Australia funds church programme in Chimbu

By JACINTA COHLEE
AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner Jonathan Philp visited ELCPNG Chimbu last week to listen to success stories of people engaged in a church partnership programme funded by the Australian government.
Out of the church’s 17 districts, Philp visited the ELCPNG Chimbu to observe what the district had been doing under the programme.
The programme was established to engage women and youths into taking the lead to do awareness and address social issues in the community.
Youth representative Gilbert Gora said the youths’ training was focused mainly on physical and mental disabilities.
The district’s women coordinator, Agnes Gabee said under the programme, women were guided and taught through six pillars (economic, social, spiritual, physical, intellectual and system strengthening).
Gabee said these were key pillars of the training.
“Chimbu has a high illiteracy rate, but through the programme, we’ve managed to help many women who can now read and write through adult literacy,” she said.
“The training would still proceed to other communities identified by women.”
Gabee said a sorcery violence advocacy was part of the social pillar which was carried out for 20 days in the district and head bishop Rev Dr Jack Urame was part of.
“Lives are lost, children are homeless and left orphaned and villages are burnt and destroyed because of this belief,” Urame said.
He said there had to be a new level of cooperation between different stakeholders to reduce violence.