Bank sets branch in remote village

 By ROBERT TIKI

THE Nenga Romtemb Seeds of Hope Association project was approved by the Mt Hagen Bank South Pacific (BSP) last Friday.

BSP officials in Mt Hagen travelled to Waknam village in Mul district to approve the establishment of rural banking in Waknam.

That is one of several projects the association has initiated. The association was the initiative of elites of the Nenga Romtemb clan who aimed to give back to their community through basic services.

The association had built the Waknam Health Centre, sponsored students to pursue education, established churches in the area and bought two chainsaws for cutting timber to build permanent houses.

Association president John Joe Taka said they wanted to give back to their community whichever way they could.

“We aim to make our place a role model by setting up services in the area. We can’t wait for the government to provide us all these vital services,’’he said.

Taka said their people had been neglected by the government over the years in terms of basic services.

“If we continue to expect from government, nothing will happen and our people back in the village will suffer,’’ he said.