Ok Tedi women venture into business

WOMEN living in areas around the Ok Tedi mine are now investing in business opportunities for their long term benefit.
Some women, from lower Ok Tedi through their Nima Ara Women’s Association, were presented two new buses to help transport workers at Ok Tedi’s dredging project at Bige.
The 15-seater and 25-seater buses were handed over to lower Ok Tedi Investment Ltd earlier this month in a small but rather significant ceremony.
Nima Ara is a women’s association within the community mine continuation agreement (CMCA) region.
LOTIC is a landowner company which has been engaged by OTML to provide logistical support to its Bige operation, which is one of OTML’s operating bases.
Ok Tedi Fly River development programme (OTFRDP) executive manager for support services Ben Kamaya said this was the first such arrangement women from mine- impacted areas had embarked on.
He said OTFRDP was committed to supporting women and children in mine impacted communities by providing various income earning opportunities for them.
“I want to say thank you to LOTIC and OTML for giving women this opportunity.
“This is the first for all the eight associations within the CMCA got to be involved as far as business opportunities are concerned,” he said.
“Ara is setting the pace by going into an arrangement like this and this demonstrates the confidence you have in LOTIC and to invest your resources into. 
“I believe these two investments are good and will bring good returns to support women within the association,” Kamaya said.