Funds to help better lives

THE governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea are improving the lives of six communities in West New Britain through funding support of K470,160.
The funding deeds signed in Kimbe last Friday will improve the communities’ access to clean water and sanitation, informal education, increased income generation opportunities for women and people with disability.
Under these grants, the Hoskins Disability Sports Organisation will build a literacy resource centre with an AusAID funding of K78,965 to increase participation and services for disabled people.
In the Kandrian-Gloucester district, AusAID will provide K76,300 to the Ward 11 development committee and K79, 816 to Santu Maria Gorety Kapo Catholic mothers to run small income-earning activities for women.
The Ngatavine Bola Association, in Talasea, will receive K79,578 and the Aigon Cooperative Society K79,201 to build community centres, which would be used to raise awareness on health, social inclusion and gender equality.
A further K76,300 will go towards a WASH project for the Salelubu Mama Community-Based Organisation for clean water and sanitation.
“The latest funding support has seen Australia provide more than K2 million for small grants to 31 community-based organisations in Oro, Eastern Highlands, West Sepik, East New Britain and, today, in West New Britain,” head of AusAID in PNG Stuart Schaefer said.
“Australia, through SPSN, is pleased to be supporting community initiatives in education, health and livelihood aimed at improving and strengthening people which contribute to strengthening the nation.”
West New Britain provincial administration representative Leo Brown and SPSN field programme coordinator Helen Pamolak handed over approved funding deeds to the six successful organisations.
“AusAID is helping the provincial government build healthier, better informed communities through grants and the Kommuniti Project Plenning trainings for grant recipients and the provincial administration for the successful delivery of these projects,” Brown said.
Pamolak said SPSN hoped to empower communities and provincial governments to take ownership of development in their respective provinces.
These community groups have made community contributions to towards the total cost of the project to show ownership.