Behind the Butterflies - Lydia Dimokari
2020 Archer Leader and UPNG journalism graduate, KTF’s Projects & Communications Coordinator Elizabeth Guka brings you a look 'behind the butterflies' in a series of profiles with her colleagues, the extraordinary KTF PNG team. We hope you enjoy getting to know and love our incredible people.
THE HEART TO SERVE
By Elizabeth Guka, KTF PNG Projects and Communications Coordinator
With a love for cute puppies, especially her German Shepherd puppy Trudy, a welcoming smile and a gentle voice, Lydia Dimokari is a gentle person with a big heart to serve not just her community, but her province and her country. Lydia is the Senior Projects Coordinator for KTF’s Port Moresby office in PNG.
From a mixed parentage of Oro and Milne Bay provinces, Lydia has spent most of her life in Port Moresby.
“I've attended schools only in Port Moresby. I started my early primary school in Gerehu primary school, completed my year eight in 2009, went to St Charles Lwanga, completed grades 9 and 10, made it to Port Moresby National High school and finished in 2013. Got selected to University of Papua New Guinea, where I studied at the School of Humanities and Social Science and attained my Bachelor’s degree major in Social Work.”
Much of her university life was fun filled but along the way, she also faced challenges.
“My best experiences I had in uni was being able to learn about social work and practicals in the field, meeting new people and attending social clubs. Most of my challenges in school was having financial support, navigating through my relationships,” shares Lydia.
Whilst in university, Lydia also participated in extra-curricular groups and organisations.
“I was part of The Voice Inc. through their leadership development program (LDP) for 3 years 2014-2016, started interning in my final year of studies for the organisation in 2017. Through the leadership program I was being to develop my leadership skills.For me during the three years was leadership foundation and really helped me navigate through my journey.”
Lydia was also chosen as a representative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Champion program in 2016. In this role, she was able to learn about the UN and its various agencies, the opportunities the UN offered in PNG and young people engagement in other countries through conferences and forums. Being selected as a youth champion it also opened doors to the world and the work of the United Nations around the globe.
“I applied for the Queen’s Young Leaders program in 2017 and was selected as a runner up for PNG in 2018 and now part of the alumni network. I also travelled to New York to attend the youth The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2018 and later in 2019 travelled to Kenya to attend the Nairobi Summit (ICPD+25) International Conference on Population and Development.”
These organisations have changed her life by opening doors and provided the opportunity to grow as a young leader, to develop her leadership skills and abilities. Most importantly, she also learnt how she could use these skills to impact the lives of others around her, especially those in her community.
Lydia shared, “I also did some community work in my street with young boys and girls through an initiative called Mission vibe to allow young people access to information about their lives and assisting them into various different programs. I also took part in Equal Playing Field program, EPF for schools, as a volunteer and did my practice A (a social work course offered in third year of studies) also in 2016.”
In her final year of studies, upon hearing of the KTF Archer Leadership Program, Lydia applied and was successfully selected for the scholarship program.
“In my final year of studies, I was selected as one of the 7seven final year Archer leaders by KTF. My tuition fee was paid for, an allowance to buy stationery, I was mentored for a year by Tania Nugent and travelled to Sydney and Melbourne for an exchange trip. My journey of understanding myself has deepened with learning about myself through more resources given and learning about adaptive leadership.”
After being part of the KTF Archer Leadership Program and graduating, Lydia worked with the United Nations in PNG, before leaving to work for KTF in September 2019. Fast forward to present day, Lydia, in her current capacity as a senior projects coordinator with KTF, coordinates mostly all KTF project areas in different parts of PNG.
“I currently work as KTF’s Senior Project Coordinator and work across all our projects in health, education, equality and leadership and the Port Moresby office operations with an enthusiastic team every day. I am fascinated by the work we do to reach rural areas that have no access to roads and to get there by the nearest airstrip. Meeting logistics can be a challenge and working with different partners.”
Lydia describes her work in the different project areas,
“I enjoy working in each project, I have come to have best experiences in Early Childhood projects across Gulf, Balimo, Morobe and New Ireland, the COVID-19 Airborne projects, assisting women to sustain themselves through sewing through the Strongim Meri Business and playing an important role in a zero tolerance of Gender Based violence through our Project Zero. I really enjoy my job as I get to see firsthand services being provided to people in our project areas, I am privileged to work with a team that gives selflessly to the work that they do and they push through despite the challenges they face and we make a great team.”
Throughout life, Lydia has faced some challenges. She openly shares this experience with us.
“I have faced a lot of challenges in my life and overcome by beating the odds with education, finance and relationships but nothing hit hard as this; in 2020 we faced a series of lockdowns, handling my work from home was my major challenge, my dad was in and out of the hospital and I lived out of my parents’ home.”
As Lydia was not living with her father at the time of his hospitalisation during lockdown, she was not considered a guardian and was unable to regularly visit him while in care. She recounts a time when she did manage to find a way to do so,
“Till today I don’t regret going in and spending a few hours before rushing out crying my way through the corridors begging the universe for strength. I woke up the morning later with a phone call that my dad did not make it to see the sunrise. I live with fragility that my strength and pillar that held me up vanished. I guess we learn how to push forward with our spirits resilient. “
Lydia feels excited to be working with KTF and is also grateful for the work that KTF is doing.
“The work in the KTF environment is very exciting, we have projects that are happening in different locations. I work with individuals who give their best selves, it’s an environment that’s safe, that is free from discrimination and violence. And the management team are very supportive to the staff, projects and wellbeing of staff. As an individual the work that KTF does is enormous, KTF arms holds young children’s educations at its heart by training early childhood teachers and build their capacity, health workers are training and aid posts are supplied medication and education facilities that KTF set up is fully functioning, young leaders of PNG are equipped through the leadership courses and the alumni continues to reach out into their different communities. Homes are being lit up and children have the opportunity to study at night. Its impact in communities and its partnership is helping to steer PNG in a positive way.”
She feels privileged to be working with KTF, and gives her best in her work with the development organisation.
“It’s such a privilege to work to pay forward….through the opportunity that KTF has given through my education in university and my professional career, I continue to work hard here in my role and put out the best effort I can to ensure KTF’s vision is achieved.”
Lydia encourages young people to stay in school and also to make use of new technology to learn and develop themselves as individuals.
“I think it’s best to stay in school and listen to your parents. My teacher in high school once punished me for spending too much time at the water bubbler after sports when study period already started. She told me tide and time wait for no one. I’ve kept that with me for a long time. Today, we all have some sort of smart phone, make use of it, listen to the radio for education programs and debates, download learning apps and listen to audios that will educate you outside of school. Be in the right kind of friendships and always look out for the good in people. Working so hard in your education will have a great impact on you later, parents (guardians) guide your journey and light the way and always be grateful for the hard work and sacrifices that have made for you.”