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October 2024

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Waigani Christian College Celebrates 30 years

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Established in 1993, the Waigani Christian College has been giving second chances to many students who have missed out on placings at Government run schools for high school and secondary education

Waigani Christian College is a fully registered and 100 percent nationally own private permitted school.

The school was established in 1993 with only 13 children.

Today the school is enrolling children from kindergarten to grade 12, giving second chances to those who left out on the selection. 
 
Over the years, the school has transformed with increased infrastructure development and student and teacher population.

Waigani Christian College founder, Benjamin Mul, holding a book on stage.
Minister for Education, Dawa Lucas Dekene at Waigani Christian College 30th Celebration.

Founder Mr Benjamin Mul said they are pleased to have sent a good number of their Grade 12 students to tertiary institutions.

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary this week, Mr Mul announced that with the success of this school, he is now building a University.

Prime Minister James Marape who joined the celebrations, said a wholesome holistic education that not only gives us certificate at the end of the examination but more importantly Christian attitude, ethics, character and skills.

“In the medium term development plan 4 we have year marked K4.16 billion in our plan to invest in the entire education sector in the next four years.

“If WCC wants to continue to the University, the process must be complied upon, the Government stands ready to support all the way until one day you can issue diploma and degree to Papua New Guineans in this school,” Marape said.

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Reviving Cocoa Dreams

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For the many farmers of Wanwara Village of Turubu LLG in the East Sepik Province, Cocoa has been their main commodity.

However, the road to success for them has been troubled with challenges, particularly from the Cocoa Pod Borers (CPB).

Thanks to the assistance from the European Union Support to Rural Entrepreneurship and Trade Papua New Guinea (EU-STREIT PNG) programme has empowered these farmers to revive and reclaim their Cocoa farms and improve their livelihoods.

Cocoa plantation

Mr. Baltazar Winjowa, a 33 year-old farmer from Wanwara Village, when sharing a trajectory hope of transformation says that he has seen his cocoa production journey evolve from struggle to success, not just for him but for his entire Community.

“I have been involved in Cocoa for over eight years now,” he explains.

Baltazar grew up helping his father, the chairman of the Juar Cocoa Cooperative Society which represents five Villages; Wanwara, Yamben, Jimeru, Mambe and Putanda.

“We had problems like Cocoa Pod Borers (CPB) affecting our cocoa for years.

“Many farmers had abondoned their blocks.” Says Baltazar.

Solar Cocoa Combination Type Dryer

The CPB affects 80% of the Cocoa trees and the remaining 20% was not enough.

The EU-STREIT programme reached Baltazar’z Community in 2021 providing essential resources including poly bags, shed cloths, CPB – tolerant Cocoa seedlings, wheel barrows, block management tools and gumboots.

The farmers also recieved a solar combination dryer to transform the quality of their Cocoa.

Baltazar was pleased with the initiative saying that the biggest support was the solar combination dryer helping them to produce quality dried beans.

“I want to thank EU – STREIT for the combination dryer.”

Along side the materials, the EU-STREIT PNG programme also provided the necessary critical training for the farmers including bud grafting training, proper pruning techniques aswell as the study of Cocoa fermentation and processing

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Paving the Future

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The Yawasoro-Niewanjie road in Wewak, East Sepik Province has seen a facelift after years of negligence.

Thanks to the EU- STREIT PNG programme’s effort through the International Labor Organizations (ILO), this ten to thirteen kilometer stretch of rehabilitated road has brought hopes and opportunity to the people living along that area.

In the Niewanjie rural community, life before the road reconstruction used to be tough.
The villagers were struggling to access basic services like schools, market and healthcare due to poor, almost impossible road located within a water logged area.

Farmers like Judith Auta, who owns five cocoa blocks had to neglect her cocoa blocks.
They could barely transport their produce to the market because of the bad road condition.
Judith, who is also a mother endured long, laborious journey just to reach basic services.

“We used to wake up very early at 4 or 5am in the morning just to walk the bush tracks to the main road,” she recalls.

“It was also hard for our children especially the girls, walking through the bush everyday to get to school. It was not safe.”

The refurbishment of the road will now improve the life of over 2,200 residents who once faced these hardships.

Niewanjie

The road in its new, durable shape was built to withstand the area’s unfavorable conditions, allowing access to services all year around.

For farmers like Judith, the new road has transformed her livelihood.

“Now that trucks can reach us, I am taking care of my Cocoa blocks again. The price of Cocoa is good and the last time I sold some wet beans for K400 right here at the end of the road,” she says.

25 year-old Maya Samalai, a young man from Niewanjie village also shared the same sentiment saying that with the road, he has been able to sell 80 Kilograms of Cocoa beans to save up for his Grade 12 studies.

“This road gives us hope. It’s helping us to live a better life,” Maya says.

This road project is also said to have created about 12, 000 days of paid work during its construction phase, creating job opportunity and injecting financial input into the local community.

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Kairuku DDA Prioritizes the Upgrading of Feeder Roads

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Kairuku District Development Authority (DDA) is prioritizing the upgrade of all feeder roads in the newly created district.

Last week, the DDA board met and approved one million kina (K1m) to commence the upgrade in both East and West Mekeo.

Local MP, Peter Ioaimo said the contract has been awarded to two local contractors, Auka Constructions and Behos Constructions.

He said as a district administration government, they want to see growth in the MSME contractors.

Many of the contractors just recently registered their businesses.

“We are helping small MSME’s to grow their business. These are little contractors that we have allocated funding.

“Many have just incorporated business names and companies just 12 months ago. We give an opportunity for them to do up all the selected feeder roads.”

With the DDA board’s approval, 40% of the full payment will now be released to the contractors to commence work.

Each contractor has been awarded half a million each.

One contractor will commence work in West Mekeo and the other in East Mekeo.

While that work is in progress, the DDA awaits submissions for the Vaima to Kivori Road and a proposed new road from Ipapana to Kivori.

For the National and Provincial Highways that run through the district, Isoaimo said he has placed a request for the Provincial Government to allocate some funding through the Levi benefits from the LNG.

These roads are the West Mekeo Provincial Roads, Agevairu turn off into Hisiu, as well as the roads in Kuni LLG.

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St Michael’s Parish celebrates 107th Anniversary

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The St Michael’s Parish in the Kuni LLG of Kairuku, celebrated its 107th anniversary on Sunday 29th September 2024.

Over a hundred Catholics from in and around Kuni LLG gathered at Bakoiudu mission station for a three-day celebration.

Many paid tributes to their ancestors who were fierce warriors but turned Christians.

Joining the Catholic faithfuls was the local MP, Peter Namea Isoaimo, Kuni LLG Manageress, Mrs Alice Naime and Kuni LLG president, Mr Jimmy Aniwa.

Mrs Naime who is also a devoted Catholic said it is important to acknowledge the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael for their protection and strength in spirit.

“St Michael and the other two Angels (Gabriel and Raphael)whom are the messenger’s of God in the Catholic Church Doctrines were we have to honour their guidance, protection and their strength in spirit, that are powered by God’s mercy through Jesus christ and Mary as our Lady of the sacred heart for all our families,” Mrs Naime said.

St Michael's Parish , Kuni LLG, Kairuku District, Central Province.
People gather to celebrate at St Michael’s Parish, Kuni LLG, Kairuku District, Central Province.

“It is through prayer that we have all gathered here to witness the St Michael’s Church feast day anniversary in Bakoidu,” she added.

Isoaimo thanked the Parish priest, Father Jeremiah Paraha for making the event a success and being the main celebrant of the Holy Mess.

He stressed that peace and harmony in the communities comes through Church activities, encouraging youths to take the lead.

“Youths must also take part in this type of activities instead of doing drugs and alcohol to cause inconvenience in their respective wards,”he said.

“Church is one of the best places to go and learn Godly principles and to take lead in your own community.”

He concluded with pledging K20.000, K5.000 for a gen set, K5.000 for a new sound system and K10.000 for repainting of Church walls.

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Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

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A Technical Secondary School in the Eastern edge of the coastal Town of Vanimo has become a center of hope and progression.

With the establishment of a resource center by the European Union Support to Rural Entrepreneurship and Trade Papua New Guinea (EU STREIT PNG), Don Bosco Technical Secondary School can now have access to a digital hub that provides enriched educational opportunities as well as digital tools and services for students, farmers and agripreneurs alike .

The declining state and insufficiency in the region’s existing facilities over the years has seen the rural communities on the Eastern side of Vanimo having limited access to the digital world, preventing them from exploring and utilizing its potential for business and educational opportunities.

Don Bosco Vanimo Technical Secondary, one of the leading school that used to offer education and access to ICT in that area was faced with persistent challenges with its aging ICT equipment hindering its ability to provide quality ICT and Computer education.

Don Bosco Vanimo Technical Secondary School’s Principal Ms. Majuna Chamilou says the school used to run short courses for the students and community but all their machines had broken-down. She says the situation was dire, with only functioning but old computers up and running. “It came to a point where fifty students were sharing just ten computers”, the Principal says.

The School now has a turning point when being recognized by the EU-STREIT PNG programme to become a hub of ICT and digital education, serving both the student and empowering the community in terms of its farming business.

Through the first phase of the initiative implemented by the International Communications Union (ICU), the school recieved fifteen new Computers, a printer and the necessary support to establish a fully equipped resource center. There is also a plan for the school to recieve another additional fifteen Computers, video conferencing equipment and one more printer from the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The second phase of Support will meet the growing demand of the local community members and business-oriented farmers. The Resource Center is connected to a power mini-grid system established by the United Nations Development Programme under the EU-STREIT PNG to ensure that it is uninterrupted and fully functional.

To further strengthen the Resource Center’s capabilities, ITU also organized Training of Trainers (ToT) capability-building for the teachers and Moderators of Resource Center including Don Bosco. These are trainings such as digital skills, e-commerce, Government to Citizen Services, team building, Sustainable Businesses Planning and Financial Literacy.”We are so thankful to EU-STREIT PNG for including our teachers in these ToT trainings. It was exactly what we needed,” Says the School Principal when expressing her gratitude.

The establishment of the Resource Center has fundamentally reshaped the quality of education at the school, improving the issue of student -to computer ratio that has been a major problem over the past years.

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70th Grade 10 Graduation for Mainohana Secondary School

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Mainohana Technical Secondary School in Bereina, Kairuku District of Central Province, celebrated it’s 70th Grade 10 graduation ceremony on Wednesday (2 October).

A total of 153 Grade 10 students graduated alongside 87 Grade 12 students.

It’s the 20th Graduation for the Grade 12’s.

Mainohana is a Catholic agency school established in 1958 by the De La Salle Brothers.

Mainohana Technical Secondary School is now a level nine school that services people in the Kairuku, Goilala and the Gulf Province.

With the theme “Valuing Your Education as Agents of Change with Faith and Love”, school Principal Nicholas Maino told the graduating students to always value themselves.

“There is always a good future out there for you, if you make a change, if you believe in yourself, if you have self-determination, if you value your education, if you value yourself and your life and you have trust and confidence in yourself.

“You will have a bright future,” Maino said.

He said with a teaching capacity of 27 teachers this year, the school ensured it provided the space to inspire students, both spiritually and physically to value knowledge and skills that will support them as foundations to challenge them to be successful.

Outgoing Head-Girl, Rachael Ume acknowledged all the teachers, staff, family and the community’s contributions to their education.

“High School for the most of us was more than just classes and grades, it was about finding our voices, pushing our boundaries and sometimes just figuring out how to open our books. It was in this arena that we laughed, we struggled and we grew.”

Former Mainohana High School student and current MP, Peter Isoaimo who has always been supportive to the school since taking office shared his experience on how difficult it was when he attended the school in 1982 to 1985.

“Many of the infrastructure you enjoy today, were built on our hands. We were taught the hard way to learn discipline and virtues of honesty.”

He told both the grades 10 and 12s that this graduation isn’t the end of education, as learning should continue where-ever they are.

“To achieve your goals, is mere perseverance and hard work. Nothing is easy! God will grant your hard work! There is no free life for anybody.”

Mainohana Technical Secondary School this year enrolled 583 students. 538 of them were boarding .

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Southern Region Completes Review of National Youth Development Act 2014

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The National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Regional Consultation Workshop for Southern Region is the 4th regional consultation workshops that took place on the 17th-21 September 2024 at the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance in Port Moresby.

The purpose of the workshop is to review the NYDA Act 2014, gauge views and opinions of the participants regarding the legal impediments identified in the NYDA Act 2014.

More than fifty participants (NGO, youth reps, community development officer, Stakeholders and Partners) from Milne bay, Daru, Central, Gulf and National Capital Districts raised important views and concerns, especially issues surrounding youth age bracket, lack of coordination, youth representation in the decision making, implementation of youth programs, activities between the national and subnational level.

Director General, Joe Itaki said in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders, NYDA need to work together to raise the bar pertaining to youth interventions, hence the act review is timely to ground programs on a solid legal footing.

“This will help towards strengthening connection from national to the subnational level.

“This is the only time we give our best inputs to change the law process.

“The current Act was done in 2014 and there was no fair consultation workshops like this, as a result there were many disconnection in the Province, District and LLG in terms of getting credible youth services provider who have the recognition to establish the mission,” he said.

In order to change the course of how things were done fifteen to twenty years ago, NYDA aims to create an equal playing field for every youth and stakeholder with strong legal platforms.

All the views and opinions collected from all the stakeholders will be vetted and draft amended version of NYDA Act 2014 will be table before NEC and Parliament.

Related article: https://insidepng.com/modern-youth-challenges-require-new-laws-to-address/

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Modern Youth Challenges Require New Laws to Address

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The riots of January 10, dubbed the “Black Wednesday”, has left a huge imprint, with the Marape-Rosso Government not only calling a Commission of Inquiry into the PNG Royal Constabulary but also summoning heads of departments and government authorities responsible for youth policies and intervention to do something.

One of the instructions was to review the current National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Act 2014 and align it with current trends and challenges facing Papua New Guinean youths.

The National Youth Development Authority recently concluded the Southern and final regional consultation in Port Moresby.

NYDA Director General, Joe Itaki as the chief adviser said through these consultation workshops, led by the NYDA legal team, they now have a clear glimpse of how and where they can position youth intervention programs, as far as legal frameworks are concerned.

“The challenges we faced today is not the same as in the past,” said Itaki.

Dickson Kiragi from the office of Civil Registry said; “We can talk about youth’s developments in the country but if we do not have responsive comprehensive policies and legislation, we will not progress.”

He said the policies and legislation will always become the impediments to the aspirations of the youths.

“In terms of the legislative review and development, it is critical for NYDA and for those of us who facilitate in the youth space to get it right,” Kiragi said.

The revised Act will ensure provisions that will allow youth service providers and the stakeholders to proactively participate. This will allow the Government to allocate grants for them to implement youth activities in the district and LLG level.

The NYDA’s role is to provide coordination, policy and not implementation.

Itaki acknowledged the representatives of churches, youth service providers and stakeholders for its recommendations to the Act review process.

He said partners are to implement youth’s activities in the country therefore it’s very important they participate in such workshops.

Views and opinions collected from all the stakeholders will be vetted and a draft amended version of NYDA Act 2014 will be table before NEC and Parliament, most likely the beginning of next year.

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Parkop Condemns Violence in Port Moresby

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NCD Governor Powes Parkop in a statement addressed the pressing need for improved security measures following the killing of a man in Tokarara suburb in Port Moresby.

The attack and killing, which occurred over the weekend was all captured on video.

Parkop highlighted the urgent need for a permanent appointment of the NCD and Central Police Commander, as well as immediate funding for the much-anticipated CCTV Safe City Project as promised by the Prime Minister James Marape in 2023.

Since the riots on January 10, 2024, the police command has only had acting appointments.

Parkop stressed that if the Inquiry has cleared ACP Wagambie, he should be reinstated.

“Otherwise, Acting ACP Peter Guinness should be made permanent so he can develop a better strategy to counter the rise in offenses like armed hold-ups,” he says.

The Governor’s comments come in light of a violent clash where a security officer was reportedly shot dead during an armed robbery at a local store in Tokarara..In response, a gang member was killed in retaliation by the victim’s colleagues and family.

Parkop extended his condolences, stressing that “both deaths are totally unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances.”

He acknowledged the rise in petty crimes and hold-ups, urging both national and local governments to implement social and economic solutions to prevent youth from turning to crime.

“Our ordinary and decent residents are fed up with crime,” he states.

Parkop has called on the police to apprehend those involved in the recent violence, using evidence from widely circulated social media footage.

“I call on the police to intervene quickly to neutralize the situation and ensure the culprits are brought to justice,” he added.

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