Home away from home: How cultural connection has shaped Lily’s volunteer experience in Samoa
When Lily Belabun retired in 2024 after a long career in education and training, volunteering overseas as a Grant and Proposal Writing Mentor was not just a new chapter for her, but also a chance for her to reconnect with the values and cultures that had shaped her own life.
After spending much of her professional life working with young people and adult learners in the tertiary sector, Lily was driven by a strong desire to continue mentoring. Her time at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, where she supported initiatives encouraging Pacific youth into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), also strengthened her connection to Pacific communities.
“I was thinking about what I can do, now that I had the opportunity to give back, and what can I do to give back,” she says. That question eventually led her to browse through the Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) website where she applied for a volunteer assignment in Samoa with the Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG). But it was more than the role itself that drew her in. It was also the deep cultural connection that she felt.
“The Samoa culture is very similar to the Melanau culture that I grew up in Southeast Asia – very, very similar,” she explains. Having grown up in the Melanau community until she was 17, Lily quickly recognised many familiar customs in Samoa – from the deep respect for their elders to strong family values and community connection. “The Samoan people’s immense respect for their elders, their sign of respect by bowing down while walking in front of people etc. these are all similar to the customs that I grew up with,” she says.
The cultural familiarity made her volunteer experience especially meaningful. “Working in Samoa was a very, very rewarding experience,” Lily says.
Once on the ground, her role quickly evolved beyond what she had expected. While she initially focused on grant and proposal writing, she soon found herself mentoring staff across a wide range of areas including project management, administrative systems and organisational processes. “The people were very open to learning,” she says. “Step by step I was able to connect with almost everybody in the office, and I really appreciated that.”
Her work included helping SVSG strengthen systems to manage multiple donor-funded projects, ensuring better tracking of outcomes, reporting requirements and long-term impact. She also helped establish clearer project oversight processes so that staff and management could easily see what work was underway on any given day.
A highlight for Lily was supporting a successful United Nations-funded project that focused on raising awareness of domestic violence among market vendors. The initiative focused on education, prevention and strengthening community support networks. For some people in the community, they were never taught what domestic violence was. “It was just educating people on domestic violence, and how to mitigate it. The key was getting the elders on board so that they became a source of support,” she explains.
Lily also emphasised the importance of strengthening monitoring and evaluation practices so that projects could demonstrate real outcomes. “Donors want evidence, and the importance of collecting and gathering evidence was something that we had to convince everyone in the office to do,” she says.
Central to Lily’s approach was ensuring her work built long-term capability rather than dependency. “I didn’t go there to do the work, I went there to help, to support them, to help things work better for them,” she says. Seeing staff grow in confidence was one of the most rewarding outcomes. Since her return to New Zealand, colleagues that she mentored have continued the work independently. When asked if she has seen change, Lily responded, “Absolutely!” While reflecting on how far her team and colleagues have come, she says “The Senior Projects Officer has been working independently since November when I returned home.”
Beyond the professional achievements, it was the relationships and kindness of her colleagues that have left a lasting impression. Lily describes a workplace that quickly became like family, where shared lunches and daily routines built strong connections. “The staff treated me very well,” she says. “They treated me like family.”
One particularly special moment came during her first week, when the SVSG President welcomed her with a simple but beautiful gesture. “The President, in my first week here, gave me the most beautiful orchid to take home to welcome me to the team. That will always stick with me. I’ve never had anyone do that to me in my life,” she says.
Lily’s volunteer experience has also given her a renewed sense of perspective and gratitude, something she learnt as she spent more time with her Samoan colleagues and friends. “I learnt to be grateful for all things, however small, that we are lucky to have,” she says.
Rather than seeing her retirement as a time to slow down, the experience has inspired her to continue volunteering and giving back. “It has convinced me that I’d love to do this for another couple of years…It’s a great way of giving back, finding out first-hand about the country and connect meaningfully with the people.”
Lily’s advice to others considering volunteering is simple: “Don’t leave it too late. Be open, be flexible, and embrace it when you get there,” she says. “It’s not as scary as you think. It’s actually much easier than you think!”
For Lily, her volunteer journey reflects the true spirit of volunteering – sharing skills, building relationships and learning from one another along the way.