As members of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), MAF International joined humanitarian organisations in Canberra to share the impact of our flights with Australian politicians.
Story by Matt Painter
Australian Government ministers swapped their parliamentary seats for an aircraft seat, so they could experience the feeling of flying with MAF to isolated communities.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and International Development Minister Anne Aly were among the politicians who learned more about MAF International when a network of charities visited Australia’s Parliament House in the capital Canberra.
The event was hosted by the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID), and MAF International’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Resourcing, Caleb Bjorem was determined to get the politicians’ attention. “ACFID decided to put on a showcase inside Parliament House,” Caleb said. “They encouraged organisations to do something unique. We initially said to them, ‘Great, we’ll bring an aeroplane.’ And of course they said, ‘Well, I don’t think we can fit that in the front door!’
“We ended up with the seat.”
She jumped in and put the headset right on. She was tapping on the chair saying to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, ‘Come and sit down!’
— Caleb Bjorem
The ‘aircraft seat experience’ featured background displays that communicated MAF’s mission and operations to members of parliament. “They enjoyed that,” Caleb said. “It just made sense to them very quickly. We wanted them to understand what MAF is, what we do, where we can help.”
Anne Aly, Australia’s Minister for International Development, was one parliamentarian who didn’t hesitate. “She jumped in and put the headset right on. She was tapping on the chair saying to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, ‘Come and sit down! The government has been generous in their support of MAF in the last year. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade understands the critical need for sustainable aviation services and they’ve been willing to engage to help us to provide that.”
Caleb, based at MAF International’s office in Cairns, Australia, has a degree in international development and international politics – it was always his intention to work in this kind of space. “Part of the reason I love my work in MAF is that my relationship with God is incredibly important. And I see this as a natural outplaying of that relationship. And I like the fact that this models to my children where my values lie.”
Before MAF, Caleb and his wife Katie initially served with the Church Missionary Society and then transitioned to working in anti-trafficking in Cambodia. He is now part of an MAF team that seeks to build relationships with strategic partners and governments around the world.
“I work with senior representatives of other NGOs (non-governmental organisations), as well as mission organisations. People who’ve had time in the field can almost always say, ‘We love MAF. We flew with MAF back in the day…’ There’s no doubt in their voice when they say, ‘We couldn’t have done it without you.’”
Caleb is pleased to help connect decision-makers in Canberra with isolated people in ‘last mile’ locations of the world. “They might not have the opportunity to fly with MAF in the field,” he said. “They might not be in Maliana, Yifki, Telefomin or Buin. However, they’ve now sat in the seat because we’ve brought that world to them in Canberra. That’s going to help them in the future to understand better what we do, but also to understand the work that we represent. It’s advocacy for the people that we serve. We’re saying, ‘Don’t forget about those who are most isolated. That’s who we care about. And we want you to care about those people too.’”
ACFID oversees the relationship between NGOs and the work in the humanitarian sector – advocating and liaising with the Australian Government.
