Foundation gets grant

THE United States Embassy in Port Moresby has announced a grant of US$17,382 (about K61,677) to a foundation to restore marine habitats through community-led coral gardening activities.
Kyeema Foundation’s work sought to restore marine habitats through community-led coral gardening activities in two coastal communities in Tubusereia and Ala’ala villages in Central.
Kyeema was awarded the grant based on the outline of their project with the key issue being the rapid decline of coral reef over the past 50 years due to increased fishing and climate change.
The embassy said the project came under the regional environment, science, technology, and health grants for Pacific Island states ran by the US Embassy in Suva, Fiji.
“Funding for these awards is provided by the US department of state bureau of oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs,” the embassy said in a statement.
“The projects are directed at environmental areas of focus, mainly to do with addressing climate change through ingenuity and innovation, combating conservation crimes and strengthening governance in wildlife, logging, mining and fishing, promoting US pollution control and waste management expertise, combating marine debris and pollution, protecting against infectious diseases and building global health security.”
“By restoring the reefs, we can improve food and nutrition security and income-generation options for village communities,” Kyeema Foundation said.
The project empowered local marine conservation leaders to work with their communities to establish effective and sustainable marine resource recovery zones.