DEVELOPMENT AWARD - Presentation

HONOURING ATTITUDE, ACHIEVEMENT AND GROWTH

Nominees with skills in IT, governance and community development were the final contenders for the prestigious HAI Development Award.

At a gala dinner held in November, numerous high profile guests attended including Pak Raudin, Minister-Counsellor, who spoke on behalf of the Indonesian Ambassador.

In announcing the winner, John Wurcker, HAI’s Managing Director, said: “HAI has managed over 500 projects and the success of these projects would not be possible without the contribution of national staff, who not only provide support to the project but who also perform the face-to-face delivery to the community.  In recognition of such commitment by individuals the Development Award was created.”

The winner, Pak Marno, from the Indonesia-Australia Specialised Training Program III, which is funded by AusAID, travelled abroad for the first time, to accept the Award.

Pak Marno, the star of the evening, impressively addressed the guests in a quietly spoken manner and  revealed how overwhelmed he was to win the award. He said: “Receiving this award was something to be proud of, as this will boost my motivation to work harder and smarter.  I did not expect to win the award since other nominees for this year are also very talented and dedicated persons.  And they all have something in common:  they have made a difference.” 

In acknowledging the project team he said: “The team uses many great innovative approaches and ideas in doing their work.  A strong team work environment is very apparent and I owe this opportunity to the project which has supported me.”

As part of his award prize, Pak Marno will be undertaking professional development with an IT company in Jakarta.

Further prizes to the winner, and finalists include a cash prize of $AUD1,000 each.   The two outstanding finalists acknowledged for their contribution were: 

Ratna Karmila from the Local Governance and Infrastructure for Communities in Aceh Project was selected because she pioneered the Single Window Service which is a one-stop-shop that provides many essential local government services; and 

May Blanco from the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program is recognized for going above and beyond the requirements of her role, drawing on her experience to advocate new initiatives in human rights and sustainable agriculture.