Alumni Profiles
Public Service Commission Day: Julie Obed
To celebrate Public Service Commission Day, we speak with Australia Awards alumna, Julie Obed, who is a Senior Employment Services Officer of Performance at the Office of the Public Service Commission. Julie graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Commerce – Management & Public Administration…
World Day for International Justice: Philip Toaliu
To celebrate World Day for International Justice on July 17, we speak with Australia Awards Vanuatu alumnus, Philip Toaliu, who graduated in 2023 from the Australian National University (ANU) with a Master of Laws. Philip now serves as a Magistrate with the Judiciary of the…
Dr. Jimmy Obed Advocating for Mental Health and Culture in the Pacific
Australia Awards Vanuatu alumnus, Dr. Jimmy Obed, plays a critical role within the mental health landscape throughout the Pacific and in April, 2024, he was panellist at an event hosted by the Australian Awards Women Leading and Influencing (WLI) initiative, titled Mental Health and Culture…
Jossiana Peter: Australia Awards Graduate Promoting Financial Inclusion
Jossiana Peter is an Australia Awards Vanuatu alumna who recently graduated with a Master of Banking and Finance from Macquarie University, Australia. In her newly appointed role as the Supervisor for Financial Assets within the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC), Jossiana is providing innovative financial…
World Earth Day: Joy Mabonling
We speak with Australia Awards alumna, Joy Mabonling, who graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Science and a Graduate Certificate in Education. Joy is now a Science Teacher at Malapoa College in Port Vila. As a Bachelor of Science…
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate diversity and inclusion, with this year’s theme being ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. Derived from the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women, the acknowledgment of this day is centred around ‘accelerating…
Emotional Health Awareness Day: Norah Naviti Wells
Emotional Health Awareness Day was established to encourage and teach nurturing and relationship skills through schools, families and the wider community. To celebrate, we speak with Australia Awards alumna Norah Wells who graduated with a Master of Education and Leadership from the University of Queensland…
16 Days of Activism: Margret Joyce Kensen
To address the significance of financial inclusion as an investment in preventing violence against women and girls during the 16 Days of Activism, we speak with Australia Awards Vanuatu alumna Margret Joyce Kensen. Margret graduated with a Bachelor of Law and a Professional Diploma in…
16 Days of Activism: Jennifer Kalpokas Doan
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international civil society led campaign that takes place each year, commencing on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Ending on 10 December; Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of…
Angela Mahuri-Samuel: World Teacher’s Day
World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It is a day to not only acknowledge how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation,…