Abiara Oreke Primary school in ward 17 constituency of Kairuku District in Central Province opened a single stand alone staff house on Saturday (19 October).
The staff house was built at a total cost of K40 000.
The funding came from the Kairuku District Development Authority.
The DDA made another K50,000 commitment to assist the school with any infrastructure developments.
Head teacher for Oreke Primary School, Mr Jimmy Francis said housing is one of the key areas that needs serious consideration.
“Teachers, Doctors, etc, are very important service providers in the country, therefore to revive the District to a new level, housing is needed the most,” Francis said.
Mr Francis said Oreke Primary school is one of the least developed schools in the district, but with the help of the Kairuku DDA team he will now be intending to build one more staff house before the 2025 schooling year begins.
He further added in the beginning of this year there were eight teaching staff including Mr Francis, however, due to housing difficulties some of the teachers had to leave.
With the minimum number of teachers it is very difficult to double lessons and also take lead as a Head teacher for running the school.
The Kanosia road in the Malati LLG of Kairuku District in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea is a popular route for participants of the sport of Game Fishing.
It’s the route used by team leads to check on their crew during the tournaments.
With a spike in the number of visitors that enter Kairuku during the Game Fishing season, the local District Administration think it’s best to upgrade the road.
Kanosia road is about two kilometers from the main highway before reaching the jetty.
In a recent trip along the highway to inspect the road, local MP Peter Isoaimo said the road is durable during the dry season but the wet weather brings its own challenges.
“We want visitors passing through for the Game Fishing to access the jetty with ease, rain or shine,” Isoaimo said.
The road is not only frequented by the game fishing teams but also families in Port Moresby who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This creates an opportunity for villagers along the highway to earn a bit of income from the comforts of their home instead of travelling into the city.
The newly created Kairuku District is prioritizing the upgrading of all feeder roads to allow accessibility.
This year the DDA has committed K1 million for road upgrades.
Local contractors have been given the opportunity to bid for the funding.
TEN students from Unggai-Bena District i Eastern Highlands Province are settling well at China’s Three Gorges University.
The students departed PNG shores at the beginning of this month and will undertake various Undergraduate programs at the University.
This program to pursue education abroad is fully funded by the Unggai Bena District Development Authority.
Costing about K388,000, the district commits to give young Papua New Guineans the opportunity of exposure to study overseas and experience different cultures.
The crop of students included in this program are recent Grade 12 graduates and who met the entry requirements of University.
The District aims to send a maximum of 200 students by 2025 to study abroad.
Director of the Unggai-Bena District Education Scholarship, Dr Jethro Messimato expressed gratitude toward the local MP and Minister for Higher Education, Research Science and Technology, Kinoka Feo for the support.
“Our aim is to provide our young people with exposure and opportunities they may not easily access locally,” Messimato said.
“We facilitate the process by helping students identify scholarships, apply to universities and secure placements based on their academic achievements.”
The District also has a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s Parul University with a similar number of students expected to depart soon under this agreement.
In his efforts to ensure that every citizen has access to quality education, Prime Minister James Marape, encouraged and directed the education ministries to focus not only on public schools, but also on private education providers.
He said with the growing population and increasing demand for education, there is a huge potential for private education providers to thrive in our country.
“By giving attention to these institutions, the government can facilitate their growth and provide more opportunities for students to receive a well-rounded education.
Marape said he recognizes the importance of education for the progress of Papua New Guinea and adds that his emphasis on private education providers demonstrates his commitment to creating a strong and diverse education system for all.
On a related note, PM James Marape also said he would like to ease the financial burden of parents who send their children to private schools.
Ramhaga Adventist Primary School is situated in the Huhu Local Level Government of the Alotau District, has received assistance in food and toiletries to the tune of K10,000 from the local district.
These items were presented to the school by the local MP on Monday (7 October), Isi Henry Leonard after a formal request was sent to the district office by the school.
The school, an Adventist Church-run institution comes under Northern and Milne Bay Mission.
The school in recent times has been challenged with insufficient supply of food for their boarding students.
With many students from Samarai-Murua enrolled there, the District had to chip in.
Member for Alotau, Ricky Morris also assisted the school with food supplies, however, that supply has since been depleted.
The school has planted its own garden food but the food is not ready for harvest.
Leonard said despite the school not being under his jurisdiction, it was only right for him to assist because of Samarai-Murua students and that the end of the year exams is underway for Grade 10s’.
“I saw the reports and the requests coming in and the need to support the school. The end of the year is critical as students must sit for their examinations.”
The Samarai – Murua MP also expressed his gratitude to the Member for Alotau Open for his support to the school.
Ramhaga Adventist Primary School Board Member and local mission representative Mr. Lester Toukmai thanked the Member and his team for responding to their calls for assistance.
He says these supplies are enough to take them through to the end of the academic year.
Among the food supplies, the school also requested for two drums of petrol and zoom. The district presented them a total of four drums.
The Minister for Justice and the Attorney General Pila Niningi has acknowledged the work of the Land Commission of Papua New Guinea for its ongoing research on colonial land acquisition at the Bundesarchiv or Federal Archives in Berlin.
This research is a crucial step in addressing the land ownership related historical injustices and will guide future policies to protect the rights of our citizens.
The Minister in a statement says this initiative is an important step towards reconciling our colonial past.
“By thoroughly examining the historical records, we can better advocate for the rights of our citizens and inform our policies to support rightful land ownership.”
The Minister highlighted that the upcoming diplomatic meetings the Land’s Commission will have in Berlin including a scheduled discussion with the Minister of State assisting the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Katya Keul, is very significant because it will provide a platform to strengthen bilateral ties and explore potential support for the Commission’s work.
Minister Niningi also highlighted the potential for expanding research opportunities at additional archives such as the Geheimes staatsarchiv, the Political Archive of the Foreign Ministry and the Church Archive which will broaden our understanding of this complex history.
“Our goal is to provide comprehensive data that can inform our legislative reforms and empower our communities,” he says.
The Minister went on to thank the Marape -Rosso Government, the German Federal Foreign Office and other diplomatic partners who also came onboard to support the Land’s Commission in its effort to retrieve Papua New Guinea’s colonial land acquisition records from Germany.
He further expressed his gratitude to the commission for their dedication and professionalism in this critical undertaking.
The Minister ussures the public that updates will be provided as the research progresses
The Land’s Commission team, led by Chief Commissioner Molean Kilepak has made remarkable progress analyzing over 25,000 slides from various micro flims, relating to German – New Guinea.
The recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the USAID PNG Sustainable Landscape Program and the Department of Lands and Physical Planning marks a significant step in promoting sustainable land management in Papua New Guinea.
The agreement signing on Wednesday (09/10/24), builds upon previous agreements with organizations such as the European Union and JICA, reflecting a robust international commitment to environmental stewardship.
Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, Mr. Benjamin Samson, emphasized the importance of a bottom-up approach in implementing the national sustainable land policy, which aims to integrate land use planning at the district and provincial levels.
This initiative not only seeks to enhance the sustainable use of the country’s rich natural resources but also aims to stimulate economic growth and improve livelihoods.
David Sean Burt, the Energy Environment Resilience Office Director, highlighted the U.S. commitment to fostering conservation and empowering women as decision-makers in this process.
By aligning efforts across various sectors, this agreement promises to advance sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and land use, ultimately contributing to the preservation of ecosystems vital for climate resilience.
The collaboration underscores a shared vision of sustainable development that benefits both the environment and local communities.
Papua New Guinea fashion was represented on the global stage in Russia at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit held from October 3 – 6 in Moscow.
Over 180 countries were represented at the prestigious event.
The Fashion Summit culminated in the formation of the BRICS International Fashion Federation.
Representing PNG, Ms Philma Kelegai the Founder and Managing Director of PNG Fashion Week said it was such a great success to be part of the Federation.
Fashion associations from more than 50 countries joined the BRICS International Fashion Federation.
It aims to establish new centers of influence, and strengthen international ties to improve the industry’s sustainability and provide emerging designers with a platform to grow.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa.
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow provided industry leaders from manufacturing countries like China, India and Indonesia to share their experiences while others from Malaysia, Argentina and France discussed opportunities among participants.
The highlight of the Summit was the Heritage Exhibition where designers showcased their work. Fashion Week specialists spoke at this event discussing the unique challenges and opportunities that contributed to nation building.
Speaking at the ‘Fashion from Afar’ Segment of the summit, Ms Kelegai promoted and marketed Papua New Guinea as a fashion tourism destination.
She said, “with our rich culture and heritage we are in a unique position to showcase fashion through the lens of a thousand tribes.”
Wandid Amini Korimbo, owner of Niugini Native designs (centre) and Elizabeth Omeri of Denani Designs (Second from right)
Fashion is a thriving business in PNG, a number of indigenous designers use local designs to create their unique style.
Ms Kelegai added, ‘this is our strength and our fashion designers are our ambassadors, they will tell our story and the world wants to experience the final frontier of fashion.”
Papua New Guinea Fashion week is scheduled for September during the country’s 50th Independence anniversary in 2025.
Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic, two PNG designers, Denani Design’s Elizabeth Omeri and Niugini Native’s Wandid Amini Korimbo returned this week after attending a fashion show in Utah, United States.
Held from September 21 – 29, 2024 the event was hosted by Creative Pacific Foundation.
The show held a panelist and workshop session where designers from the Pacific discussed their work.
The PNG Designers promoted two unique parts of PNG.
Mrs Korimbo, spoke on culture and tradition while Ms Omeri launched her eco-printing collection and spoke about sustainable fashion.
The Minister for Education and Member for Gumine, Dawa Lukas Dekena, recently made a significant announcement declaring Waigani Christian Academy as an institution to facilitate teacher training for Early Childhood Learning.
He said this declaration highlights the government’s commitment to improving the education sector, particularly in the training and development of early childhood educators.
With this new status, the academy will be able to offer specialized courses and programs tailored to equip aspiring teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively educate and shape the future generation.
WCA Founder Benjamin Mul, pointed out that this move by Minister Dekena is a significant step towards enhancing the standard of early childhood education in the country and ensuring that every child receives a solid foundation for their academic journey.
The Minister’s commitment to allocate five million kina towards ensuring that early childhood teachers are adequately trained before being sent out for their mission is a crucial step towards improving the quality of education for young children in the country.
“This investment will not only benefit the teachers by equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge, but it will also have a positive impact on the development and well-being of the children they will be teaching.
“Properly trained early childhood teachers play a vital role in shaping the early years of a child’s education and setting a strong foundation for their future learning,” Dekena said.
Prime Minister James Marape announced that his government will be looking at relieving some financial loads of parents who send their children to private schools.
During a speech at the Waigani Christian College recently, Marape said they should have a scheme come next year 2025.
Marape expressed his gratitude to all the parents who have always prioritized their children’s education by enrolling them in privately owned educational institutions.
He acknowledged the sacrifices that parents make in order to provide for their children with a better education and promised to support them in their efforts.
The PM said the government will be implementing a scheme to provide assistance to those families who send their children to private schools, as they often have higher fees compared to public schools.
He emphasized that the government’s goal is to ensure that all children in Papua New Guinea have access to quality education, regardless of whether they attend public or private schools.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that the government will be reviewing their policies and budget allocations in order to make this plan a reality by the year 2025.
He assured the parents that the taxes they pay will be utilized to support their children’s education.
