From Empty to Enough: Waliya Samuel Sawasi’s Transformation

“My family became the victim of my past life,” Waliya confesses.

Waliya Samuel Sawasi never intended to hurt the people he loved. But growing up in a broken home left him with wounds he couldn’t name, wounds that eventually began to surface in his own family.

He married Kewela, a kind-hearted woman from Ali village along the Aramia River. Unlike Waliya, Kewela came from a humble background and didn’t have the opportunity to complete her formal education. Her limited exposure to life beyond her village became a source of tension in their marriage.

“I grew up in a well-known family. My father was a former MP for Balimo Middle Fly, now Delta Fly. My wife couldn’t keep up with my lifestyle, and I was always frustrated. I wanted everything to go my way. I thought I was important and expected her to take part in activities outside her usual home duties, but she couldn’t fit in.”

Waliya had everything a man from the Balimo Delta-Fly could ask for; status, land, and a respected name. But behind that proud surname was a boy still longing for his family’s love, and a man slowly losing his own family while chasing the validation he never received as a child.

Everything began to change when Waliya was introduced to the Celebrating Family model through the BEAN Project.

“Every time I attended a CF workshop conducted by the GEDSI team, I saw my childhood reflected back at me,” he shared emotionally.

At the time, Waliya was Ward Councillor in Balimo Urban Local Level Government (LLG) when the BEAN Project was introduced. The Celebrating Family workshops, conducted by World Vision, challenged him to reflect on his harsh behavior toward his wife and children. He realized he needed to change.

“Through the Celebrating Family workshop, I saw my life story. The little boy I once was, facing life’s challenges. I now share this part of my story with communities.”

For a man like Waliya, the GEDSI program through the Celebrating Families Model was an opportunity to correct his wrongs. From what he learned in the trainings and workshops, he returned to his community and began implementing change. He knew he had to start at home, so he encouraged his wife to join the nutrition program.

As Waliya reflects on his past, he admits he was very controlling.

“Before attending the GEDSI workshop and trainings, I never wanted my wife to move around with me. As a man, I thought I was the only one who should be involved in community activities. We never understood each other.”

From 2024 to 2025, Waliya began applying what he learned by teaching others in his community. He believed that true transformation comes from sharing knowledge and living out the change.

“After being involved workshop conducted by the GEDSI team through the BEAN Project, I encouraged my wife to be part of the BEAN Project and help in the nutrition activities in the community to support the children. It has been one year since she started,” says Waliya.

“Hi, I am Kewela, Waliya’s wife,” a shy and soft voice says, making an effort to introduce herself. She had just graduated with a certificate as a Village Health Assistant through the BEAN Project.

Kewela was a simple housewife introduced to the BEAN Project by her husband. Thanks to the GEDSI trainings, Waliya, for the first time, initiated the idea that his wife should take the opportunity to participate in community development activities. She joined as a lead farmer and began training to become a VHA in the nutrition program

“GEDSI trainings changed Waliya. Unlike before, when he was easily irritated and lacked patience if I didn’t do things his way. Now, after both of us were involved in the Celebrating Families trainings, it taught us to always have patience and guide each other in ways that keep our marriage and family together.”

Kewela admits that graduating with this certificate as a VHA would not have been possible without the tireless support of her husband.

“He always makes time to help me get ready for my awareness sessions in the communities; how to approach people, what to say, and he even checks my work to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”

In the battle against malnutrition in the Balimo Delta Fly District in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, World Vision International (PNG) values the importance of families in driving impact and beating malnutrition in each household and community.

“I am proud that I am working to help the community I live in. This certificate now gives me the confidence to carry out my responsibilities,” Kewela expresses.

Waliya and Kewela’s journey is a powerful reminder that change begins at home. By integrating GEDSI into the BEAN Project, they turned their transformation into a community impact.

Through the BEAN Project, funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra through ANCP, the Celebrating Family model under WVIs GEDSI Program is helping families in the Delta Fly District come together to combat malnutrition and build a stronger, more resilient future for their children.