Briefs

Support for women
DEPARTMENT for Community Development and Religion deputy secretary Warren Marape says the department will ensure policies are in place for women to play equal roles in the development of the country. He said this at a National Council of Women presidents’ conference in Port Moresby recently. “It starts with you, women, if you can put your house in order, development partners like the United Nations Women will continue to provide support,” he told women leaders at the convention.

No help for primary school
The St John Bosco Primary School in Minj, Jiwaka, relies mainly on project fees from parents to operate, according to head teacher Joseph Kupo. He explained that the Government’s tuition subsidy was not always paid on time or in full and the school also did not receive any funding from its district development authority or the provincial government.

ENB commits to land care
THE East New Britain government is now committed to supporting the land care management programme in the province. This was revealed by the provincial chairman of lands and forestry and also the Kombiu local level government president Michael Warium.

Water is life, says Tammur
Without water there is no life, every living thing, including human beings and animals, needs water and it is very important for the Government to build and restore water supply services in the country’s rural and urban areas. Kokopo MP Emil Tammur said this during the dedication of the restored water supply services for the Vunamami ward one in the Kokopo’s Kokopo-Vunamami urban LLG in East New Britain.

Red Cross honours volunteers
THE Papua New Guinea Red Cross society recently celebrated its volunteers and mothers in Port Moresby. Branch development coordinator Allison Yamo said: “Countrywide, we try to maintain 1,000 volunteers and the branches do voluntary recruitment by finding replacements for the ones that move on, so expect at least 10-plus volunteers at each branch.”

Dept green lights centres
DEPARTMENT of Justice and Attorney-General secretary Dr Eric Kwa says that community justice service centres (CJSCs) serve a bigger purpose for the future development of the country. “The Department of Personnel Management has already approved the positions for all our CJSCs so we are looking to employ an additional 300 or so people in the next three years, sending them into the districts,” he said.

Child, family agencies meet
THE Office of Child and Family Services recently hosted consultation for the Highlands in Western Highlands in preparation for the Convention on the Rights of Children in New York and Geneva. Child protection officers, churches and civil society groups and agencies, from the Highlands attended the two-day consultations giving their status reports on children and writing the UN theoretic report. Director Simon Yanis said the Government had been talking about youths that were a population that needed help and guidance to change attitudes and give direction and purpose.