Second phase of COVID-19 Leadership projects extends response & recovery efforts across the Pacific
The second phase of WLI’s Leadership for COVID-19 Response and Recovery projects is now underway, with 16 leadership initiatives now being rolled out across Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
More than 70 WLI participants and alumni are building networks with, and working alongside local leaders to scope, develop and implement initiatives that contribute to their countries’ COVID-19 response and recovery. Ranging from privacy curtains for COVID-19 hospital wards through to alternative income generation activities for workers in the airline, hospitality and other COVID-affected industries, the projects draw on and showcase the diverse skills, networks and local knowledge of WLI participants and alumni.
Children in rural PNG school use tippy tap established through the Phase 1 COVID-19 Awareness & Support System project. Image supplied by project team.
About the COVID-19 Leadership projects
WLI’s Leadership for COVID-19 Response and Recovery initiative was devised in 2020, to enable WLI participants and alumni to make a direct positive contribution to the COVID-19 response in their countries. As COVID-19’s effects were first being felt in the Pacific and WLI participants' traditional Workplace Internship opportunities were forced on hold, the program diverted resources to supporting participants and alumni in their exercise of leadership for COVID-19 response and recovery.
Initiatives were required to address at least one key thematic/ issue area (health, education, agriculture/ food security, and safety/ protection, including gender based violence, and require participants and alumni to collaborate around their areas of shared interest and expertise to:
- Collaborate with each other, from scoping, designing and costing a proposed activity, through to implementation and reporting,
- Work with local leaders and other actors – including men – in their countries, to ensure their proposed activity added value and addressed a clear need or gap, and
- Practice thinking and working politically, utilising networks, and other WLI leadership tools/ concepts. Group coaching and support was provided by the Leadership Coach and Facilitator during proposal design and implementation.
Phase 1 of the Leadership for COVID-19 initiative launched in July 2020 with a total of 49 participants and alumni delivering 14 developmental leadership projects in six Pacific countries (Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga).
Group image of health care middle managers participating in the Phase 1 Proposal Writing and Management Training for Infrastructure Improvement project in PNG. Image supplied by project team.
List of Phase 2 projects
A full list of Phase 2 initiatives, being implemented between July and December 2021, is provided below.
|
Country |
Project |
Focus Area |
|
Fiji |
Hydroponics with a HART: Building sustainable food security for the HART community through Hydroponics Farming |
Agriculture/ Food Security; Health |
|
Fiji |
Integrated Ag-Forestry Project (Phase 2 extension/scale-up of the Integrated Framing of Fish and Poultry project) |
Agriculture/ Food Security |
|
Fiji |
Veinanumi Project (Phase 2 extension/scale-up with increased focus on menstrual hygiene) |
Health |
|
Kiribati |
Mamauri Project for Women’s Safety During COVID-19 |
Safety/ Security |
|
PNG |
Sustainable Agricultural Project for Mushroom Farming |
Agriculture/ Food Security |
|
PNG |
Enhancing Resilience of Women against COVID-19 |
Health |
|
PNG |
Project Proposal Writing Training for Rural Middle Management Health Care Workers in Kavieng District for Infrastructure Improvement for COVID-19 and WASH (Phase 2 extension/scale-up) |
Health; Education |
|
PNG |
GBV Capacity Building and Promoting WASH at Street Food Vending Sites |
Safety/ Security; Health |
|
PNG |
Privacy Curtains for Port Moresby General Hospital |
Safety/ Security; Health |
|
PNG |
Hands Up for Hygiene (Phase 2 extension/scale-up) |
Health |
|
PNG |
Promoting Safe Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood in the time of COVID-19 |
Health |
|
Samoa |
Empowering Mothers to keep families safe during COVID-19 (Phase 2 extension/scale-up) |
Safety/ Security; Health; Education |
|
Solomon Islands |
Alternate Income Generation for Women from Hospitality and airline industry who were impacted by COVID-19 |
Agriculture/ Food Security; Education |
|
Solomon Islands |
Reproductive Health Education and Awareness |
Health; Education |
|
Tuvalu |
Everyone Matters |
Education; Health |
|
Vanuatu |
Food Waste Management and Composting |
Agriculture/ Food Security; Education |
We look forward to sharing progress updates and achievements from the WLI teams over the coming months.
In the meantime, check out our Phase 1 project videos to see WLI teams establish clean water access and promote hygiene to keep students in school during the pandemic, create a new income for mothers whose jobs in tourism were lost to COVID-19, and more.