UNFPA aids UPNG peer educators

PEER educators at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby will have no trouble bringing the much needed outreach programme on reproductive and sexual health education to schools in NCD and nearby settlements and villages.
Their work has been made easy with the delivery of a 15-seater bus that was bought last Monday through the annual financial grant given by the United Nation’s Population Fund (UNFPA).
UNFPA assistant representative Dr Gilbert Hiawalyer together with UPNG’s vice-chancellor Prof Ross Hynes officiated at a small ceremony to hand over the bus to the peer educators.
Prof Hynes said the important work of the peer educators would be boosted with the availability of the bus.
Meanwhile, Dr Hiawalyer said UNFPA supported the peer educators’ initiative to extend its programme to students and the public in the city.
The director of UPNG’s student welfare and development Garua Peni expressed her gratitude to UNFPA for approving the funds to purchase the bus.
“This will greatly help the peer educators in carrying out their programme to their full potential,” she said.
The student-led programme started as a response to unplanned pregnancies and reported cases of HIV amongst the student population two years ago.
It was a component of UPNG’s adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH) programme that complemented awareness on violence to giving life skill training and encouraging the healthy mind, healthy body and healthy sex life (H3 MBS) concept.
The UNFPA has been providing technical support to more than 50 students who are trained  to be peer educators at the University of Papua New Guinea.