............"Strong Families make a Strong Nation" ...................................................... Make PNG a strong, safe and happy place
IS TO ADVOCATE AGAINST ALL FORMS OF ABUSE AND VIOLENCE WITHIN AND AGAINST THE FAMILY UNIT AND PROMOTE FAMILY VALUES AND RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY
- Men's Program - To promote and facilitate and gather men around issues that affect them and to reduce the impacts on others especially children and women.
- Women's Program - To promote women's development options and to promote women's protection and healing at all levels of society.
- Children's Program - To promote collaboration and partnership with stakeholders to address children's issues at all levels of society.
The Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV) is Values and Rights based organization. It was established to raise the voice of family values. Its mission is to “promote and develop awareness of Family Rights and Responsibilities and aim to promote Family and Family related issues”. Its goals were to provide counseling and support to victims and survivors, undertake training and provide practical assistance, liaise with other agencies, collect and analyze information, to prepare and prioritize areas of action, to lobby and mobilize support, to distribute information and to advocate with all stakeholders on family related issues, rights and responsibilities. The Voice has over the last 12 years been increasing in volume and pitch but that voice needs further amplification. To that end the programs have been expanded to include, not only women but men and children as well. Women face many problems, as well as children; men on the other hand live on a myth that they are the main cause of violence but maybe victims of society in the formative years as children. Men only project the masculine part of their life but their psychological makeup maybe in turmoil and as a result they may be reacting very violently as they are. So they require help. Thus the EHFV is committed to dealing with issues that affect the family members so that they can built a solid family unit which in turn promotes strong communities leading to a strong nation.
Early Beginnings
Family Voice was initially established in 1997 in Goroka by a group of women. These women had their own family related issues and out of their pain and anguish, they grew this organization through commitment and hard work. When it first started its work, the organization was basically doing counseling, talking to problem mothers on the streets or even under shady trees just hearing out their problems and advising them as to how to continue to live life or seek support from existing service providers of violence against women. At that time, there was no office space, no funding or equipment, no vehicle except a group of women who had a dream and passion to work together. The organization has undergone many challenges along the way under the leadership and guidance of then Executive Director Ms Naomi Yupae. With the able assistance of Save the Children for the last 11 years, it has seen the organization rise up and carry out more services in counseling and advocacy to more clients over these years. Eleven years on and EHFV has changed so many lives of families and individuals through its work. It has grown to become a well recognized and credible organization at the national and international level. The recognition and credibility has been accorded by government at various levels, international development partners, Civil Society Organizations and people who access the services. Family Voice now employs seventeen (17) full time staff; it has trained more than 1000 volunteers in various skills in the 8 districts and continues to counsel an average of 31 cases a month.
- FAMILY VALUES - The Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV) believes that all families should practice love, faithfulness, respect and acceptance towards each other and live in harmony, peace and unity leading to strong family unit which in turn will lead to a strong country.
- GENDER EQUALITY and INCLUSIVENESS: The EHFV believes that gender and social equality are important pillars of a strong society. While women and men are made differently and may be culturally oriented towards certain roles, their physical differences must not be a discriminating factor to place them in the social order. This same principle must apply to people living with disabilities. Their abilities must be strengthened and encouraged to participate as equals at all levels.
- EQUAL PARTICIPATION – EHFV believes in the equal participation of all family members at the family level and by all stakeholders within the whole community like elders, adults (women and men), youths, children and people living with disabilities. All peoples from all ethnic groups with the various cultures must participate as equals at all levels regardless of their culture, sex or religious orientation.
- SOCIAL JUSTICE- EHFV believes that all peoples regardless of creed, colour, ethnic origin, educational status or social standing have a right to access all social services delivered by the government of the day.
- HOLISTIC AND INTERGRATED – EHFV believes that for the whole community to benefit, the developmental process must take into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development aspects of an individual, family, community and the country transformed through their way of life.
- ACOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARANCY- EHFV believes that in all its activities, we have to be accountable and transparent in what we do. We must be accountable to those who support and to people who we aim to impact on their lives. We owe it to them for our existence. We are all in it together as partners and trust is an important commodity for all parties. We must be open to scrutiny and not afraid to tell the truth. In upholding integrity and prudence we will not only uphold our reputation but also produce positive results which are permanent on the target groups that we work for.