NCD Grassroots Foundation aims to help settlers

By JUNIOR UKAHA
A NEW non-governmental organisation was officially launched yesterday to advocate service delivery to settlements in Port Moresby.
Group founder and patron Michael Kandiu said the National Capital District Grassroots Network Foundation was an organisation formed to improve the standard of living for settlers in the city. 
Kandiu, who gave K400,000 to the executives, said the foundation was all about people helping people and people wanting to change their attitude for the better.
“The foundation has 4,000 members of people living in poverty and suffering in our city settlements,” he said.
“The single largest action and priority identified by the members of the foundation that requires action to fight poverty and empower our settlement people with better quality life is access to clean water and proper sewerage.” He said service providers and planners must understand what the people felt in settlements and how they lived.
Acting executive director Benny Yalu said the group was formed with six pillars in mind – to improve education, health, infrastructure, business opportunities, youth, women and churches and law and order in settlements.  
He said the foundation had already provided water tanks to a number of settlements where there was no proper supply and is looking at expanding its programme to other affected areas.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who officiated at the launch, described Kandiu as “a true champion” as he had used his own initiative to bring services to unfortunate people.
He said the country needed more leaders like Kandiu so that services could be effectively delivered to the people.
O’Neill committed K500,000 to the foundation and said as long as his government was in power it would continue to help settlers.