Students attending the Mary Immaculate Girls Technical Secondary School in the Gumine District of Chimbu Province are proud recipients of new school facilities.

The new facilities will support more girls every year from Chimbu and the surrounding highlands provinces to access high-quality technical and vocational education and training, improving their skills and broadening employment opportunities in the future.

A 76-bed dormitory, staff housing, student and staff ablution blocks and upgrades to facilities throughout the school were funded through the PNG-Australia Partnership Program at a cost of K6.4million.

“Empowering girls through education benefits everyone, not just the students. It means they can choose their own career paths and support themselves, their families and the community,” said High Commissioner Philp.

Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso said the Government is a strong supporter of empowering women and girls under the Take Back PNG Policy.

“It is important for our daughters to be educated too just like our sons,”

“Infrastructure such as this will provide more beneficial programs,” Rosso added.

The project also included procurement of new laptops, and sewing machines and training for girls in basic office administration, skill management and financial literacy.

“We are changing attitudes about what girls can do and empowering girls to believe in themselves and their abilities, fulfilling the school’s motto, ‘Empower to Serve’,”

“We are grateful to the PNG-Australian Partnership for helping us to achieve this goal and reach even more girls every year with these important opportunities,” said Sr Regina Anthony, the School Principal.

The facilities were opened by Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp, Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso and Gumine MP, Dawa Luckas.