VSA ‘UniVols’ doing Pacific stint

Craig Hooper. Photos: Supplied
Craig Hooper. Photos: Supplied
Harriet Reith.
Harriet Reith.
Kate Haughey.
Kate Haughey.
Mathew Lambie.
Mathew Lambie.
Roi Burnett.
Roi Burnett.

Five University of Otago graduates have recently set off on a 10-month trip working as volunteers with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) in the Pacific.

The group of volunteers is part of the VSA’s UniVol scheme, which gets students and graduates involved with volunteering overseas.

The ‘‘UniVols’’ have all completed academic study in international development or have relevant practical experience.

They will team up with other volunteers with relevant professional, trade or commercial skills and the necessary experience.

For Kate Haughey, helping the Solomon Islands Association of Community Learning Centres extends her long-standing interest in volunteer work, including life-guarding, working bees and community tree-planting projects.

Based in Honiara, in the Solomon Islands, Ms Haughey will help the association’s staff and management to improve project management and funding applications through training and resources.

Harriet Reith, a law and arts graduate, will teach English and geography at St Peter Chanel School in Kokopo in Papua New Guinea.

The placement follows naturally from her volunteering experience in Dunedin with English Language Partners and the university’s international office and higher education department.

The three other 2018 Otago Univols are Roi Burnett, who will help the Kiribati Catholic Women’s Association with health education programmes; Craig Hooper, who will work with the Honiara Marist Football Club in the Solomon Islands as sports development assistant; and Matthew Lambie, who will assist with maintaining the quality of World Vision’s agriculture, economic and health projects in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Projects are developed by a local partner organisation and refined by VSA based on its experience working alongside local communities.

First started at the University of Otago in 2007, the UniVol Programme now includes Victoria, Auckland and Massey Universities.

About 70 of the 94 UniVol participants so far have come from Otago.

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