Alumni Stories

Cotton production in South Africa is so important the government is positioning the industry as one of the biggest employers in the agricultural sector. First, however, a set of barriers hindering progress must be overcome.

To protect the health of its people, as well as tourists and business travellers, Mauritius has made great strides in modernising its food control systems and legislation, protecting against sickness, disability and morbidity.

Zambia, with its vast mineral resources and minerals, is facing a dilemma, says Australia Awards alumnus Barnaby Bwalya Mulenga. That dilemma is to create wealth by growing its extractive industry and taking advantage of booms in commodity prices while meeting the development needs of the Zambian people.

Zambian smallholder farmers face financial challenges, including prohibitive interest rates, that constrain growth and restrict access to the funding needed to increase production.
Muma Bwalya works as a Development Specialist for the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), an organisation that facilitates low interest loans and trains fa

Kenya’s Bondo sub-county in Siaya county is facing high rates of maternal and child mortality related to non-communicable diseases. Mr Victor Emali Mukaka, an alumnus from Queensland University of Technology is tackling these challenges.

Australia Awards alumnus Dr Ardy Arsyad is determined to find the cause of the largest liquefaction disaster in modern history, in an effort to prevent the same devastation from happening in cities across earthquake-prone Indonesia.

A dentist at the Alotau Provincial Hospital, Dr Hilda Audubo became the first local dentist to partner with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Medical Ships when they made their maiden trip to Papua New Guinea in 2011 visiting some of the most remote villages along the Kikori River in Gulf Province and the Fly River in Western Province.

Meet OzAlum Mathilda Agnes Maria Wowor who developed a series of books for parents and teachers under five-year-old that celebrates tolerance and diversity. She says laying a strong foundation for children about empathy and tolerance is important to build characters as we live in a diverse culture across Indonesia.

Dr Oluwakemi Fapojuwo, Australia Awards alumnus, is on a quest to promote climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria, using skills developed while studying at the Development of Agricultural Research, University of Sydney.

The indigenous chicken value chain, the focus of Sheila Nabwire Apopo’s work in agribusiness, is helping Kenya support food security.

For Grace Corcoran, applying for a New Colombo Plan Scholarship was the “perfect way to be exposed to the [Indo-Pacific] region and to learn more about their area-specific health issues,” as part of her Bachelor of Applied Public Health and Bachelor of Global Studies at the Australian Catholic University.

Meet Dr Jeanne Rini Peospoprodjo, #OzAlum Australia Awards from Charles Darwin University, who has spent more than 20 years of her medical career working on malaria in Papua province.