As part of ABV’s mission to build inclusive and sustainable economic growth across the region, we are proud to partner with City Pharmacy Limited (CPL) Foundation Inc. to mentor six women trailblazing local entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea.
Along with developing successful women-led businesses, these entrepreneurs are offering innovative market solutions to preserve language, foster local art and culture, and market locally-made sustainable products for health and beauty.
The six month women entrepreneurship program provides participants in-person workshops, personalised mentorship, and one-on-one coaching from ABV’s skilled business volunteers to help forge lasting networks and business acceleration.
We are continually inspired by the vision and determination of these women, and hope that you are too.
Kazieh Taganny: Hair care tailored for Melanesian women
Frustrated by the lack of hair care tailored for Melanesian women, in 2022 PNG entrepreneur Kazieh Taganny created her own suite of products designed for PNG women to embrace their natural hair.
What started as a personal solution, quickly grew into a thriving business with Kazieh and her sister founding Niugini Naturals to sell their hair and scalp oil, rapid growth hair food, and whipped shea butter.
Within two years, the women-led business has expanded distribution to regions across PNG, and in Port Moresby salons its products have outperformed international brands. Kazieh is proud that all Niugini Naturals products are handmade and use organic ingredients to reduce reliance on chemical treatments.
Kazieh is also grateful to receive tailored business development guidance through the CPL Foundation Inc. and ABV Business Mentoring Program 2024, “As small business owners, this program is already helping us achieve goals we thought would take 10 years. It has shown us the power of community, networking, and mentorship.”
Deborah Salle: Championing PNG’s linguistic heritage
Based in Port Moresby, Deborah Salle identified the need for high-quality linguistic services for government and aid and development organisations working in PNG and its rich linguistic heritage.
With over 800 languages spoken across the country, Deborah founded PNG Language Services in 2020 and embarked on her journey as a quality language entrepreneur.
Now in its fifth year of operation, Deborah works alongside a network of experienced translators to offer translation, interpretation and tutoring in the country’s most prominent languages: Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, Kuanua, and Enga.
Her clients include diplomats, global agencies, international language service providers, as well as community-based volunteers such as those from the Japan International Cooperation Agency who took Deborah’s course in Tok Pisin to deepen their work in the community.
Deborah says through her recent involvement in the CPL Foundation Inc. and ABV Business Mentoring Program 2024, PNG Language Services was able to develop a translation training program to develop local competency in English and Tok Pisin translation.
“My biggest takeaway was learning how to break down my goals into weekly tasks,” Deborah says. “I also learned to create business habits - something I’ll apply not just in my business but in my personal life too.”
Nadya Parascos: Spearheading cultural expression
As a corner-stone to Port Moresby’s creative scene, in 2022 Nadya Paracos took her passion for entertainment and performing arts to establish Dare2Create as a local enterprise to strengthen local art and culture.
Now in its third year of operation, the creative company delivers fresh and captivating entertainment experiences that are known to bring Port Moresby to life.
These productions have included a video mapping and dance show for PNG Air’s 35th Anniversary, alongside a performance with the Boera Village cultural and theatre group that told the legendary story of Edai Siabo and the first lagatoi.
With Dare2Create tasked with providing entertainment at CPL Foundation’s Pride of PNG Women Awards in 2024, Nadya is now one of six mentees in the CPL Foundation Inc. and ABV Business Mentoring Program.
Coinciding her responsibilities as a new mother, Nadya says the intensive mentorship has excelled her development. “The sessions have been greatly beneficial as there is real-time guidance and advice on different challenges in the goals set.”
Find out more about the PNG women entrepreneurs in the CPL Foundation and ABV Business Mentoring Program 2024.
From humble beginnings on a cattle station near Sandfire, Freddy’s journey has been one of resilience, independence, and creativity. Inspired by the land and the stories of his community, he began painting in 2017. This became a profound way to share his feelings and express his connection to the unique beauty and spirit of the country.
Now, through Longuda Designs, inspired by his traditional name (Blue Tongue Lizard), Freddy’s artwork is bridging cultures and uniting people. As part of ABV’s Martu Business Development Services program, funded by Greatland Gold, what started as a small sole trader business has now blossomed and expanded in scope, from showcasing his goods at local markets to exhibiting at the Broome Art Gallery. Thanks to the unwavering support from ABV volunteer, Martin Venier, and the whole team’s dedication, Freddy is diversifying with new ventures like stunning fishing shirts featuring his artworks!
“Art helps me focus, paintings tell a thousand words and inspires me to express myself through my art work”
Through the transformative power of art, Longuda Designs envisions a world where Australians and people across the globe come together. By weaving creativity, culture, and connection into his designs and products, he hopes to inspire unity, celebrate diversity and build bridges that transcend borders.
The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires were a catastrophic event with devastating impact across regional communities. Burning up to 19 million hectares, destroying thousands of homes, and impacting nearly three billion animals, the impact of these fires can still be felt today.
Communities like those in Gippsland, have worked tirelessly through recovery to rebuild homes, livelihoods and habitats. One such community is Buchan, a small town in East Gippsland with a population of 200 people. Despite its size, the town boasts over 35 incorporated associations and groups, reflecting the local communities’ rich interconnectedness and dedication to place.
The volunteerism and commitment of the local community is utterly infectious, says local community worker Susan Freeman. “Their commitment and passion to build back after the fires and support one another has been amazing.”
In the wake of the bushfires, the Buchan community formed an association to support community-led recovery efforts. Working originally with the East Gippsland Shire Council, Susan deepened her knowledge of local disaster recovery efforts and learnt about the various community recovery committees established to help drive this.
“Each of the impacted Gippsland communities had a Place Manager who I provided support to, and Buchan was one of them,” Susan says. “The determination among the communities and Place Managers was incredible. I had never seen anything like it before.”
Since joining the Buchan Gelantipy and District Renewal Association, Susan has supported the delivery of valuable community-centred projects ranging from bricks and mortar through to wellbeing related programs with local outreach. This has included supporting community organisations to progress the redevelopment of the Buchan Recreation Reserve, as well as the construction of the new netball and tennis courts, upgrades to community halls, and the installation of an accessible canoe launch.
It also included repairing and improving two important local halls and establishing a community bus to support the Neighbourhood House, Bush Nursing Centres, Primary School and sporting clubs, to stay active and participate in local life.
“Our work extends beyond physical infrastructure, and with the support of the council and the Gippsland Community Foundation, we’ve organised movie nights, family fun days, barbecues, and Christmas parties to nurture and keep our community together.”
Susan says the Buchan community still has a long way to go, however navigating bureaucracy and funding requirements has made this process more complicated. “The competitive nature of grant rounds and the mismatch between funding availability and community readiness have posed significant hurdles for us.
“The promised government funding wasn’t made easily available to us once we were coordinated and ready to use it. It’s also inherently difficult for us to secure grants that fund administrative wages like myself, and now time is running out. I am looking for any grant available that might be able to help fund this role.
Susan says the funding and support outside of Government grants has been instrumental to their community’s work, with the Australian Business Volunteers offering strategic support and efficient avenues to navigate community-led solutions.
“We couldn’t have achieved what we have for our community without the funding support of non-government bodies such as the Gippsland Community Foundation, Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal and capacity building support from the Australian Business Volunteers.
“I hope that government funding models can be adjusted to better reflect community-led resilience and recovery efforts going forward.”
ABV is pleased to support community leaders like Susan through the Victoria Resilient Regions program implemented in collaboration with Deakin University to help Victoria’s Gippsland region prepare for future severe weather events.
The Resilient Regions program is supported by the Victorian Government.
Giving back through business with Kay Galamo
When Kay Galamo accepted the role of General Manager at Lamatlik Investment Limited in 2020, he never imagined the incredible impact he would make. As an experienced accountant from Port Moresby, Kay brought his expertise and passion to the clan-owned business on Lihir, determined to create locally-owned jobs and build financial security for the Lamatlik clan.
Lamatlik Investment Limited was established in 1995 as a car-hire company with the support of leading gold mining company Newmont. “While it was a small operation when I got involved, you could see the potential of this business,” Kay says. He drew on the expert support of the Apeketon Business Hub, co-designed with and funded by Newmont and delivered by Australian Business Volunteers, to take the business to new heights.
“Four years into the role, we now have 18 cars, employ 12 local people, own our office, we have opened a branch at Kavieng, and we’ve diversified our service from car-hire to logistics and providing the island’s first taxi service,” Kay says.
Kay achieved this growth not by taking loans or shortcuts but by working closely with the nine business directors and clan representatives. He focused on increasing cash flow with existing assets and introduced essential governance practices to ensure long-term success. “We now have Annual Meetings, reporting of cash-flow, business structures and a five-year plan to meet the growing demand. We’re also looking to expand to other regions. This is about maximising benefits for the clan and ensuring that when the mine closes we will have long term sustainability.”
One of the most significant milestones came when Kay and his team attended corporate governance training through the Apeketon Business Hub. This training helped the directors and clan representatives understand their responsibilities in running a business and where they could add the most value. “We saw a big difference in business culture after that.”
The results of Kay's hard work and dedication are remarkable. Within three years, all Lamatlik employees were on salaries, and the clan received K200,000 in dividends. He wants to see the clan thriving with access to education and the basic necessities of life.
With family and grandchildren on Lihir, Kay's passion for the island and its people is evident in everything he does. As he says, "Lihir is a small place, and we're all connected. When one clan does well, we all benefit." Through his work with Lamatlik Investment Limited, Kay Galamo is not only giving back to his community but also setting an inspiring example.
In collaboration with Greatland Gold Telfer, ABV’s Martu Business Development Service celebrates the exceptional First Nations women we have had the privilege of supporting and walking alongside on their business journeys in the Western Pilbara.
Introducing the Martu sisters, Corina Jadai and Nuriah Jadai, First Nations artists who bring their culture, stories and creative visions to life to lasting social and cultural impact.
Nuriah Jadai: Connecting worlds through culture, creativity and leadership
Nuriah Jadai’s journey began in the remote communities of Bidyadanga and Parnngurr in West Australia. Surrounded by nature, Nuriah spent her childhood fishing, hunting and gathering bush tucker. Her quiet strength and determination are reflections of the guidance and wisdom that was passed down from her Elders.
With a bold vision for the future, Nuriah sees creativity as a driving force that connects diverse worlds through art, fashion, and culture. Her creative practice spans a diverse range of projects, which includes painting, First Nations fashion and furniture design, steampunk-inspired fabric, photography, education, public speaking, and advocacy.
"I see creativity as a way to bring together different worlds," Nuriah says. "Art and fashion have the power to bridge gaps and open conversations. Through this platform, we create spaces for creativity, culture, and leadership to thrive."
Through her work, Nuriah is passionate about building connections, empowering others, and celebrating the richness of First Nations culture in every form of art. She continues to inspire and lead with purpose, showcasing how art can break boundaries, and create lasting social and cultural impact.
Corina Jadai: From the Kimberley to creativity, a journey of art and culture
Meet Corina Jadai, an artist, fashion and graphic designer whose roots run deep in the vibrant landscapes of the Kimberley and Pilbara regions in West Australia. Growing up in this culturally rich environment profoundly influenced Corina’s work, infusing her creative expressions with the colours, patterns, and stories of her Country and culture.
Corina’s connection to art is more than a career—it’s a way of life. Her approach to creativity is guided by a strong sense of cultural identity, where each brushstroke and design reflects the essence of her upbringing. The dynamic colours and intricate details of her work draw inspiration from the natural beauty and history of the Kimberley and Western Desert regions, weaving together tradition and innovation.
For Corina, being a creative artist and designer is about telling a story and staying true to her roots. "Being a Creative is more than just a job; it’s who I am and what I do.” Her artistry serves as a strong reminder that creativity is a powerful tool for connection, expression, and for preserving the stories that define us.
ABV is pleased to work with Corina and Nuriah Jadai as part of its Martu Business Development Services in Pilbara and Kimberley regions to provide meaningful economic pathways for Martu entrepreneurs across West Australia.
At ABV, we have had the privilege of walking alongside so many incredible women on their journeys—women who inspire, lead, and create lasting impact in their communities.
As we celebrate their achievements, our CEO, Liz Mackinlay, takes a moment to reflect on their resilience, passion, and the change they drive every day.
Join us as we honour their stories and the meaningful contributions they make to building a better future this International Women's Day
Trailblazing Women Entrepreneurs in Papua New Guinea
Strengthening micro, small, and medium businesses in the Pacific is at the heart of Australian Business Volunteers' (ABV) mission to build inclusive and sustainable economic growth across the region. In partnership with City Pharmacy Limited (CPL) Foundation Inc., which is dedicated to empowering women through education, healthcare, and economic development, we have launched a pilot six-month Business Mentoring Program for six pioneering businesswomen in Papua New Guinea. We are continually inspired by the vision and determination of these women leading the way. The program offers in-person training workshops, personalised mentorship, and one-on-one business support from ABV’s volunteer business mentor, Zarah de la Cruz. Additionally, it provides valuable networking opportunities, enabling women entrepreneurs to build strong and lasting support systems.
We’d like to introduce you to three of the participants and their inspiring stories that we celebrate and learn from this International Women’s Day.
Anne-Shirley Korave: Advancing Menstrual Health
Anne-Shirley Korave is the founder of QueenPads, a social enterprise providing sustainable and affordable menstrual health solutions in Papua New Guinea.
Experiencing firsthand the challenge of affording sanitary pads, Anne-Shirley began creating reusable alternatives. The positive feedback she received inspired her to launch QueenPads, which by March 2022 had its products in selected City Pharmacy stores nationwide, significantly improving access to menstrual health solutions.
She later collaborated with the CPL Foundation to expand menstrual health education and, by 2024, secured her first overseas export to the Solomon Islands. Dedicated to strengthening her business model and increasing awareness of menstrual health, Anne-Shirley joined the mentorship program in late 2024, furthering her mission as a social entrepreneur.
Sarah Artango: Championing Inclusive Skincare
Sarah Artango is the founder and director of Pearl Cosmetics, a company dedicated to providing inclusive skincare solutions in Papua New Guinea.
What began in 2009 as a kitchen experiment—creating natural, hypoallergenic products for friends and family—grew into a thriving local business. Motivated by her struggles with sensitive skin, Sarah launched Pearl Body Scrub to the PNG market, promoting the benefits of exfoliation and consistent skincare routines.
In 2022, she formally incorporated Pearl Cosmetics, followed by the launch of her product line on City Pharmacy shelves in 2023.
As a participant in the Business Mentoring Program, Sarah continues to refine her marketing, finance, and strategic planning skills.
“With my daily operations, I find myself utilising skills acquired from the in-person training in marketing, finance, or strategic planning in the smallest to the biggest of business decisions and challenges I face.”
Meriba May Igara: Making PNG Wildlife a Part of Childhood Memories
Meriba-May Igara is the founder of Boss Crew PNG, a business that brings Papua New Guinea’s wildlife to life through plush toys.
She set out to design a plush toy inspired by the cuscus, an iconic local animal, to foster a stronger connection with PNG’s wildlife. Since then, Boss Crew PNG has developed six distinct plush toy designs under its Poro Adventures range, featuring endangered animals like the Tree Kangaroo, Pig-nosed Turtle, and Bird of Paradise. A portion of profits supports the Tenkile Conservation Alliance, which protects the critically endangered Tenkile tree kangaroo.
The Poro Adventures range officially launched on City Pharmacy shelves on March 8, 2023, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
“The mentoring program has been transformational for me. I’ve gained clarity, confidence, and actionable skills to strengthen my marketing strategies and enhance my operations,” Meriba-May shared.
These women exemplify resilience, innovation, and determination, shaping the future of business in Papua New Guinea and beyond. Their stories inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs, proving that with the right support and mentorship, women can break barriers and create lasting impact. We look forward to sharing the more inspiring stories from the this program.
Paris Brooke, Co-founder & CEO of Wilderness Collective
Moving to the coastal town of Mallacoota with her family in 2019, Wilderness Collective CEO and Co-Founder, Paris Brooke, never expected to lay-down lasting roots in the community, let alone be one of five women dedicated to transforming the town’s local economy.
“As a family we were looking for a different experience,” Paris says. “We always loved Mallacoota and thought we would go there for a [school] term, but it absolutely turned our lives upside down. “
Just months after Paris and her family moved to the far eastern town of regional Victoria, Mallacoota was faced by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020, devastating homes, community services, livelihoods and natural habitats alike.
“We had friends assuming we would get up and go, but it actually made us more resolute to be here, and to be even more part of the community than we were before,” Paris says.
“There was a need for volunteers to do various jobs. Two of the co-founders of the Wilderness Collective were part of the subcommittee for economic business recovery.
Mallacoota had lost a key employer, and small businesses couldn’t find appropriate, affordable spaces to operate from. We kept talking from there, and we are now still going strong with a clear vision and plan of what’s needed for the long term economic rejuvenation of the town.”
Paris joined four local women spanning three generations to establish what is now known as the Wilderness Collective, a locally-led charitable organisation committed to the sustainability and community growth of Mallacoota.
“We got grants underway, found ourselves a temporary space to work from, and now 2.5 years later are looking at purchasing a main street building for our community’s lasting benefit. Our co-founders are all volunteers, and either run their own businesses or work locally. Importantly, we all have a deep connection to this town.”
The Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) has supported Paris and the Wilderness Collective as a community-led initiative driving sustainable economic development for the region. “When I first came across ABV, I thought ‘fantastic, this is exactly what we need’.”
“They’ve supported us with everything from financial projections, social media strategy, grant writing, and excitedly, an avenue to engage expert business volunteers for skills development. It’s provided us with the breadth and diversity that we’ve needed.”
With the support of many organisations, including the Australian Business Volunteers, the Collective now has a coworking innovation hub to foster local entrepreneurship and enterprise programs designed to reskill the local workforce.
“We offer a social enterprise school program for young people to learn what it takes to run a business, with the profits going back to a charity of choice,” Paris adds.
“We have seen too many young people and young families leave because they don’t have the diversity of work opportunities to choose from. We’re looking to change this by providing small businesses with the space to test, change and make something new.
“It’s been the hardest thing I have ever done and the best thing.”
Drawing on the support of committed women driving the organisation forward, Paris says the key to her energy and impact has been surrounding herself with like-minded women.
“At a time of trauma for the town, our peer support network and empathy is what enabled us to know what our community is going through and meet them where they are at.
“For our community-led work, we don’t apply a cookie-cutter approach but listen deeply and respond to the great nuances that exist.”
For other women working to trailblaze and have the community impact that she is having, Paris says that starting is the best way forward.
“There isn’t the luxury of time. It’s important to not overthink something but to be mindful of your instincts and move forward on those and just start.”
Find out more about the Wilderness Collective and how you can get involved: https://wildernesscollective.org.au/
Why community-led disaster recovery remains the missing piece of the puzzle for disaster management in Australia, and what we can do about it.
On the back of devastating fires through Black Friday and the rising impact of climate change, the Australian Government commissioned independent reviews of disaster funding and community preparedness.
In 2023 the Glasser Review of national natural disaster governance arrangements, reached the overarching conclusion that our governance arrangements do not adequately take our national resilience into account, including under investment in risk reduction, siloes approaches and lack of consideration to the sweeping changes and innovations required to address the emerging risks.
Following on in 2024, the Colvin Review of Commonwealth disaster funding recommended a system-wide uplift to better represent disproportionately affected communities and empower local communities and governments who increasingly carry the load of disaster impact and recovery.
The value and need for community-centred resilience initiatives has long been known. Not only does it empower affected communities to take ownership of the priorities and solutions, but it leverages local knowledge and essential networks for innovative and resourceful place-based programs and tailored planning.
Since 2020, ABV’s work with disaster-affected communities across the East Coast, has time and time again witnessed the ability of grassroots projects to solve complex resilience issues with untapped community support that would otherwise go unseen. Yet, despite this potential, the role of communities in disaster preparedness and protection too often goes under resourced and untapped.
Each administration grapples with the challenge of funding hyperlocal activity and administering this work in a scalable and cost-effective manner. Following some five years of research and testing what community-led models work in regional Australia, ABV in partnership with Monash University’s Fire to Flourish have found that with the right ingredients, a community-centric approach can not just be efficiently conducted but embedded in Australia’s ecosystem of disaster management.
Rather than relying on a competitive community grants process for existing community groups, we are proactively bringing local representatives and community groups together well in advance of when disaster hits.
Here with the right resourcing, networks and expert facilitation we can effectively identify shared local priorities, and effectively partner and draw on existing networks across organisations and borders for high-impact system-wide change.
As a research backed model, we know that this is both cost-effective and scalable simply adding value to the incredible disaster management structures in place. For every $1 invested in prevention saves $6–$15 in response and recovery costs.
Communities are capable and eager to collaborate with agencies and NGOs to take on their share of disaster prevention and preparedness work. And with the right model and conditions this can not just be transformative but efficient in bringing far ranging support.
Find out more about ABV’s disaster and economic resilience programs in regional Australia and how you can be part of this transformative work.
As extreme fire danger continues across Victoria today with bushfires in the Grampians burning out of control, we know only too well the very real displacement and devastation that is once again, knocking on people's doors.
Our team at ABV has worked with communities across Victoria and the Eastern seaboard who have long experienced the first-hand impacts of devastating fires and severe natural disasters, from Gippsland north into NSW and beyond.
These communities have faced ravaged natural habitats, the loss of wildlife, people's livelihoods and businesses, homes, memories and whole communities as people and their families are forced to relocate and in many cases, simply start again.
Working alongside Deakin University in our Victoria Resilient Region program last year and forging a community-led disaster resilience model with Monash University's Fire to Flourish program through strong partnerships across the Eastern seaboard, we know just what can be achieved when we come together, build on local connection and put community-led action plans at the heart of our response.
Too often, the value and contribution that community collaboration and innovative solutions can make to improving our resilience and recovery are completely forgotten when the flames are high and the heat is already on. In reality there is far more we can do to get our ducks in a row long before the fire or flood strikes.
Economic modelling with our partner Monash University’s Fire to Flourish program has revealed that for every $1 invested in community-led resilience will save $6 to $15 in future recovery and rebuilding costs. That's homes saved, businesses and livelihoods protected, and families able to withstand the fire and live in place together.
In Australia, like many countries, there continues to be an over-emphasis on post-disaster response over local-community resilience and prevention. As we contend with increasing severe and frequent uncontrolled bushfires, floods, storms and landslides this short-sighted approach is simply unsustainable, and in short, it’s leaving our communities at risk.
At ABV we are incredibly proud of working with partners across the field to unlock the strength and innovation of local communities to mitigate impact and prevent devastation in disaster prone regions. We know that resilience can only be achieved through combined efforts across sectors and the community working together, and will continue to ensure it gets the support and attention it needs now and in the years to come.
