Mellanie Olano has been engaged as an international volunteer as Femili PNG’s ‘Case Management Technical Expert’. Mellanie (or Lanie as she is called by colleagues and friends) joined Femili PNG in February 2017. She is a registered social worker from the Philippines and has been working in the field of social development for two decades.
Most of Lanie’s work experience has involved dealing with children and women who are victims of sexual exploitation and other injustices. Before joining Femili PNG, Lanie was the Senior Social Worker – Reintegration Specialist for an international NGO based in the Philippines.
Lanie enjoys working with children and youth and has good interpersonal skills in working and dealing with partners. Her two decades of experience has made her a strong advocate for the rights of the women and children. Her passion in this field is not limited to her own country; she has now decided to bring her knowledge and experience to Papua New Guinea.
Lanie’s main role with Femili PNG is to provide technical assistance to the case work team on case management, and mentor them as they work on their cases. She also develops and delivers training modules which will assist the case workers to handle their cases.
Lanie enjoys her work and is always looking on the brighter side of life; she encourages our staff to smile, to be positive, to relax and to practice self-care. She believes that case workers should learn to take care of themselves and be well, in order to provide the best care for clients. She is also enthusiastic in assisting other Femili PNG departments and staff: she helps them whenever she knows the answers to their queries or sometimes joins them in exploring the answers.
Lanie, the jack of all trades…
Prepared by Jonica Jay, Femili PNG Communications and Fundraising Officer
