• Inclusivity award for PNG

Church Partnership Program team members Esiah Eino, Cynthia Tiriman, Frank Wonea and Joy Chikalli, with The Salvation Army Australia’s International Development Project Coordinator Nicola McGunnigle (middle), at the BCEP All Partners Forum awards.

The Salvation Army was honoured to receive the prestigious Wokmak Award at the Building Community Engagement in Papua New Guinea (BCEP) All Partners Forum, Papua New Guinea, in June.

The award recognises The Salvation Army’s extensive geographic reach and inclusive engagement efforts across its programs.

The celebration continued as The Salvation Army was nominated in three out of five ‘partner choice’ award categories, showcasing its contributions to gender equity, disability inclusion and social accountability.

The Salvation Army’s GEDSI (Gender Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion) Coordinator Frank Wonea delivered a powerful presentation on inclusion, drawing from his lived experience as a person with a disability.  

Church Partnership Program Coordinator Esiah Eino also represented The Salvation Army at the forum, presenting on the Army’s growing work in promoting social accountability.

The BCEP program is a key initiative of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership, funded by the Australian Government. The Salvation Army is one of seven mainline churches participating in BCEP’s Church Partnership Program (CPP), which focuses o 

• Strengthening the delivery of basic services

• Promoting gender equity, disability and social inclusion

• Improving social accountability across communities.

The BCEP Forum brought together program partners to reflect on performance and progress since its inception in 2022. It also served as a platform to share lessons and experiences to inform the next four-year phase, which begins in 2026.