The Australian Volunteers Program matches a broad range of skilled Australians with partner organisations in 26 countries across the Pacific, Asia and Africa, contributing to sustainable development outcomes. AVI manages the program, in an AVI-led consortium with DT Global (formerly known as Cardno International Development) and Alinea International, on behalf of the Australian Government.

The Solomon Islands Medical Partnerships for Learning, Education and Research (SIMPLER) exists to assist and support in the supervision and training of large numbers of returned foreign-trained medical graduates to Solomon Islands, while also providing continuous medical education opportunities. SIMPLER is a collaboration between AVI, the Australian Volunteers Program, the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Ministry of Health & Medical Services – Solomon Islands and the National Referral Hospital, Honiara.

AVI partners with Reece Foundation, supporting skilled tradespersons to work with communities delivering impactful water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in Australia and overseas. Reece Foundation exists to empower Australian tradies to use their skills to improve the lives of those who need it most – with a vision for all people to have access to clean water and sanitation

AVI is commissioned by The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to engage a network of communications professionals in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Vietnam and Kenya. The In-Country Communication Officer Network (ICCON) initiative aims to raise greater awareness of ACIAR’s agricultural research and projects in the Pacific, East Asia, South and West-Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa regions

AVI partnered with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to launch the Farmer Volunteers – Kenya program. The program’s first volunteer was based at a local farm at Athi River, just outside Nairobi. There, he worked with local farmers, producer groups, and rural businesses to develop local capacity and help increase agricultural productivity.

As part of the DFAT funded COMBAT AMR project (Combating the threat of antimicrobial resistance in Pacific Island Countries), AVI has been commissioned by the Doherty Institute to recruit and engage a microbiologist in Samoa, and to continue to engage two national project coordinators based in Fiji and Samoa.

AVI Pacific People is the first Pacific-wide specialised end-to-end recruitment service, headquartered in Suva, Fiji. Pacific People aims to secure more specialist, management and senior executive roles for people in the Pacific and build skills through workforce development. It also aims to encourage labour mobility within the region by working with partners throughout the region, while also enabling diaspora to return to work in their home countries.

As part of Plan International Australia’s consortium for the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), Disaster READY, AVI continued to support local partner organisations in Fiji and the Solomon Islands with capacity development and institutional strengthening activities for disaster preparedness and response.