Robert@PNG

This story appeared in yesterday's issue of The National newspaper…

MARION Jacka and Kevin Cotter are
Australian volunteers who, collectively, have been working in PNG for
the last seven years.
The two were in the FM 100 studios on March 13, to share their PNG
experiences with Roger Hau’ofa as part of the Australian High
Commission’s Australia Week celebrations.
“I worked with disturbed and marginalised young men in Australia, and
it’s just so different working with boys of the same age here in PNG.
And I don’t mean the obvious cultural differences,” says Kevin, farm
manager at the City Mission New Life Farm just outside of Port Moresby.
“These boys are like big sponges. We only have Sundays off, and some
mornings I’ll go down to the farm to do some weeding, or plant new
seeds, that kind of thing - when I look up 20 minutes later, there’ll be
a group of six or seven boys standing around me wanting to know what I’m
doing. They just have such a hunger to learn.”
Christian James, a Remote Area Nurse working in Alotau, and Jules
Kornaat who works with the National Performing Arts Troupe (NPAT) in
Goroka made up the rest of the four-person volunteer panel when they
phoned in to take part in the talk-back show.
Jules, who volunteers through Australian Volunteers International, spent
her early childhood in Rabaul, East New Britain province. Her parents
worked there in the 1970s and she treasures her memories of the
colourful tales her parents shared with friends and the wonderful
slideshows they’d show.
“Being able to come back and work in PNG is a privilege,” says Jules.
“Each day brings new and different challenges and I enjoy assisting
members of the Company write proposals for funding, and sharing skills
with them so that they can manage their own projects.”
The NPAT, formerly known as the Raun Raun Theatre, uses the medium of
drama to inform and educate communities on issues such as alcohol and
drug abuse, violence, law and order, and HIV and AIDS, and preserving
PNG culture.
For Christian, who is also an Australian Youth Ambassador for
Development, volunteering with the St Barnabas School of Nursing in
Milne Bay, PNG is a unique experience.
“PNG is an incredible country. Full of beauty - whether it’s the people,
the scenery or the culture,” he says.
He set himself a few goals, before arriving in the country in October
last year, and one of those was to play football with the local people.
Not just for fitness, but as an important way to build relationships
with the community.
Christian remembers that when he started training, it was a novelty for
the team and community to have a ‘dimdim’ [Milne Bay for white person]
on the team.
“After a couple of weeks that soon wore off and they realised I was here
to stay, and hence become a part of the team,” he says.
The team participated in the Provincial Seven aside rugby tournament,
won the tournament undefeated after three weeks of matches, and were
invited to Port Moresby for the national titles.
“No Milne bay team had ever been invited or participated in this
competition at a national level before so we travelled to Moresby as
virtual unknowns. We managed to make the grand final, but unfortunately
lost to Kimbe.”
But Christian’s involvement with the team has paid off in other ways. He
used sport as a way to get his team mates to talk about issues affecting
them.
“We’d spend 10-15 minutes warming down and stretching, and I’d use this
time to talk about school work, respect, gender issues, sexual
relationships, HIV and AIDS, even nutrition. It’s hard to research
results from this form of education, but I’ve found that education is
better tolerated and understood when there is mutual respect. This
respect was not in the form of a teacher, a health worker, but, as a
friend and team-mate.”
Marion Jacka’s job takes her right into the heart of communities.
Marion started working with the Department for Community Development two
years ago on developing and implementing a policy that will target
communities and help people at the grassroots level to set up centres
and organisations to meet their needs.
Part of her job involves running management courses for community
leaders.
“The success of the centres, and ultimately the policy, depends on these
people. I also facilitate workshops where we get people thinking about -
what’s available in your community, and how can you use it to meet the
needs you’ve identified - and their resourcefulness and creativity never
fails to impress me.”
Marion previously worked as a trade unionist with the performing arts
union in Australia, and did policy and research work in the broadcasting
and media industries. Before coming to PNG, she completed a Masters in
International Social Development at the University of New South Wales.
The Australian Government, through its aid program, funds volunteer
placements through Australian Volunteers International (AVI), Australian
Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD), Australian Business Volunteers
(ABV), and Volunteering for International Development from Australia
(VIDA).
Through this support since the 1960s, over 11,400 volunteers have been
placed overseas.
“Volunteers add a really human dimension to the aid program and show the
commitment of Australians to the development of PNG,” says Margaret
Thomas, the head of Australia’s aid program in PNG.
“In a very tangible way, Australian volunteers are demonstrating our
commitment to meeting common challenges and raising the living standards
of people throughout the country.”