Kissam, a first women alumnae under US programme

 RUTH Kissam, pictured, is the first Papua New Guinean Alumnae under the United States of America’s Department of State’s Community Solutions Programme. 

Kissam, 36, from Lagaip-Porgera district in Enga, has recently returned from the US after four months of intensive study.

The course was a professional development programme for the best and brightest global community leaders working in transparency, accountability, tolerance, conflict resolution, environmental issues and women and gender issues.

Kissam was part of a group that engaged with a local non-profit organisation that structured virtual learning and networking via the Online Community Leadership Institute in US. 

She is an activist of her community in the most notorious settlement in Warakum in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands

Through the programme, she was able to create a new school called Y Waves Entrepreneur Business School. 

Kissam said through Y Waves Entrepreneur Business School, the settlers can be able to get training on how they can pursue their new business ideas and receive funding from donor agencies and the government. 

She said a lot of the people living in the settlement already have the idea of running a business, like selling home-brew and marijuana, but these businesses are illegal and creates social disorder within the community. “These people are considered by the society as high risk and therefore they need to be assisted to earn a living, legally and not illegally,” she said.  

Kissam said that with the Y Waves Entrepreneur Business School, the people living in the settlements can be able to start up their businesses in a legal and legitimate manner by selling other business products. 

The school will also offer a Christian course along with the business courses and will be opening in July with its first intakes, who will be mainly settlers.