After tribal violence swept through Papua New Guinea’s Highlands Province and led to the destruction of thousands of vital identity documents (IDs), Women Leading and Influencing (WLI) alumni Dorothy Jolly and Lisa Ijape used leadership skills, lessons and networks gained on-Award to fill a vital gap.
In an interview with ABC Pacific journalists Hugo Hodge and Dubravka Voloder, Dorothy shared how through the WLI Leadership Fund, the duo is creating a database of missing documents and working with local authorities to streamline and cover costs of the recovery process, which can take years and be financially inaccessible.
"Being here [in Port Moresby], we can really help … so they can concentrate on rebuilding their lives,” Dorothy says, “I have already assisted two youths that approached me earlier to get their statement of results through my network."
Also based in the region, Oxfam country coordinator Philip Kupo said that despite its importance, ID recovery is an issue overlooked by authorities and organisations providing support in the wake of disasters.
"I have been working in the humanitarian sector for more than a decade, and this is the first time that I've heard of relief efforts that focus on recovering key identification documents," Philip said.
By September 2023, Dorothy and Lisa had made over 1,000 registrations for ID replacements for affected residents.
Dorothy explains, “The Nagamiufa Village and community are so thankful and grateful for this activity and are looking forward to getting their Birth Certificates and National Identity Cards once they are processed in Port Moresby and sent back.”
Read or listen to the ABC interview and learn more about the Leadership Fund.
