Dialogue crucial in development

KNOWLEDGE sharing between partners and stakeholders is important for the common good and improving living standards in the community, Sister Mary Kolkia said.
Kolkia, director of Mercy Works, made the comment at a monthly meeting of Community Home Bases Care (CHBC) volunteers at the Appropriate Technology Centre, in Eastern Highlands province, recently.
She said that it was the first time for both the non-governmental organisations, as partners, to come together at the community level to talk to community
representatives.
Kolkia, who gave a presentation on the types of programmes the NGO ran for communities throughout the province, emphasised the importance of NGOs, partners and stakeholders working together at the community level.
She said in that way they would learn from each other because what they were doing was for the good of the community.
Kolkia said their programmes were designed to help communities to help themselves and to become self-sufficient.
Mercy Works has two types of programmes.
These are awareness campaigns such as understanding human rights, budget training, time management, health training, anger management and parenting skills.
The other programme is skills training where they focus ontraining communities to cook basic garden foods in different ways, sewing, adult literacy and screen-printing. The programmes are  free of charge.
Kolkia said they worked with partner organisations such as the Department of Primary Industries to improve villagers’ skills on how to properly look after livestock and
farming.

Everlyn Gorogoro, a CHBC volunteer from Kururumba village, Daulo district, was excited about the training opportunities presented by Mercy Works.
She said the training was free and she would like to involve all the mothers in her village to go to Mercy Works to learn how to cook.