PARIS – Filipina nurse and social entrepreneur Aida Oakdon, based in Perth, Western Australia, has been named Volunteer of the Year at the Women Changing the World Awards held in Paris on 23 April 2026, selected from nominees across 92 countries.
Oakdon – founder of Hope Services Australia Pty Ltd trading as Hope Nursing Services and Chairperson of FAHWA Charity, a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) – also received an Honorable Mention in the Social Enterprise Inclusion Award category on the same night.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Oakdon said. “Volunteer of the Year isn’t mine. It belongs to a 70-year-old client with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s, whom we care for after his funding runs out. It belongs to every child opening their first book in a FAHWA remote library. It belongs to the patients I’ve served as a volunteer nurse with Mercy Ships, healing the poorest of the poor, and to my family in Perth who understood every missed dinner so I could show up for others.”
Born in Leyte and raised in Davao City after moving there at age 9, Oakdon is the daughter of a farmer. She founded Hope Services Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Hope Nursing Services in Perth, alongside the FAHWA Charity. Hope operates as a business – its nursing and NDIS disability services generate revenue, while profits are channelled into FAHWA Charity, where she serves as Chairperson.
As a registered ACNC charity, FAHWA Charity delivers programs across Western Australia and supports children’s libraries in the Philippines, including two locations specifically serving children with special needs. In WA, the charity donates to local food banks and distributes ‘blessing bags’ – care packs with food, toiletries, and essentials – directly to people experiencing homelessness. It also provides free health checks and volunteer care for individuals who fall through the cracks of the system when their NDIS funds run out.
Outside of FAHWA, Oakdon volunteers as a nurse with SAMU medical missions during calamities and with Mercy Ships, providing surgical care to underserved communities globally.
The Honorable Mention recognised Hope’s “profit with purpose” model, which judges noted as a leading example of social enterprise inclusion.
“Dignity has no expiry date,” Oakdon said during her acceptance speech. “Inclusion is not a choice. It is our duty.” She delivered the line in French – L’inclusion n’est pas un choix. C’est notre devoir – drawing a standing ovation.
The Women Changing the World Awards – led by Australian founders Peace Mitchell and Katy Garner – recognise women driving social impact globally. Being named Volunteer of the Year and receiving an Honorable Mention marks a significant moment for Western Australian social enterprise.
“I am a nurse. An immigrant. A farmer’s daughter from Leyte, raised in Davao,” Oakdon said. “We started Hope in Perth to care for a few. Today we stand in Paris because we dared to care for all.”
“This is for every Filipino who was told their dreams were too big,” she added. “From Perth to Davao to those we serve on Mercy Ships – we’ll keep showing up.”
About Hope Nursing Services
Hope Services Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Hope Nursing Services, is a Perth-based social enterprise providing nursing and NDIS disability support. Its sister organisation, FAHWA Charity – a registered ACNC charity chaired by Aida Oakdon – delivers community programs in Western Australia and the Philippines, including children’s libraries, special needs support, food bank donations, and outreach for people experiencing homelessness. For more information, visit www.fahwa.org.au and www.hopeservicesaustralia.com.au.
