Chimbu women gear up for floral show in Capital

By ZACHERY PER
A CONTINGENT of Chimbu women is set to hit the Port Moresby floriculture show with a splash of colour next week.
According to Josephine Siure, matron of Simbu Botany Club, the group has recently learnt a few new tricks and was eagerly looking forward to demonstrating their skills in the capital.
“We are ready to deploy the largest group from Chimbu, a province out of Port Moresby to the floriculture show to showcase unique floral varieties including orchid species from the higher altitude of Mt Wilhelm to lower altitudes and their special floral arrangements.”
She said floriculture was one of the core activities of Simbu Botany Club which also was involved in advocacy for environment preservation and the protection of flora and fauna.
“I am getting over 50 women ready to will fly into Port Moresby via Mt Hagen and Goroka airports as Kundiawa airport remains closed.”
Siure said preparations began with a successful three days of training conducted by Port Moresby-based Marylelzs Orchid In-bloom director Mary Elizabeth Saun at Windy Lodge outside Kundiawa town from March 14-15.
She said the Simbu Botany Club under her leadership initiated the training for the women to learn how to do cut flower arrangements, ornamental preparations, types and varieties, quality control, handling for markets, packaging, transportation, pricing, identifying species, arrangements of flowers for various occasions and learning their technical and scientific names.
And the Chimbu women have set their minds on impressing at the show and earning a place to be part of the Apec Leaders Summit.
“We are going to the show targeting the judges to select us to do floral decorations for the Apec leaders’ summit in November this year, we are going to do our utmost best,” Siure said.
Simbu Botany Club director Eric Sinebare said it was important to prepare women in floriculture to participate in the Apec summit by preparing floral decorations for meeting venues that will boost their morale in taking their floriculture skills to the next level.
He said the training in March was the first stage and going to the show was like taking the women entrepreneurs to the next level.
They will pursue the third and fourth steps on how to decorate for very high profile meetings and dinning venues for international conferences like the actual Apec leader’s summit in November.
Sinebare said the botany club was left without a patron after the passing of then patron and Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Joe Mek Teine.
He said the club decided to appoint Josephine Suire as the new matron after she used her own resources towards helping the club and floriculture activities in the province.
“We were overwhelmed by the support of Josephine Siure and have decided to name her as the matron of Simbu Botany Club, any decisions and plans would have to be approved by the matron,” Sinebare said.
Siure vowed to help stage several floriculture shows in Kundiawa during her tenure.
Training coordinator Joanne Sinebare said their participation at the National Floriculture Show in Port Moresby from May 7-13 this year was important to showcase their hidden potentials.
“We want our group to prepare for floral decoration for Apec leaders’ summit; we are committed towards achieving that,” she said.
Provincial agriculture advisor Toki Damien said floriculture was one of the recognised activities under the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and his division supported the Simbu Botany Club.
He said the women received support from the provincial department of agriculture (DAL) and the provincial government to participate in the show.
Simbu Botany Club is a subsidiary of Sangamanga Culture and Environment Protection (SCEP) that advocates protecting cultural heritages, flora and fauna.
It is now also supporting women in floriculture with the aim to eventually affiliate members of the Simbu Botany Club to national and international floriculture shows and festivals.