NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICES

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE

The National Volunteer Service (NVS) in Papua New Guinea

"People Growing Together" 

HOW NVS OPERATES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The National Volunteer Service is a government agency attached with the Department of Community Development, Youth and Religion. Hence, it reports directly to the Minister responsible for this Department. It has only one office and it is located in Port Moresby. It is classified under the Department of Personnel Management as a Social Service Sector because of its mandated tasks in providing different skilled volunteers to communities in PNG. Its yearly budget is solely financed through the monthly budget allocation from the government through the Department of Finance.

 

NVS Offices posing for a photo shoot with the Secretary.

RECURRENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

The core function of the National Volunteer Service is recruitment, training and placement of volunteers in PNG as mandated by its Act. The volunteers are engaged for a period of two years, after which a new recruitment starts again. The number of volunteers recruited by NVS had varied over the years because of the limited budget allocation from the government. 

Currently the number of volunteers recruited stands at 30, that is 30 volunteers to 30 host communities in a ratio of 1:1.

But we would like that number to increase because we receive more than thirty request from host communities that need a volunteer.
 

JOINT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS

In order to accommodate requests for additional volunteers to a host organization or community, NVS enters into a Joint Partnership Program. This is when the host organization request for more than one volunteer and provide financing at an agreed amount by both parties (NVS and host Organization). NVS provides the volunteers with specific skills and knowledge at the request of the partner.

 

Joint Partnership Program is normally the initiative of an NGO, a government agency or institution, another volunteer organization or private sector organization and development partners. The program is driven by a planned set of objectives and strategies designed to achieve a community development goal consistent with needs of the joint partner or program recipient. This program is an initiative of a sponsor/donor for community development project and implemented by the National Volunteer Service. Most, if not all programs under this category are community development oriented, donor funded or part of resource project agreement.
 

 WHO ARE THE VOLUNTEERS

NVS recruits trained and qualified individuals, with the knowledge and skills to implement and accomplish the tasks as requested by the host organization. These volunteers can be recent graduates who want to provide a service to the community, experience workers who want to do something different for themselves and share their knowledge and skills by helping others who deserve it the most. Volunteers can be also retired or retrenched public servants or workers who feel that they still have it in them to contribute meaningfully to the development of Papua New Guinea.
 

SECTORS VOLUNTEERS WORK IN

NVS volunteers work in the following sectors but not restricted to others that may be specifically requested by the Host Organization/ Community:

 

1. Health and HIV/AID 
2. Education
3. Agriculture
4. Tourism
5. Forestry
6. Business
7. Fisheries and others

 

BRIDGING THE GAP IN DEVELOPMENT IN PNG THROUGH VOLUNTEERS

WHAT IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE?

 

It is a statutory body of the Government established by an act of parliament on the 12th of April 1990. The office came into operation in 1993 with its first volunteers being recruited and placed in different communities. NVS acts as a development strategy to recruit, train and engage volunteers to deliver much needed services in rural communities throughout the Country.

Vision:  The  NVS  vision is to be part of a nation-building driving force instrumental in community empowerment and community development  aimed at reducing inequality, dependency and alleviating poverty.
 

Mission: The National Volunteer Service of Papua New Guinea is on a mission of Promoting and supporting citizen participation in sustainable  people centred development.
 

Goals: The broad goals of the National Volunteer Service is to promote development by fostering:

 A) Self-Reliance

 B) Sustainability

 C) Respect

 D) Personal Viability

 E) Participatory Development

 F) Equality

 G) PNG Culture and Traditions

  





Primary age students who need a teacher: Tuyes Primary School, Angoram District, East Sepik Province.

OBJECTIVES

 

1. To Promote and support the process of Communities developing themselves.

2. To Promote, support and give significance to the volunteers participation and contribution in community development.

 

3. To provide a venue for the growth and transfer of Papua New Guinea skills to volunteers to carry out effective community development programs.

 

4. Develop, maintain and sustain NVS capacity to meet the demand of communities for development services vital to their day to day survival.
 

 

HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE (NVS)

 

The establishment of the National Volunteer Service Office was made through a private member’s bill in parliament. It was through the late Honourable Bernard Narakobi, former Member for Wewak, who was also a philosopher, lawyer and diplomat.

 



NVS officers attending one of their many workshops.

“The National Volunteer Service will have a number of functions related to the task of nation-building. It will seek those people who wish to contribute to the development of our country to join it as volunteers, it is a voluntary service. Volunteers who have skills and wish to use those skills to develop our nation, starting from village level, will be able to join the service for periods of up to 2 years at a time.”

Part of late Mr. Bernard Narakobi’s statement to parliament in 1990.

 

He created the idea of using trained, qualified and experienced people to provide the much needed expert services to people living in remote PNG. He wanted an avenue through which caring and kind hearted Papua New Guineans and foreigners alike could volunteer their expertise for others who are not so well off. Similar organizations have been developed and established in developed countries and are being used to serve their own and other people.

 

Aiding locals at Sigiwagi road, Pari village, Kundiawa-Gembogl
District 

NVS–VITAL LINK TO DEVELOPMENT
 

The vision by the then members of parliament in supporting and passing this Bill is to ensure that vital services and development initiatives by the government reaches all citizens of Papua New Guinea wherever they may be.

 

It was also around that time when the normal service delivery system of government was slow and stagnant with many of its development policies failing to convert into tangible development designed to alleviate poverty and socio-economic improvement.

 

This situations prompted the government of the day to create a mechanism that will enable Papua New Guineans help other Papua New Guineans, and out of this vision, the National Volunteer Service was established.

 

It is more than evident that the service delivery system of the government is still yet to be effective. If you travel the length and breath of this country, you will see that vital services like health and education still lacks or is non-existent at all.

 

There has to be an effective delivery system of the government to provide these services and the National Volunteer Service can be that vital link to sole that problem.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLESAE CONTACT US

 

National Volunteer Service

 

Po Box 2684, BOROKO,

Sambra Haus, Kumul Avenue, Waigani

National Capital District

(Opposite Telikom Rumana)

 

Phone: 301 0297 Email: enquiries@nvs.gov.pg