Meet The Team

Barbara has over 20 years of experience working directly with women, girls, and communities in Bougainville across the areas of peace buildings, gender based violence, leadership and mentoring, and civil society management. She was elected President of BWF in 2021. 

Nancy has over 20 years of experience working across Bougainville and PNG within the private and public sectors. In the private sector, she has worked with Save The Children, World Vision, Oxfam PNG, and with the Nancy Sullivan Anthropology Consulting Firm. In the public Sector, she worked with the EHP provincial administration in Goroka, the National Department of Education in (POM), Ombudsman Commission of Papua New Guinea (POM) and with the ABG as the Director Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination under the Department of President and BEC. She recently also worked as a lands person in the Catholic Diocese of Bougainville. Her focus is in Policy Development, Strategic Planning, Economics, Social Research, Project Management, Public Administration, Human Resources, Business Studies, International Relations, and Community Development dealing with people, cultures and other related disciplines. 

Barth Tsora graduated with a Diploma in Primary Teaching at Kabaleo Teachers College and a Graduate Certificate in Disability Inclusion from Queensland University of Technology. Barth initially worked with the Catholic Education Office as a Teacher Appointment Officer in the Diocese of Bougainville. He then worked for the International Foundation for Electrol Systems (IFES) conducting trainings for the Community Governments (CGs). He was part of the team for the (CGISP) Community Government Institutional Strengthening Projects (CGISP) and also worked as Administration Manager for Halia Hunkatun Foundation Inc. 

Comign soon...

Melvine has been working in the development field for over ten years since graduating from University of Natural Resources & Environment with a Diploma in Tropical Agriculture. After working as a nutrition officer from World Vision she first starting working from BWF in 2018 as a project coordinator. She has worked on a wide range of initiatives including the Young Women Leadership project, the Gud Disisin Gud Lidasip program, on citizen election observation during the 2022 PNG General Election, on the Young Women Peace Education, and most recently on the Young Women Led Climate Adaption Project. 

Ruthanya graduated from Papua New Guinea University of Technology with a Degree in Communication for Development Studies. She then worked with the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Department of The President and Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) as the Bougainville Bulletin Officer. Following this, she coordinated a pilot project for online learning registration for schools in AROB. She also seved as a liasion between local coca farmers, and the Bougainville Agriculture Regulatory Commitiee Authoriety (BARCA), to help establish solar powered dryers. Most recently, she was an online Regional Coordinator for Silicon Drona Incoporation, an online learning Institution based in Canada.

Austine has been working for  two years as the Finance Officer for the Bougainville Women's Federation (BWF). I grew up and completed my schooling in Buin with the wisdom and guidance of my grandma, who was the chief of our village. She's not just my grandma; she's my mentor, shaping my values and beliefs. My strong love for her stems from the lessons she taught me about integrity, resilience, and compassion. It's this deep connection that fuels my passion for working with BWF, as I strive to embody the principles she instilled in me, contributing to empowering women and championing gender equality. Beyond my professional endeavours, I find solace and joy in playing soccer and volleyball, activities that remind me of the importance of teamwork and perseverance.

Lissandra graduated with a Bachelor in Tourism & Hospitality Management from Divine Word University. She has worked in the service industry for over nine years since graduating and gained a wealth of experience in customer service and administration support. Lissandra just joined BWF as the Administration Officer.

Skye in an accountant from Brisbane with over 10 years of experience and a passion for volunteering and making a difference. She previously worked in Port Moresby for St John Ambulance as a finance mentor with the Australian Volunteers Program (AVI), supporting the finance department with strengthening their budgeting and financial reporting processes, and to upskill the team’s Excel skills. Now in Bougainville, Skye is helping  BWF streamline their  financial processes and to support their fundraising efforts. 

David has been working in the development field for over 15 years specilizing in media and commuications. After completing his Master's research in Vietnam on Pro Poor Tourism, he worked in Tanzania for two years as as a Communications and Research Advisor. He then moved to the United States and worked for a number of Washington D.C based NGOs such as the Bank Information Center (BIC), the Association for Addition Professionals, Save the Children US, and the International Women's Forum (IWF). David is on a 6 month contract through Voulenteer Services Aboud (VSA) to strenghten BWF's communication and media strategy. 

Narolyne started with BWF in early 2022 as their Admin Officer after graduating from Sunrise Business Information Technology. Prior to this she was working as a Secretary for Hosama community based organization HCBO. In early 2024 she was promoted to Research Officer and is currently researching peace and security issues in Bougainville. This is a joint initiative between BWF, Pacific Women Mediator Network, and Fiji (PWMN). This program is run through the Young Women’s Program.

Genevieve started with BWF as a member of the Selau District Women's Federation taking part in trainings for leadership and financial literacy. Following this, she worked as a trainer of trainers, running programs for family business mangement. In early 2024 she joined the BWF national office as a Research Officer focusing on peace and security issues in Bougainville, a joint initiative between BWF, Pacific Women's Mediator Network, and Soqosoqo Vakamarama.