Cobram SES Unit members Philemon, Peter, controller Luke and Nathaniel.
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Contributed
It’s not every day that your story make headlines in your home country.
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But the story of Nathaniel Tutugu, Peter Bulubali and Philemon Roroi has gone one step further, having been broadcast, at first, from a small town in northern Victoria and now to an entire nation.
The Solomon Islanders, whose feat of being the first recruits from their country to join the Victorian SES in its 50-year history, first made headlines in the Cobram Courier in April and the story quickly made its way across the oceans.
Earlier this month, ABC Radio Australia featured the story of the three friends in its Wontak program, broadcast twice a day, Monday to Friday, in Solomon Islands Pidgin.
Around the same time, the recruits and their story were front-page news on the Solomon Star, a daily English language newspaper with an online Facebook following of over 82,000 accounts.
By the end of May, the three friends appeared in Iumi Stori, an independent community news outlet based in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara.
Cobram SES Unit controller Luke Herezo it was incredibly special not just for the three friends, but for the broader Pacific Islander community in Australia.
“To be recognised back home in the Solomon Islands highlights how significant their efforts are,” he said.
Cobram SES Unit controller Luke Herezo and Theresa Mantovani.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
The three friends are working in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, a Federal Government program that aims to address labour shortages and allow workers such as Peter, Philemon and Nathaniel to support their families back home.
“It’s a proud moment for our unit, for the wider VICSES family and for the PALM program,” Mr Herezo said.
“The fact that they are the first Solomon Islanders to join VICSES makes it even more meaningful.
“They’ve set an incredible example, not just through their training and dedication, but by inspiring others in their community to consider stepping forward too. We’re honoured to have played a part in this milestone.”
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