Manus reaps benefit from AusAID

 AUSTRALIA provided almost K300,000 in grants yesterday to help improve health services, access to clean water, better sanitation and shelter in five Manus communities.

The head of Australian Aid in PNG Stuart Schaefer attended the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen (SPSN) programme grants in a ceremony in Lorengau on Monday.

Schaefer said the projects would improve lives in the small, isolated communities such as Butchou, where women and children often paddled three to four hours a day to fetch clean water.

“Australia will help Butchou to supply clean water to the community and build toilets that will reduce disease for more than 600 people,” Schaefer said.

“More than 1,600 people in Naringel, Riuriu and Papitalai wards will get better access to health care when a new aid post is built at the Los Negros LLG administration centre.

“In Likum  village,  a community health worker house will be funded and the Likum LLG will fund an aid post to provide more than 600 people with health services in their village for the first time in 15 years.

“A new water supply system in Ndrehet will be funded so women and children won’t need to take a long, difficult and dangerous walk to get water, while new toilets will help to reduce disease for the entire community.

“On the island of Kali, shelter will be built where  women will use as a resource centre to plan and deliver a village microfinance banking system that will improve livelihoods.”

Schaefer said each community had identified its needs, worked in cooperation with local level governments and other groups and committed its own funds to the projects.