Australian volunteer, Sivatmicca Yoganathan, has been applying her research, data collection and analysis skills to implement a project aimed at building social accountability in Samoa.
Ms. Yoganathan has been engaged as an Australian Volunteer for International Development since 2012, working as the Research Coordinator at the Samoa Umbrella for Non-Governmental Organisations (S.U.N.G.O.).
Having first established the Research Unit there, she is currently leading a project gathering Samoan citizens’ feedback on government health and education service delivery.
It was during a holiday to Samoa in 2011 that Ms. Yoganathan realised that Samoa would be a good place to work and got in touch with representatives at S.U.N.G.O. to prepare an Australian Government volunteer program assignment proposal.
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She has previously worked in international development and helped design and manage a participatory rural appraisal in India.
She also worked for World Vision Solomon Islands designing projects that address the needs of young people in Honiara’s settlement communities.
“I have a strong passion for research, training and information management,” she said.
“I was eager to return to development and saw an opportunity to help Samoa by working for S.U.N.G.O.
‘I was excited by the chance to work with an organisation that has such a strong commitment to serving the community.”
Ms. Yoganathan returned to Samoa to take up her role at S.U.N.G.O. in July 2012 for what was originally a one-year assignment. Her commitment to the social accountability project was so great that she extended her assignment for a further eight months in order to see it through to completion.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this assignment has been working and exchanging skills with my talented local counterpart, Leiloa Asaasa, who will be taking the helm at the unit when my assignment concludes.”
Since 1972, there have been over 450 Australian volunteers in Samoa working with local organisations.
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