As in cultivating the land, the POETCom team has also had a bit of a turnover and this year we would like to welcome two new staff – Viliami ‘Pila’ Kami and Sandhya Devi – who joined us in the first quarter of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. Together we will continue to ‘till’ the land of POETCom and strive to bear fruit for all seasons, especially in this peculiar one.

Sandhya Devi – Finance and Administrative Assistant

Sandhya joined the Pacific Community’s POETCom programme in the Land Resources Division in April 2020 as the Finance and Administrative Assistant. She is responsible for efficient programme support to ensure all financial and administrative requirements are addressed in a timely manner, in addition to programme financial and procurement activities.

Sandhya brings with her six years of work experience in finance. Prior to this, she was working as a Finance Officer for the Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific project under the Pacific Community Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division. Sandhya was also part of the Pacific Community corporate finance team as a finance assistant for over three years. She also worked as a Credit Officer for Total Fiji Limited for two years. Sandhya has an educational background in Accounting and Public Administration.

Sandhya is based at SPC’s Narere campus and can be contacted by email at sandhyad@spc.int or via phone: 3349500 Ext: 35484

Viliami Kami – Markets for Livelihood Programme Leader

Viliami ‘Pila’ Kami joined the Land Resources Division in March 2020 as the Programme Leader for the Markets for Livelihood programme. POETCom comes under the umbrella that Pila heads through the guidance of the SPC Land Resources Division.

Pila began his professional agriculture journey with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Tonga, as an Entomologist in the Research Division where he was responsible for insect pest work such as outbreaks, incursions, trapping and surveillance. Pila also worked in biological control and integrated management programmes on Silverleaf whiteflies, spiralling whiteflies, coconut rhinoceros beetles, fruit-piercing moths and aphids. Pila then progressed to become the head of the Quarantine/Biosecurity Division in Tonga in 2012 which led him to become the International Plant Protection Convention contact point for Tonga, with direct involvement in facilitation of agricultural product exports.

Due to the COVID travel restrictions, Pila currently works remotely from Tonga and can be contacted by email at: viliamik@spc.int.