Australian Volunteers Program

Australian volunteer Poppy Fowler has recently arrived in Vietnam to support our partners CKC - Center for Knowledge Co-Creation and Development Research as a Gender Specialist. Poppy's assignment will help enhance the organisation's capacity in gender research and practice, aligning with CKC's vision and strategic development goals to establish itself as a leading research centre focusing on gender and sustainable development in Central Vietnam. The program is proud to partner with CKC and support Poppy as a volunteer 🇻🇳 #AusVols #GEDSI #GenderEquity #internationalvolunteering #sustainabledevelopment #vietnam

Embrace a slower pace of life with 'island time' and tune in to traditional song and dance whilst volunteering in Fiji. 🌴🥥 Fiji is made up of over 300 islands with nearly 90% of the population living on the main islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. With a commitment to protecting the ocean, Fiji is home to many palm tree-lined beaches, clear lagoons and coral reefs, and is known as the 'soft coral capital' of the world.    Australian volunteers have supported a wide range of Fijian partner organisations to achieve their development goals since 1967, strengthening capacity in areas such as health and education, climate action, governance, and more. Explore opportunities to volunteer in Fiji: https://lnkd.in/gvm9svjg 📸: Darren James Image: A line of palm tree silhouettes along the beach against a cloudy, warm sunset sky. #AusVols #fiji #pacific #internationalvolunteering #internationaldevelopment #islandtime

'Relationships come first and outputs second. People spend less time behind screens and more time on the ground... I scratched my head when some colleagues said they don’t use email. “We just go and speak to each other,” I was told, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'This is a far cry from the countless emails and meeting requests I’d receive from people sitting in the next room to me back in Aus,' says Australian volunteer Clare MacNish, who is currently in the Philippines supporting Victorias City Local Government as a Sustainable Tourism Officer. Learn more about Clare's assignment and experience volunteering below. #AusVols #relationships #sustainabletourism #volunteering #ecotourism #internationaldevelopment #sdgs

Browse our latest volunteering opportunities 🌏 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gw89dVuj 1. Policy Mentor - Volunteer remotely for 6 months with the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) in South Africa. 2. Meteorologist Climatologist Mentor - Volunteer in Samoa for 12 months with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Samoa. 3. Digital Learning Mentor - Volunteer in Papua New Guinea for 6 months with Cufa PNG. 4. Climate Change Mentor - Volunteer in this 12-month hybrid role, both remotely and in Cambodia with the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Cambodia. 5. Academic Development and Journal Mentor - Volunteer remotely for 6 months with Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta - International Studies in Indonesia. 6. Freshwater Social Research Assistant - Volunteer in Indonesia for 12 months with The National Research and Innovation Agency of The Republic of Indonesia (BRIN Conservation) in Indonesia. For full accessibility, please visit the link in this post for all assignment details and to apply. #AusVols #internationalvolunteering #volunteerjobs #climatechangespecialist #researchassistant #Meteorologist #Climatologist #digitallearning #academic

Let us know in the poll below what step you are ready to take towards international volunteering 🗳 #AusVols #poll #volunteering #internationaldevelopment

Sosefina Fineanganofo is an Australian volunteer of Tongan heritage supporting our partners, 'Ahopanilolo Technical Institute (ATI) in Tonga. ATI aims to provide high-quality education and important life skills to people from all walks of life, improving the lives of low-income Tongans and out-of-school youth. ‘I was keen to take part in volunteering as a way of giving back to my country of birth. Having spent 10 years of my career teaching hospitality, I felt my skills and experience were worth sharing with the youth of Tonga,’ says Sosefina. 🎓Full story: https://lnkd.in/gQP8NNhg 📸: Supplied by Sosefina Fineanganofo. Images: 1. Sosefina stands on a lawn in front of a house surrounded by gardens on a sunny day. She is wearing a colourful traditional skirt. 2. In the middle with the blue shirt is Sosefina, pictured with graduates from 'Ahopanilolo Technical Institute at a graduation ceremony. 3. Sosefina is pictured with graduates from 'Ahopanilolo Technical Institute at a graduation ceremony. #AusVols #WorldYouthSkillsDay #YouthSkillsforPeaceandDevelopment #education #tonga #youthskills #internationaldevelopment

Program Country Manager for Solomon Islands, Eve Aihunu, and Indigenous Programs Coordinator Keran Kramme visited Waiben (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait to attend a #NAIDOCweek event as part of the Torres Strait – Pacific Forum and strengthen the relationship between the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) and Indigenous Pathways. They met with Dr Billie Roberts, Program Manager of the TSRA to explore how Indigenous Pathways and the TSRA can work together in the future. They were invited to Waiben by Vonda Malone, newly appointed Inquiry Member of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry QLD with the Queensland Government. The NAIDOC Week event was hosted by Torres Health and Community Enterprise Queensland, where City of Sydney Councillor (Waskam) Emelda Davis and Vanuatu's High Commissioner to Australia Samson VILVIL FARE were invited to speak about Australia’s Blackbirding history. Starting from the 1860s, tens of thousands of Pacific Islands, mostly from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, were taken to Australia to work on plantations in Queensland and New South Wales by force, trickery, and abduction. Eve says the highlight of the trip was: ‘reconnecting and connecting with individuals and organisations in the Torres Strait through the Pacific Forum and just having the opportunity to sit and listen to community individuals, including the Elders.’ ‘I have unlearned and learned so much from engaging with different individuals about different issues. But more over connections that Australia’s First Nations People - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders - have with the Pacific and how important it is to always work within a cultural framework when engaging with Indigenous communities.’ Indigenous Pathways is an Indigenous-led component of the Australian Volunteers Program and offers a flexible and culturally safe way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to participate in international volunteering. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gBVeCf5K 📸 Supplied: Keran Kramme Images: 1. Eve Aihunu, left, and Keran Kramme, right, stand together in front of a black and white wallpaper background wearing black t-shirts with the orange Indigenous Pathways logo on them. 2. Eve Aihunu, left, and Keran Kramme, right, stand outside near tropical green palms, smiling with one arm around each other. Keran is wearing a black t-shirt which contains the text: 'Voice, Treaty, Truth'. Eve's t-shirt is blue with a coastal print which contains the text: 'Protect our islands!'. #AusVols #NAIDOC2024 #blakloudproud #keepthefireburning #waiben #thursdayisland #aboriginal #torresstrait #indigenous

Meet Vasemaca Ledua Raciri, known by her friends as Va, who assisted Indigenous Australian volunteer Aunty Rose in training participants in a jewellery making workshop in Fiji with our partners Na I Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Taukei Cakaudrove (SVTC) - The Society for Indigenous Women of the Cakaudrove Province, through the Indigenous Pathways Program. Learn about Vasemaca below, or find out more about Aunty Rose's volunteer assignment: https://lnkd.in/gGBr3ADJ 📸: Keran Kramme, Vasemaca Ledua Raciri. Images: 1. Four people wearing a colourful floral clothing gather together for a photo in front of the ocean. Pictured is Vasemaca, participant Ana Makitalena, Aunty Rose and Indigenous Programs Coordinator Keran Kramme. Contains the text: Meet Va. 2. Contains the text: Vasemaca Ledua Raciri, known by her friends as Va, assisted Indigenous Australian volunteer Aunty Rose in training participants of a jewellery making workshop in Savusavu, Fiji. After attending one of the first handicraft workshops run by Aunty Rose a year ago, Va said she really enjoyed the training and continued to teach herself the beading craft. 3. Vasemaca (seated, middle) sitting at a table threading jewellery whilst a participant stands next to them and observes. 4. Contains the text: Vasemaca, from Nukubalavu village in the province of Nasavusavu, Vanua Levu, is a craftswoman in her own right. In the past she mainly made jewellery with Mother of Pearl, so learning to use beads was something Vasemaca was keen to continue. 5. A tray of different coloured beads on a table as a pair of hands threads beaded jewellery. 6. Contains the text: Vasemaca sells her jewellery at the local market, nearby resorts and to tourists when they arrive on cruise ships. ‘(The training) has given me more skills and more patterns, it helps increase my opportunity to sell and make an income to support my family.’ - Vasemaca Ledua Raciri 7. Contains the text: About the volunteer assignment: Aunty Rose is a Kaurareg Traditional Owner from Waiben (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. Aunty Rose is an expert jewellery maker and is passionate about passing knowledge onto others. Aunty Rose volunteered with SVTC through Indigenous Pathways, an Indigenous-led component of the Australian Volunteers Program. 8. Contains the text: About the volunteer assignment: SVTC’s vision is to empower rural Indigenous women, their families and communities to value their traditional cultures and skills and realise their full potentials for a brighter future. For full story, please visit the link in comments. 9. Contains three logos. Logo one: Celebrating NAIDOC Week, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. Logo two: Australian Volunteers Program and Australian Aid. Logo three: Indigenous Pathways. #AusVols #indigenousvolunteer #blakloudproud #keepthefireburning #NAIDOC2024 

Meet Meli Rokotakala, a participant in the second handicraft workshop series in Fiji run by Indigenous Australian volunteer Aunty Rose with program partner, Na I Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Taukei Cakaudrove (SVTC) - The Society for Indigenous Women of the Cakaudrove Province, through the Indigenous Pathways Program. Learn about Meli below, or find out more about Aunty Rose's volunteer assignment: https://lnkd.in/gGBr3ADJ 📸: Keran Kramme. Images: 1. A person wearing a colourful floral shirt sitting at a table threading jewellery. Pictured is Meli Rokotakala. Contains the text: Meet Meli. 2. Contains the text: Meli Rokotakala was one of two male participants in the second handicraft workshop series run by Australian volunteer Aunty Rose in Savusavu, Fiji. The workshops were run with program partner, Na I Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Taukei Cakaudrove (SVTC) - The Society for Indigenous Women of the Cakaudrove Province. 3. A person wearing a colourful floral shirt standing over a table holding a tray filled with assorted colourful beads. Pictured is Meli Rokotakala.  4. Contains the text: Meli has a background in tourism, but when COVID-19 hit, tourism literally ceased, so he started his own small business. He now specialises in flower decorations for weddings, funerals and special occasions, and supplies hampers to a vast international client base. 5. A row of different coloured beaded necklaces laid out on a table. 6. Contains the text: Meli was keen to join the training to learn new skills to enhance his own small business, and to share with the women and young people in his village. ‘I am so happy to be part of this training, not often men in small business get the opportunity to join a women’s training.’ – Meli Rokotakala 7. Contains the text: About the volunteer assignment: Aunty Rose is a Kaurareg Traditional Owner from Waiben (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. Aunty Rose is an expert jewellery maker and is passionate about passing knowledge onto others. Aunty Rose volunteered with SVTC through Indigenous Pathways, an Indigenous-led component of the Australian Volunteers Program. 8. Contains the text: About the volunteer assignment: SVTC’s vision is to empower rural Indigenous women, their families and communities to value their traditional cultures and skills and realise their full potentials for a brighter future. For full story, please visit the link in comments. 9. Contains three logos. Logo one: Celebrating NAIDOC Week, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. Logo two: Australian Volunteers Program and Australian Aid. Logo three: Indigenous Pathways. #AusVols #indigenousvolunteer #blakloudproud #keepthefireburning #NAIDOC2024

‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’ is the 2024 theme for #NAIDOCWeek. How will you join in? 🔴🟡⚫🔥 "The fire represents the enduring strength and vitality of Indigenous cultures, passed down through generations despite the challenges faced. It is a symbol of connection to the land, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples." - National Aboriginals and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC - national naidoc). "'Blak, Loud and Proud' encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity, empowering us to stand tall in our heritage and assert our place in the modern world. This theme calls for a reclamation of narratives, an amplification of voices, and an unwavering commitment to justice and equality. "It invites all Australians to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a society where the wisdom and contributions of Indigenous peoples are fully valued and respected." - NAIDOC. Please visit the NAIDOC website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9kZmcP3 Images: 1. What is NAIDOC Week? 2. NAIDOC Week is a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  3. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to learn about First Nations cultures and histories, and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.  4. NAIDOC Week is a time to reach out to Aboriginal communities and support by attending events, activities and getting to know local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led organisations. 5. Australian Volunteers [program] recognises, supports and celebrates NAIDOC Week. Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. #AusVols #keepthefireburning #blakloudproud #naidoc2024