It’s a new initiative for the Administration, and they are very excited to be trying new things and are great at making big and good decisions – it’s a pleasure to work with them.

This evening we were reminded of what the library is all about. One of the management committee members, Joni Alves, invited us to the graduation ceremony of his wife. Angelina is a mother of three and had managed to fi nish a Bachelor degree. The speeches at the ceremony were really inspirational. Angelina talked about what she had learned and how the support of her family had been invaluable. Hundreds of people came to the ceremony – it was a real celebration of achievement to have a graduate from the community. The head of the suco (an administrative unit made up of a few thousand people), said that Angelina was the 14th person in the sub-district to receive a degree, ever. Can you imagine a community leader in Australia knowing that sort of information? Or the number of graduates being so low? He also spoke directly to young people, telling them that education is the answer to improvement - not only their own lives, but also of the country. It made me feel very proud to be part of an initiative setting up a public library service, as this will contribute to improved education levels through supporting education and providing access to learning.

You can read the latest information from Beth and Dan on their blog, at http://www.vidavolunteers.com.au/news-a-media/vida-blogs

Above : A primary

school class held in

the Ermera Library

Inset top left:

Children reading on

the grass outside the

library

Inset top right:

Joni Alves, Beth,

Angelina and Dan

at the Graduation

Ceremony

Inset bottom left:

Children showing

public notices they

had written in class.

Main photo opposite

page: Beth and Dan

near their house is

Gleno.

A Day in the Life… of a VIDA coupleDan and Beth Gilfillan are volunteering on a 30 month assignment to assist in the

establishment of a public library service in a central district of East Timor. This

public library service will be a key tool in the improvement of literacy rates and

livelihoods.

Bill TynanCountry East Timor | Assignment Program Administrator

Host Organisation Comunidade Edmund Rice - CER | www.edmundrice.org

Australian Partner Organisation Christian Brothers - Oceania

www.christianbrothers.com.au

14

Above:

The old school

building

Top right: The new

school building

Bottom right: Newly

installed school

desks

Background: The

beautiful East Timor

Coast (Photo: Lisa

Miller)

The HELP team arrived Monday, but we

encountered an initial problem when the

container from Australia only arrived to the hills on

Wednesday afternoon.

Eventually we got a phone call from the arranged

truck on Wednesday morning to say that they

would not do the job, which can often happen in

East Timor. Phone calls were made, and another

truck was found.

Some trucks don’t like to travel on our roads. The

truck arrived at 3 pm- ONLY a fi ve hour trip to

travel 50 kilometres!!!!

But three of us had driven to Dili on Tuesday

afternoon, raided the container on the wharf, and

got out some stirrups and cement in preparation

for the construction. These were put in place on

Wednesday morning, and thus the frame was

able to be in place by 7 pm that night.

On Thursday, we switched on the cement mixers,

(also known as ten or more Timorese men), and

the 12 metre by 6 metre slab took just two days.

With the building basically complete by midday

Saturday, the team of 30 workers, half Australian

and half Timorese, used generators, saws,

compressors and drills to make 30 three person

desks. These were completed by 7.30 pm with

the aid of lights run from the generator.

Sunday morning, same process for 30 benches.

We rewarded ourselves with a Sunday arvo wash

in the creek, and losing a game of soccer to the

Samalete boys.

The opening ceremony for the School was a

highlight for all, locals and visitors. The delightful

Year 1s and 2s sang and danced and all joined

in, the ribbon and two tier cake was cut and of

course, the group of ladies who had kept up a

supply of local coffee, sweet potatoes and bread

each day also joined in!

My job in this; I was the water boy, and with no

local water to make cement or to drink, I was

kept very busy!

The result – eighty young children now have a

chance of a better education.

A Week in the Life…Seven days, One school A Week of Progress - with a little HELP!

The Edmund Rice (Christian Brothers) Community in Railaco had 16 visitors for

the week, two builders from Hutchinsons Builders, 14 students and teachers

from three Brisbane Edmund Rice schools, St Eddies, St Laurences and St

Pats. So we called the team HELP.

And we built a two room school!

aA

Day

In

The

Life

Country East Timor | Assignment Program Administrator

Host Organisation Comunidade Edmund Rice - CER | www.edmundrice.org

Australian Partner Organisation Christian Brothers - Oceania

www.christianbrothers.com.au

The Long Term Solution“Many families we work with face long food shortages...

...as the cows reproduce,

families have an exponentially growing income”

As Media and Communications Coordinator with Oxfam in Cambodia, my

position focuses on media training with a focus on reporting, monitoring and

evaluation, coaching staff on field trips and developing community-based

media advocacy projects. I deliver training to all staff, which is busy, but great

for widespread capacity building. The following day-in-a-life is from a field/

training/monitoring trip to Takeo province.

18

Above: Dustin has

been on assignment

since March 2010

(Photo: Chhuon La/

OxfamAUS)

Dustin Barter Country Cambodia | Assignment Media and Communications Coordinator

Host Organisation Oxfam Australia – Cambodia

Australian Partner Organisation Oxfam Australia | www.oxfam.org.au

Cow banks in Takeo

Driving through vibrant roadside markets and paddy fi elds waiting

for new crops, we arrived at Roka village, a few hours from

Phnom Penh. During the trip, Kung, my counterpart, and I talked

about photography and interviewing techniques; “Remember in

the interview; what has changed? What challenges do you face?

What is your hope for the future? For photos; bend your knees,

tell a story and be creative.” “No worries” I thought; Kung would

soon be coming away with muddy knees, stunning photos and a

bulging notebook.

Cow banks were the focus of the day; Oxfam provides the initial

cows and training, while the community creates regulations and

manages the cow bank. The banks only have cows (no bull) that

are passed on to new families after delivering a calf. The cows are

designed to improve food and economic security, by providing

a steady stream of manure and subsequent income. We were at

Roka village to interview Long Sokha about the cow her family

received. Kung would do the interview, while I provided a few tips

and tested my Khmer comprehension.

Before Oxfam provided the cow, Sokha said, “My family had

6 month food shortages each year and we live in a very small

unsecure cottage. My family is isolated from other villagers

because of being poor and only a few people come to visit us.

To try to change this situation I sent my daughter to work in a

garment factory in Phnom Penh but it is still not enough money

and we have no savings. If one of my children is ill, I can only

access a health service by borrowing money from a local private

money lender. They charge a high interest rate of 10% per month.

I can only pay back a loan after vegetable harvesting because

daily income is not enough. This causes my family to have 6

month food shortages every year.”

Now though, things have changed for Sokha’s family, “The cow

provides for us in many ways – I use the manure for fertiliser for

my vegetables, producing calves, and as collateral to borrow

money with a low interest rate of 10% per year. With the loan

I bought a sewing machine to make and sell clothes. Since

receiving the cow, I have some money to expand my small home

business, send my children to school and bring my daughter who

worked in Phnom Penh, back to live with us. Now we only have

food shortages for about two to three months per year.”

Kung conducted a stellar interview that captured lots of important

information, but now was the biggest challenge; photo time.

“It’s up to you Kung, how do you want to tell a story?” Cows +

people = great story, but when the cows have their own ideas,

it’s diffi cult to take good photos! What started as a struggle,

with cows going this way and that, turned into a comical affair

and great photos! Stable cows make for stable photos, but a bit

of chaos created photos full of energy and expression. By the

end of our shoot, we had a captive audience. Unfortunately, we

missed out on a standing ovation for our photographic prowess.

Following a debrief, we were off to a nearby village to get a

different perspective on the cow bank. Once again, Kung did a

great interview.

Prea Throu explained to us, “The cow is very important in

changing my family’s living condition. Firstly, we use it for cow

manure, which we sell to other people. We can earn about

100,000 riel per year (about $25). Secondly, we use it as

collateral, which enables us to borrow money from the Micro

Finance Institute. By saving income from the cow manure and

borrowing money from the Micro Finance Institute, we were able

to buy a motorbike for my husband to start a motorbike taxi

business. As a result, my family’s living situation has improved. My

family’s daily average income is now around 10,000 riel to 12,000

riel ($2.5-$3). These changes have reduced my family’s food

shortages from 10 months to only 4 months per year. Now we are

also able to send all our children to school.” Aside from collateral,

manure isn’t the highest-value product around, so I had to ask

Kung about why we provide cows? Raising chickens or pigs seem

to generate income a lot quicker.

A Day in the Life…Cow Banks: the long-term solution

19Top of page: Rice fields

(Photo: Dustin Barter/

OxfamAUS)

Top left: As the cows

reproduce, families have

an exponentially growing

income (Photo: Ear

Techkung/OxfamAUS)

Middle left: Long Sokha

with one of the locals


OxfamAUS)

Bottom left: One of

the cows willing to

be photographed


OxfamAUS)

“Chickens and pigs produce income quicker, but

many families we work with face long food shortages”.

If we provide pigs or chickens, they are often eaten during

a food shortage which means no long-term benefit. Cows

won’t be eaten because they are more valuable and

durable, while cow bank members can easily check up on

the cows.

“As the cows reproduce, families have an exponentially

growing income.” says Kung. It makes perfect sense!

Throu’s interview was followed by another fun photo

shoot, this time in a muddy rice field. Then it was off to

an Oxfam counterpart’s house for a (local, organic and

free-range) meat-lovers dinner, while I questioned my

vegetarian ethics as I munched on a plate of veggies…

Finishing the day’s work, we went over all our content,

reflected on the day and decided our plan of attack for

tomorrow. Our photos were great, but the lighting hadn’t

been ideal, so we would take more photos in the early

morning light – where our audiences would be even

bigger. With work sorted, it was time to get down to the

serious stuff; chess and bocce. I was out of my depth at

both, but I did learn some ‘Khmer style’ chess moves,

while the high-intensity bocce was loads of fun.

Final thoughts; the importance of stories

Collecting stories is vital for development; it gives

people a chance to talk about development in their own

words. Stories move away from the often sterile and

arbitrary ‘monitoring indicators’ that can complicate

development and miss the bigger picture. Instead, stories

are ‘participatory’, open-ended, personal and great for

understanding the diverse implications of development.

As my workmates build up their interviewing skills, we

are able to use stories for reports, learning, research,

fundraising and much more. In addition, photos really cap

off the stories by enhancing the documentation of change.

All my workmates love the creative aspects of photos and

stories, which I hope can inject more creativity into other

elements of our work. The number game is still important,

but building a narrative of social justice demands a central

role for stories.

a

A

Day

In

The

Life

20The first alarm is a multitude of roosters on surrounding farms. It’s 5am, first

light. I open one eye, close it again, and snuggle back down into my pillow. Then

the dogs start, begging for their freedom to roam the streets and meet their

friends for an early morning bark-fest. It’s 5:30am.

Country Fiji

Jenn’s Assignment Governance and Property Development Coordinator

Kaye’s Assignment Client Services and Training Coordinator

Host Organisation Lifeline Fiji | www.lifeline-international.org

Australian Partner Organisation Lifeline Australia | www.lifeline.org.au

Pulling the pillow over my head, I snooze on...then Nawa,

the wonderful house girl for the upstairs home, arrives and

the familiar sound of a scrubbing brush in the laundry lets me

know it’s 8am and time to rise.

Breakfast is easy, did you know if you eat Weetbix in Fiji you

get to be 30% smarter? Yep, it’s true, the ad on Fiji 1 TV

reminds me every evening. Milk is UHT only, I bought some

local ‘fresh’ milk once, not realising it was loaded with chilli

and salt...only once.

Then we are ready for our walk to the Lifeline offi ce, local

faces smiling at us all the way. We smile in return and say

“Bula” as we walk along the streets, holding our breath when

the bus belches by with thick black smoke pouring from the

exhaust. Fiji is getting used to us now, Jenn and Kaye, or

‘those two’ as we are fondly referred to. If they ever see us

apart the fi rst question they will ask is “Where is the other

one?” The school children greet us in unison, with a good

morning song in their joyful voices, huge smiles and hands

out for a high fi ve, followed by copious giggles after they have

passed us by.

The whole concept of sharing a problem seems quite new for

the people of Fiji, so we often stop and chat, we tell people

about Lifeline Fiji, about what listening is and what they can

talk to a Counsellor about. Sometimes we just hold the hand

and look into the eyes of an old Indo-Fijian woman who, not

speaking a word of English, tells us her whole life story in

Hindi, at least that’s what we presume it is, and she smiles

and seems pleased to have someone who will give her the

time and listen.

Once in the offi ce anything can happen, beggars and sellers

are common, friends of Lifeline Fiji, other volunteers, locals

wanting to fi nd out more and clients, young, old, male,

female, Fijian, Indo-Fijian, all pass through our Lifeline front

door, every day. Some bring their whole families, some come

alone, always with a story to tell. Opening the doors to “We

just want to come and see you people” time and again, it just

always feels right.

Yesterday, the electricity pole outside our offi ce window

blew up and caught on fi re, and the council workers welding

across the road had a misguided spark fl y into an old drum of

diesel that caused quite a BANG!

We planned a Lovo feast around an awareness campaign

and wrapped lollies and balloons together while practicing

our singing.

Today is a training day, a special one at that, where together

we teach an eclectic group of likeminded people, who are

willing to be Volunteer Counsellors for Lifeline Fiji, how to see

signs in people who are thinking about suicide- how they can

help them, how they would listen, what they could say, and

how Lifeline Fiji truly can be just that, a line to life.

It is a pleasure and an honour to be warmly welcomed by

these delightful people of Fiji as they embrace their new

learning and process it in their own way. They teach us so

much, eating rice and roti, goat curry, dalo and taro and fi sh

in coconut milk, all with our fi ngers. We’ve learned to wrap

our tongue around words we have never heard before until

they become second nature through Nawa being our primary

A Day in the Life... Fitting into Fiji

Jenn Brown and Kaye Elliott

aA

Day

In

The

Life

21

Top of page:

The workshop

participants enjoy a

shoulder rub

Above: Kaye with a

participant of a

Lifeline Fiji

workshop

Top left: Kaye

and Jenn with

their friend Mili

Waqabaca

Middle left: Nawa

and her daughter

Aseri, Kaye and

Jenn’s teachers of

the Vernacular

Bottom Left: Jenn

and Ivan - the

treasurer of Lifeline

Fiji

vernacular expert who we consult on a regular basis. She

helps us with our pronunciation and how it all fi ts together.

She laughs when we get it horribly wrong, and claps and

cheers when we get it suitably right.

But the best lesson we have learned from these

incredible people is what resilience really looks like. Their

situations can be mighty tough, more heart wrenching

than we could have imagined, yet we can hear loud

booming laughter and strong passionate singing

resonating all around us, no matter what is happening

in a country that at times feels vulnerable and very

unstable.

Later in the afternoon, we are back in the offi ce. The printer

has run out of ink and the nearest cartridge is one and a half

hours away by bus, and the internet is down again, but we

hear through the coconut telegraph that mail is at the post

offi ce for us, which means beautiful supportive friends and

family back in Australia have sent us another load of coffee

and chocolate, so all sits well in our world.

After a stroll down to the local market we have pumpkin,

eggplant, chilli and a fresh fi sh, so a gourmet dinner is in

the making. We write letters home to family and spend time

thinking about what each one of them might be doing today.

We play a round of cards followed by cold showers and a

short read before lights out to prepare for the early alarms of

Fiji to kick in. The roosters are already asleep, in preparation

for their early morning wake up call.

Tomorrow will be fi lled with more joys, challenges, frustrations

and amusements, friendly faces we can now put a name to

and new discoveries we did not know existed. Perhaps a bus

ride into the interior, hopefully a client who needs someone

to listen to, maybe a new found friend will come to visit. Most

likely there will be good food, and good fellowship with the

people of Fiji.

Roslyn Jettner

Country Samoa | Assignment Post-Harvest Physiologist

Host Organisation Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | www.maf.gov.ws

The Ministry of Agriculture is 20 minutes drive south-west from

Apia, the capital city of Samoa. Here at the Nu’u Research Station,

the Crops Division is working on ensuring food security for its

people. Their focus for the Polynesian people is staple crops of

taro, banana and breadfruit as well as the traditional plantation

crops of coconut and cocoa.

A Day in the Life…fruit and fellowship in Samoa

Based at the Research Station, my assignment as a Post-Harvest Physiologist involves research and development of fresh tropical produce that are suitable for export from Samoa, such as taro, Tahitian lime, papaya, breadfruit and eggplant. As I write this, I begin to hear the beautiful singing voices and harmonies of the Samoan workers as they break for lunch. Their soft crooning takes me back to my recent travels to a neighbouring island and the sounds of the Samoan crew as they started their next watch over the vivid blue waters of the South Pacific ocean.

I wake to the thick pounding of the sea waves on the bow of our traditional voyaging canoe “The Gaualofa”. We have sailed the 480 km north from Samoa, the first Pacific country to gain independence to Tokelau, one of the smallest countries in the world of just 12km2 area and which sits 5m above sea level. Our Va’a (boat) is the Gaualofa, a newly built voyaging vessel that has been designed based on the traditional Cook Island canoe. It is similar to ones that their Pacific ancestors sailed between the islands of the Pacific. The Gaualofa is a messenger for the environment and designed to revive the traditional art of voyaging between the Pacific islands using the sea and sky for navigation.

We anchor outside the reef surrounding the coral atoll of Fakaoho in the early hours of the morning; weary, bruised and cold from the rough weather overnight. But adversity soon turns to joy as we are warmly welcomed by the gracious Tokelau people.

Living on fresh seafood and locally grown breadfruit and taro, the people are happy, friendly and contented. I spend the afternoon playing the local sport of kirikiti with the children and am enthralled and moved by the welcoming chants and dances by the Aumaga* men.

But soon my thoughts return to work. The morning has started well, including the internet connection working, giving me the chance to check my emails.

The research experiment we are conducting, to find how to best treat Tahitian limes to control insects and meet biosecurity requirements before export to New Zealand, is due to be evaluated today.

As much of the produce in Samoa is grown using organic methods, we examine if hot water at varying temperatures and dipping times will kill the quarantine insects. For this treatment to be useful, it must also leave the limes undamaged so that the quality of juice is unaffected and the appearance and rate of ripening are not harmed. The experiment is a success. Submerging the limes for 13 minutes in hot water at 46°C kills the insects, allowing for high quality limes from Samoa to be made available on the supermarket shelves of New Zealand.

The post-harvest laboratory is located at the Government-owned packing house in the Nu’u Village. It also acts as the main office of the pack-house and fruit orchard, the control room of the quarantine treatment chamber, a presentation room and sometimes a drying room. Facilities are few, the glassware is cracked and the set of scales is missing a leg. But the air-conditioner is working well and conditions for the staff’s afternoon naps are ideal.

This afternoon we have our monthly staff meeting. Coming from a time conscious background in Australia, I arrive promptly at 1pm. But Pacific Time has a strong presence in our Department and other staff begin to arrive at 1.50pm, with the meeting starting at 2.45pm. Alas, this is to be another meeting conducted in the Samoan language, of which my rudimentary knowledge doesn’t extend to an understanding of its content nor an opportunity to participate.

However, frustrations of the afternoon meeting are soon fading as the sun starts to set over the spectacular Samoan Islands. As I dream of my recent travels to the tiny coral atolls of Tokelau, I close off to another day in Paradise.

*Aumaga means untitled men, or those without chiefly titles.

Opposite page top:

Roslyn and her

HO colleagues in

the field

Below: Post-harvest

team - Fano, Ros,

Tanu and Abberday

check juice quality in

tahitian limes

Top of page:

Roslyn’s friend

John on board “The

Guaulofa”

Above: Ros In

the post-harvest

laboratory

Country Samoa | Assignment Post-Harvest Physiologist

Host Organisation Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | www.maf.gov.ws

a

A

Day

In

The

Life

23

24Adventist Development and Relief Agency Australia

Asian South Pacifi c Bureau of Adult Education Australia

Australian Charity for the Children of Vietnam

Australian Committee of IUCN (International Union for the

Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)

Australian Federal Parliament

Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacifi c

Australian Institute of Radiography

Australian Mekong Resource Centre

Australian Orangutan Project

Australian Red Cross

Australian Rugby Union

Bahay Tuluyan Philippines Australia

Baptist World Aid Australia

Birds Australia

Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation

Burnet Institute

Canberra Friends of Dili

CARE Australia

Caritas Australia

Charles Sturt University

Child Wise

Christian Brothers - Oceania

Community Links With Cambodia

Connecting Hands Ltd

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

Deaf Society of NSW

Department of Agriculture and Food (WA)

Department of Culture and the Arts (WA)

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (AU)

Development Gateway

Diabetes Australia

Emergency Architects Australia

Empowering Communities Australia

Environmental Defender’s Offi ce New South Wales Ltd

Federal Court of Australia

Forestree and Farm Management Services

Foundation for Developing Cambodian Communities

Foundation for Development Cooperation

Free the Bears Fund Inc.

GK Ancop Australia

Global Development Group

Habitat for Humanity Australia

Hagar Australia

Health Communication Resources Inc.

Health Information Management Association of Australia

Hoc Mai - The Australian Vietnam Medical Foundation

Humane Society International

Industry and Investment NSW

International Cricket Council East Asia Pacifi c

The VIDA Program works with a wide range of Australian Partner Organisations (APOs)

who make a valuable contribution to the assignments they are connected to. In return,

they benefit from establishing or improving relationships with Host Organisations. We

thank all the APOs and the contacts we work with and look forward to continuing the

relationship into the future.

Australian PartnerOrganisations

25International Development Support Services

International Fund for Animal Welfare

International Mountain Bicycling Association Australia

International Women’s Development Agency

Kokonut Pacifi c

KOTO International

Lifeline International

Live & Learn Environmental Education

Many Hands International

Marie Stopes International Australia

MedicOne

Monash University

Murdoch University

Oceania Athletics Association

Opportunity International Australia

Oxfam Australia

Pacifi c Asia Observatory for Cultural Diversity in Human Development

Peaceworks Pty Ltd

Permaculture Research Institute of Australia

Perth Zoo

Philippines Australia Studies Centre

Plan International Australia

Queensland Health, Clinical and Statewide Services Division,

Pathology Gold Coast Hospital Campus

Rotary Club of Frankston

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Royal Life Saving Society Australia

Save the Children Australia

Susila Dharma Australia Inc.

Symbiosis Australia

TEAR Australia

Transparency International Australia

UNHCR Canberra

UNICEF Australia

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA

UnitingWorld

University of Adelaide

University of Melbourne

University of Newcastle

University of Queensland

University of Western Australia

University of Western Sydney

World Society for the Protection of Animals

World Vision Australia

Yooralla Overseas Development Fund

Youth Challenge Australia

YWCA Australia

Zoos Victoria

People often ask me what it is like to live in the 15th poorest country in the

world and the poorest country in Asia. My answer is it’s filled with cows, chaos,

culture and contradictions – my dental appointment last week cost the same

amount of money as a block of Australian cheese! But that is why I like it.

Country Nepal | Assignment Public Health Policy and Planning Advisor

Host Organisation Ministry of Health and Population | www.mohp.gov.np

Kym Blechynden

Chaos, Contradictions and Culture

If you love chaos, unpredictability, lots of public holidays

and vegetarian food then Nepal is your place. If you

prefer to live by the rules, routine and structure, with no

pollution or traffi c, then you may want to reconsider your

choice of country to live in. Living in Kathmandu you will

get splashed with unmentionable liquids in the street,

and the electricity will go off at the most inconvenient

times. But the culture, landscape and the people are

amazing, and no two days are ever the same.

The Nepalese are early risers, which can be an

inconvenience if, like me, you don’t start work until

10am in a government offi ce. Each morning I am woken

by the sound of bells ringing in the shrines for Puja

followed by the blaring of Nepali folk music from the

shrine loud speakers, or on a good day Celine Dion!

And all before 6am in the morning. On some mornings

I’ve started the day teaching English to Nepali students

sitting on UNESCO heritage listed buildings in Durbar

Square, while looking out over the Himalayas. While

other mornings are less glamorous, spent sitting under a

tree at my workplace reading the newspaper waiting for

protesters to fi nish their ‘allocated two hours’ of protest

and the barricades to be removed at my offi ce gate.

Electricity is rationed across the country, and we can

have up to 12 hours per day without power which can

create some obstacles in every day life, and my offi ce

doesn’t have running water or a generator.

There are not many places I’ve lived where I can spend

the weekend going on a 59km two day mountain bike

trip through the hills of the Himalayas. Or just pop out

to the airport to do a scenic fl ight over Mount Everest

in the morning before heading to the offi ce. I was

fortunate to celebrate Buddha’s birthday with thousands

of pilgrims circumnavigating the largest Buddhist stupa

in the world. And at least once per week I am late to

work because cows have wandered on the main road/

intersection near my house, causing a traffi c jam.

Most recently I spent one week of annual leave trekking

through the Langtang Mountain region, near the Tibetan

border, including a 5,000 metre summit with amazing

views of the mountains and surrounding valleys. We

spent an afternoon at the base of a glacier drinking yak

butter tea in a nomad’s tent at the base of a glacier

while waiting for the rain to stop and most evenings

were spent sitting in a local family kitchen eating Dahl

Bhat (the national dish) and conversing in Nepali. The

bus ride to the region certainly wasn’t the highlight of

the trip; 12.5 hours to cover 90km, with the bus getting

bogged causing us to have to walk two kilometres

around and across a “small” landslide to change buses.

But ke garne (what to do), this is Nepal.

The highlight of my work so far has been completing

a week fi eld trip with a partner organisation in the

Dolahka region, a nine hour jeep ride towards Everest

Base Camp. The purpose of the fi eld trip was to

recruit and train local community members to conduct

a nutrition baseline survey. The training included taking

anthropometric measurements, such as height, weight

and middle upper arm circumference (MUAC), and

practicing survey methods and interview techniques.

Several days were then spent supervising the teams

as they visited randomly selected villages to interview

mothers with children aged up to fi ve years of age,

completing nearly 500 surveys. One part of the survey

included measuring the iodine content of the household

salt, to determine whether appropriate salt and storage

practices were being utilised which are promoted as part

of the as part of the Iodised Salt Program across Nepal.

While life as an expatriate in Nepal can be challenging

at times, it is worth remembering that nearly one out

of three of the population (31%) live below the poverty

line. The landlocked country, which lies near Pakistan,

India and China, has experienced more than a decade

of confl ict and political instability, which has impacted on

the health and infrastructure of the population. Other

factors such as a largely rural/remote population, the

remnants of an ingrained caste system, poor or non-

existent road systems, geographical barriers such as

mountain ranges and natural disasters such as fl oods

and landslides also contribute to the following poor

health statistics:

• More than half of all children are stunted due to

malnutrition

Far right: Local village

ladies Kym met on

a work fi eld trip in

Dolahka region

Top left: Public

transport in Nepal -

riding on the roof is

common

(photo: Grant Cox)

Top right: Being

wished a safe

journey with Buddhist

scarves on their way

back to Kathmandu

by their Nepali

parents they stayed

with for a week

during a fi eld trip

Above: Kym

celebrating Buddha’s

birthday at Boudha

Stupa, Kathmandu

26

Country Nepal | Assignment Public Health Policy and Planning Advisor

Host Organisation Ministry of Health and Population | www.mohp.gov.np

• The life expectancy is 60 years of age

• Just over 80% of all births are delivered at home

without skilled assistance

• More than 28,000 children die each year from

preventable diarrhoeal illnesses

• More than one out of three people (37%) are

illiterate

• More than 2.5 million people are in immediate need

of food assistance

• Up to 85% of drinking water sources are

contaminated

There has been significant progress in

health programs, particularly for micronutrient

supplementation, and a recent review indicates

that Nepal is on track to reach the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) for child and maternal

mortality, tuberculosis prevention and in decreasing

the rate of malaria. However, while this progress

is encouraging, it is unlikely that the MDGs for

malnutrition and HIV prevention/control will be met

unless new initiatives are implemented, and more

funding in this area is allocated.

References:

Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2006, Ministry of Health and

Population, Nepal.

Nepal Needs Analysis Framework Key Findings 2008, Inter-Agency

Standing Committee (IASC), Nepal, OCHA

28

It’s morning. The loud ‘island music’ that filled White River last night at bedtime

ironically stops as we wake up. Night shift in White River is over, the partygoers

go to bed and for the rest of us sleep deprived folk, day shift begins. I saddle

up my ladies bicycle, which now rides more like a racer, with recently converted

drop bars and layback seat post – ‘go-fast bits’ for the slow island pace.

Country Solomon Islands | Assignment Youth and Health Recreation Officer

Host Organisation Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association | www.ippf.org

Australian Partner Organisation International Mountain Bicycling Association Australia | http://imba-au.com/

Above: Raji King

grinds a rail and

masters the roller at

the Kukum Pump

Track

Andrew Rettig

Rolling Solomons Style: The Kukum Pump Track Story

Outside, the bright light is hazy with smoke from rubbish

fires and diesel exhaust from many regularly un-serviced

mini-buses. I begin to pedal and start to return shouts

of, ‘Gud moning Andrew!’ with my best Pidjin greeting

of, “Moning, Iu hao?” The ride through the White River

betel-nut markets always holds a surprise. The seemingly

ever-present market stallholders, the face of the street,

spend most part of their day and night selling their

wares. Mostly betel nut, cigarettes, car oil, mobile phone

top-up, some canned goods and marijuana at select

stalls. I ride the 6kms to work with enthusiasm and am

reminded of the simple enjoyment inherent with riding

a bicycle. I dodge young boys throwing stones and

betel nut spit emerging from mini-bus windows. I take

extra precaution not to end up in potholes large enough

to swallow my ladies bicycle and myself. The weather

seemingly has three modes, (a) hot, sunny and dusty, (b)

hot and steamy, or (c) hot, wet and muddy

I arrive at the Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood

Association (SIPPA) soaked with sweat. I greet my

counterpart, Oscar Watesao, Adolescent Project Officer.

We ‘story lelebit’ about what the day ahead holds and

together we continue to work on a revolutionary project

for the Solomon Islands. SIPPA, a member association

of the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, has

successfully used sport such as volleyball and soccer

as a platform for their community education programs.

The Kukum Pump Track program takes a similar holistic

approach to youth health and recreation through the

integration of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Family

Planning with the design and construction of a Pump

Track. The short three month project aims to diversify

SIPPA’s programs and expand its clientele.

What is a Pump Track? A pump track is a continuous loop that can be ridden

on a bike without pedalling. Pump tracks are similar

in look to a BMX track but may be constructed in

a smaller area. Pump tracks can be hand built and

maintained by local riders, thus developing a sense

of pride and ownership. They involve fast cornering,

jumping, pumping and skilful riding. Basic bicycle

skills, transferable across many bicycle disciplines, are

obtained when using a pump track. They are fantastic

for beginners and experts alike. Most importantly, pump

tracks suit the style of bicycle most commonly sold in

the Solomon Islands – low quality Chinese BMXs.

Honiara City Council Partnership Development

Relationships here in the Solomons are a vital ingredient

for successful projects. For this project, SIPPA have

partnered with Honiara City Council (HCC). Concerned

for the welfare of its estimated 80,000 constituents, HCC

is keen to support this initiative that provides alternatives

to recreational drinking, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

HCC have fabricated tools, provided machinery, and,

most importantly, allowed the use of a geographically

favourable piece of real estate (land with a hill). The

pump track adds value to an existing recreational area

next to a soccer field and volleyball court.

External Support

The stars were aligned the day I dropped a sponsorship

proposal to Dalgro, a local cement manufacturer and

earth supplier. Dalgro Director, Regy Douglas, turned out

to be a BMX’er (mostly in his youth – and maybe even

now, but his story about breaking his son’s bike won’t

be read here!). During that meeting, Regy enthusiastically

accepted and agreed to donate a huge pile of coralous

ground that blends nicely with local soil to create a hard

29

Country Solomon Islands | Assignment Youth and Health Recreation Officer

Host Organisation Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association | www.ippf.org

Australian Partner Organisation International Mountain Bicycling Association Australia | http://imba-au.com/

Andrew Rettig

wearing and easily compacted surface – perfect for

pump tracks. Developing the relationship with Dalgro is

an important connection for SIPPA for the continuation

of further projects of this nature. Further sponsorship

is being sought from local businesses to provide for a

weekly maintenance session.

Pump Track Design and Construction

The Kukum Pump Track has an uncountable number

of locals and passers-by who regularly lend a hand

even though some can’t ride a bicycle yet or are

barely old enough to swing a pick! At the core of the

program is a group of thirty boys who have received

tuition in pump track design and construction. The

design planning was lead by the participants and all

agreed on a final design, which was drawn up by one

of the team. This process helped develop a greater

depth of understanding and ownership in what can be

a confusing and time consuming game if you get the

measurements wrong!

Construction has begun, with around 30m of the 120m

pump track complete. To date, we have hand dug

everything. This is hard work, especially when most

participants can’t afford to buy a decent lunch to

sustain themselves. Financial restrictions have severely

diminished the capacity of all programs within SIPPA

to support participants. Nonetheless, the Program

continues successfully on a voluntary basis and it looks

as though the participants are hooked on this new style

of riding and new faces appear all the time.

Solomon Time

Working in the Solomon Islands has provided a rich

experience in time management. For example, the first

attempts of performing an organised photo shoot with

the local Freestyle BMXers ended up with six riders, no

bikes and one old tyre. The photo shoot did eventually

take place a week after. I was informed of ‘Solomons

Time’ before I came (which seems to run 30 minutes to

2 hours later than the average timepiece). I think I may

have adjusted, as preparing this article took a week

longer than first agreed!

Bringing New Skills, Abilities and Dirt Inside the

Office

My counterpart, Oscar Watesao, Adolescent Project

Officer for SIPPA, has worked with me enthusiastically

from the beginning of the project. He believes the

project has provided many benefits already, such as

introducing the participants to SIPPA’s purpose, location

and services. Before this program, many of these

participants were unfamiliar with SIPPA’s services on

offer. Oscar notes the increased need to refill the free

condom dispenser since the boys have been coming to

SIPPA.

In order for the program to continue, it has been

important to build mutual trust. Oscar Watesao believes

the Kukum Pump Track program has improved the

profile of SIPPA. Oscar says, “The improved profile

makes SIPPA more approachable and helps to maintain

its status as a main icon for Sexual and Reproductive

Health and Family Planning in the Solomon Islands”.

From Oscar, I have learned that patience is key when

managing relationships in the Solomons. This is most

evident in our office relationship, where Oscar has

graciously shared the space with me, a wheelbarrow,

several bikes and a ‘staka’ hand tools used for the

project. Oscar comments, “The tools are dirty and he

brings them inside the office – no gud iumi lusim tools

and iumi no waka. Hemi wanfala positive trouble”. Not

only have I brought new skills into the office but also

Above: Billy, Charlie,

Harold, Junior,

Olsen, Psymon,

Gladwin - definitely

not as mean as they

look!

30

1 2 3

4 5

6

7

8

9 10

11 12

31the outside world itself, in the form of dirt!

Program Challenges

The bicycle culture of the Solomons is strong

amongst the younger men and pikinininis (kids). As

yet, the bicycle as a means of everyday transport has

not become an option for most Solomon Islanders.

For transport, most people walk. Choice of transport

on the road includes taxis, mini-buses, truck trays and

private cars. I believe the notable challenges for the

project are:

• Sourcing quality bikes that don’t fall apart after one

ride

• Improving female participation

• Punctuality and regular attendance

• Funding for the provision of participant nutrition and

mobilisation, i.e. lunch and a bus fare

• The interpretation and understanding of theoretical

information

The site, a great location, is adjacent to a soccer

field underneath some large and culturally significant

raintrees. Some people are surprised there has been

no damage from ‘pipol wid jealous minds,’ as we are

competing with locals in a space that is a favoured

shady spot to get ‘drung’. We constantly battle the

plastic bags, beer cans and kwaso (illegally distilled

and highly toxic alcohol) bottles just to find the track.

A shovel-full of earth often includes a plastic bag,

thong or piece of old steel that has been buried over

time.

Elements of Success

I believe the success experienced so far may be

attributed to the following:

• Supporting the youth in a project that exemplifies

good times, physical health and new skills

• Developing project ownership and a sense of pride

for continuing maintenance with minimal equipment

and funding

• Designing the project to be fun

• Promoting an inclusive environment and program

Future Developments

Aside from new BMX bikes and helmets, dirt jumps

are high on the list of requests from the participants.

Some of the Solomon Islands’ youth possess a thirst

for ‘extreme’ activities, which may be quenched by

future developments such as dirt jumps and a trials

(skills and obstacles) area. Ample opportunities exist

on site for further development and there are many

opportunities to extend the skills and knowledge of

the riders into different bicycle disciplines. At this

stage, competitions may become the feature that

brings riders together regularly.

The Finish Line

SIPPA’s Pump Track development in Honiara has

raised the bar for bicycle facilities in the Solomon

Islands. Being the first of its kind in the Solomon

Islands, it is fast becoming an asset to the Honiara

City Council. Many have commented about the nature

of this progressive and strategic manoeuvre in youth

development, sexual and reproductive health education

and family planning. I am particularly interested in

watching the development of the riders, as the natural

physical skill level in the Solomons is very high. I’m

also very happy and proud to be involved with an

exciting and innovative project. Let the good times

roll...

1: Raji King draws up

the final track design.

2: Pump track

participants on the

“berm”

3: Most consistent

attendance awarded

to Malon, Leonard &

George

4: Oscar Watesao,

SIPPA’s Adolescent

Project Officer,

inspects the plan

5: Tranpsort

‘Solomon’s Style’

6: Kukum Pump Track

Mob

7: Andrew smiling

about something...

8: The Pump track in

full force!

9: Billy Junk chews

Betelnut and rides at

the same time

10: Bikes positioned for

closing prayer

11: The track - mid

tournament

12: The boys measure

the berm radius

13: A pump track

group photo!

13

32

Country Philippines | Assignment Curriculum Development Trainer

Host Organisation Gawad Kalinga | www.gk1world.com

Australian Partner Organisation GK Ancop Australia | www.gkancopaustralia.org.au

Currently, more than 80% of the 92 million residents of the Philippines are

Catholic. The country’s religious beliefs can be seen almost anywhere. Prayers

artistically painted onto thousands of public transport vehicles, a humble

church in each neighbourhood, a boy saying his prayers before his meal. Even

department stores and supermarkets feature a booming voice each day, reciting

a prayer whilst all workers and shoppers stand in silence.

Eeli Lee




“Are you Catholic?”

“No…”

“But you believe in God”

“ Uh…not really, there might be”

“So you are an Anti-Christ?”

“Er, no, I’m not against Christianity, I just don’t believe in God”.

A young girl innocently questions me about my religious status.

As an agnostic atheist, several people have been shocked by

my alternative views on life and religion. To some, it is indication

that I am not yet enlightened to the path of God, and that I am a

target for conversion. I fi nd this reaction towards me captivating,

as all attempts so far have tempered my resolve. The discrepancy

between my beliefs and those of my workmates creates a

fascinating contrast. It is intriguing to realise how we are similar in

so many ways yet have such different ideologies.

“Come and join us, come stand up with us”

Before I realised what had happened, I was standing in a circle

with my colleagues, all waiting in silence.

“Now let us pray to the Lord”

After several songs and prayers the congregation came to an end.

“Eeli, next week you will be the one to lead the fellowship”

As generous as it was for my colleague to suggest leading the

offi ce prayer, I could not betray my own beliefs for the sake of

inclusiveness. Coming from an educational background where

secularism was the norm, volunteering in an organisation steeped

in Catholicism has provided many new insights and challenges.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) started from the once unattainable hope

to provide land for the landless, homes for the homeless, and

food for the hungry. The GK movement was initially launched

by Couples for Christ, a Catholic lay community. Although

different priorities led to internal separation, GK continues to build

communities with faith as a key unifi er. One of those priorities was

the need for GK to extend to non-Catholic communities, such as

the many Islamic areas of Mindanao. Since 1995, GK has built

over 1000 communities and continues to strive towards these

ambitious goals.

Above: 80%

of Filipinos are

Catholic

Top left: Class at

prayer

Top middle: Eeli

taking part in a

teachers’ workshop

Top right:

“Volunteering in

an organisation

steeped in

Catholicism has

provided many new

insights”

Faith in the Philippines




GK seeks to provide a values-based early childhood education

and sets high expectations for their SIBOL (preschool) program,

with many graduates exceling in elementary schooling regardless

of their previously disadvantaged situations. I have been

fi lling my role in the improvement of the education sector by

providing alternative options and ideas whilst incorporating their

commitment to faith. However, I also feel that I should do so

without foregoing too many of my own values and beliefs.

One facet of religion and culture I am not yet accustomed to

is the level of infl uence held by people of power and fortunate

social circumstance.

This confl ict of interest is one of the most challenging issues

I have encountered while being on assignment. Out of

respect, at times I withhold my views or questions on specifi c

topics. Nevertheless, I am thankful that despite our different

perspectives, the GK team and I have been able to work

together to enhance the staff’s teaching styles and their

educational approach. As a result, I feel these collaborations

strengthen the relevance of my assignment to GK’s goals.

“Sing with us!”

(Tune: “Old McDonald had a Farm”)

Our God made our eyes to see

He is wonderful!

Our God made our ears to hear

He is wonderful!

Nose to smell, tongue to taste

Hands to touch, skin to feel

Our God made us lovingly

He is wonderful!

The love of music provides a common interest that I share

with workmates. Songs are a popular method of educational

engagement and many use song to uplift group spirits and

morale; be it the occasional fellowship songs sung by my

offi cemates, the Youth for Christ worker playing her favourite

selection of faith pop songs, a choral harmony from a nearby

congregation, or a teacher and his or her students singing a new

prayer. I have grown fond of the catchy rhythms and harmonious

voices. Even though I may not share their beliefs, I appreciate the

beautiful music, and understand how motivation and unity can

be formed from such art.

Religion can be an empowering instrument. I have seen it

transcend the boundaries of language and unify people all

around the world. Sadly, I have also seen it be used as a tool for

gaining power and as a means of suppression. Yet, despite the

potential risks arising from religious convention, belief in God can

ease hardships and give hope to the suffering. At GK, the poor

and the rich work together to create a community that fosters

hope and dignity for every Filipino.Ideological opinions aside,

the infl uence of Catholicism and its huge following will no doubt

continue to shape Filipino culture for many years to come.

A day in my life, as a VIDA volunteer at Gawad Kalinga Negros

Occidental is fi lled with many rewards and many challenges.

Being constantly involved with such unifi ed religion has helped

me learn both about the local culture and refi ned my own beliefs.

Perhaps I will leave with a different view of life?

“Oh Eeli…” my colleague sighs, “I will pray for you, that you will

one day understand”.

Above: One of the

many churches

“despite our different perspectives, the GK team have been able to work together to enhance teaching styles and educational

approach”

33

34

VIDA volunteer Dot Laughton | Country Thailand

Assignment Education Project Officer | Host Bangkok Refugee Centre | www.brcthai.org

Assignment Project Associate, Migrant Child Program | Host International Organisation for Migration | www.iom.int

Dot’s StoryI worked on two assignments during 2009 and 2010.

Firstly, at the Bangkok Refugee Centre and then at the

International Organisation for Migration. Both were focussed

on education and teacher training, with capacity building

of local staff a high priority.

With over 30 years of experience in the education fi eld,

my career before undertaking my VIDA assignments

spanned the teaching of preschoolers to primary to high

school to TAFE colleges and being a part- time tutor at

university level. I was looking for a new challenge in my

life and found a position on the VIDA website which suited

my experience and qualifi cations.

Living in Thailand was a daily adventure; catching the

overcrowded free bus provided by the King, to commuting

by skytrain around the city, to longtail boats on the river.

The friendly, local people always had a “sawatdeeka”

greeting and a smile. The sweltering heat was probably

the only thing I could never get used to, and I still

miss the affordable treats like manicures, pedicures and

massages.

At the Bangkok Refugee Centre, my major achievement

was the staff training program. Many of the teachers

adopted new, child centred teaching strategies, with great

enthusiasm and increased student motivation. Networks

with a number of international schools were established,

which led to fundraising, donations and staff training

visits. A staff handbook was written to guide teachers on

planning lessons, discipline and daily procedures in the

education unit.

My assignment with the International Organisation for

Migration involved helping to establish a new day care

room for the refugee children at the Bangkok Immigration

Detention Centre, including new furniture, books and

resources in many languages, a playground, toilets and

kitchen facilities. This was a dramatic change for the staff

and children who previously attended school in a dingy, 2

x 3 metre room.

The children now have a positive, well resourced

learning environment. Because of the variety of different

backgrounds of the students, many activities not based on

language were introduced, such as music, puzzles, art and

craft. A sequential mathematics program was also established.

For capacity building of local staff, regular training

occurred, including topics of health issues, child

development, teaching strategies and child protection

awareness. A manual on the daily operation and

procedures followed by the staff was published in English

and Thai for use by the Thai teachers, Thai Immigration

offi cials and donors to the program, such as UNICEF and

the government of the United States of America.

After returning from my volunteering experience, I believe

that I appreciate my family even more than before and I

adopt a very positive view of life. The refugee and asylum

seeker families are in a diffi cult situation and show such

courage, resilience and patience. I feel both humbled

and inspired by knowing them. I believe I have a clearer

and more realistic picture of the need for international

development and the role that ordinary Australians can

take in this.

I wholeheartedly recommend the VIDA experience. It gives

you the chance to be a part of international development,

assisted by a living allowance and a supportive In Country

Manager. I hope to be able to experience another VIDA

assignment in the future!

I am excited to be a VIDA Connector because I want to

continue to be active by mentoring new volunteers and

expanding and maintaining the network of friendships

established. I hope I can promote the VIDA Program

and inspire others to get out of their comfort zone by

volunteering in international development. I hope Returned

VIDA volunteers will enjoy the opportunity to share and

relive their experiences as VIDAs, through VIDA connection.

Since its inception five years ago, the VIDA Program has mobilised over

500 volunteers. A new initiative, VIDA Connection, aims to strengthen the

links between the VIDA alumni by creating opportunities to network, share

information and find out the latest news from VIDA.

VIDA Connectors are the representatives of each state who coordinate these

activities. Dot Laughton and David Somerville are the VIDA Connectors for

NSW. Here they talk about their VIDA experience and their enthusiasm for

VIDA Connection.

Above:

One of the sutdents’

artwork from the Arte

Moris school

VIDA Connectors

VIDA volunteer David Somerville | Country East Timor

Assignment Office Management Trainer | Host Arte Moris Free Art School | www.artemoris.tp

VIDA volunteer Dot Laughton | Country Thailand

Assignment Education Project Officer | Host Bangkok Refugee Centre | www.brcthai.org

Assignment Project Associate, Migrant Child Program | Host International Organisation for Migration | www.iom.int

35David’s StoryMy wife Blanca and our two small children, Zoe

and Marcus, emigrated from London to Australia in

1991. When Zoe and Marcus fl ew the nest in 2008, I

knew that it was time for me to engage with an aid

development program. This had been at the back of my

mind for some time.

In 2008, as an independant consultant, I was scanning

the web and looked up international volunteering work.

VIDA had a well setup website and I casually clicked

onto the assignments section. Staring at me was the

East Timor assignment. I could see my CV displayed

as the required experience. I needed to apply for this

position as I thought it would be unlikely for such an

opportunity to come around again! And that started me

on my international volunteering adventure!

I worked with the staff of Arte Moris Free Art

School in East Timor with a focus on assisting with

a fundraising program through grant applications to

various organisations; active engagement with infl uential

decision-makers to assist the school in its future

direction, and the mentoring of the newly appointed

Director to the school, Iliwatu Danabere, a leading artist

from the school community. When the framework for

these activities was put in place, I arranged to transfer

to the smaller regional satellite school located in Baucau

(the second population centre of Timor Leste) about 100

kms east of Dili, where their circumstances for survival

were probably even more pressing.

When I relocated to Baucau, I worked closely with the

lead artist, Marque, to help prepare the foundations

for a functioning school organisation. When I arrived

they had no funding for equipment to create art or

the ability to run art classes. During my time there, I

was able to assist the artists in fundraising activities

through the marketing of their commercial work with

the UN regional HQ and the setting up of art classes

for the international UN/aid worker community. We

also developed a simple art syllabus for the local

primary school aged children, as there is no formal

art education in Timor. We were also successful in the

funding of a full-time position for an administrator to

continue to manage these school activities.

I was able to buy a motorbike and spent many

weekends travelling outside the city up into the

mountains along the rough roads, really getting to know

the diverse culture and regions of the country. I had

a rich and rewarding experience meeting friendly and

hospitable villagers wherever I went.

I hope that during my assignment I gave the artists an

appreciation of the building blocks required to formulate

a fi nancial structure which could underpin the teaching

activities of the school, together with an understanding

of the key governance issues needed for the school to

function as a legitimate and responsible organisation

which could maintain and enhance its NGO status.

Since returning to Australia, I have been fi red up to

continue to develop my commitment and passion,

my international aid activities and I’m looking towards

making international aid development a central part of

my professional career.

It’s a terrifi c idea to set up an active network of VIDA

Alumni across the country. I greatly enjoy working with

like-minded people and being a VIDA Connector is a

continuation of this interest. I would like to help returned

VIDAs to continue their links with fellow volunteers

through social events networking and professional

development activities. Of equal importance will be the

opportunity for VIDAs to maintain contact with the VIDA

organisation and keep updated with the ever-changing

developments in international volunteering.

Top left: Dot with teachers

in the new Immigration

Detention Centre

classroom

Top middle: David on his

Motorbike in Dili

Top right: Arte Moris

School Baucau.

If you are a Returned VIDA volunteer, you can join VIDA

Connection by visiting

www.vidavolunteers.com.au/alumni

VIDA Connectors

Connect

Documents

Transcript of Connect