Organisations sign K3.3m in deeds

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

TWO civil society organisations yesterday signed funding deeds of more than K3.3 million with AusAID through the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen (SPSN) programme.

The Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV) received K2,280,966 and Callan Services received K1,091,825.

Programmes that would be funded under EHFV include counseling services for victims (women) of violence, advocacy for positive role models (men), children protection and strengthening organisational capacity. 

Funding for the programmes under the Callan Service would used to;

lSupport systems and processes to better monitor the 19 special education resource centers (SERCs);

lImprove the technical capacity and quality of the work of lecturers at Callan SERCs and elsewhere;

lProvide support in the management and service delivery skills at the SERCs for community based rehabilitation for persons living with disabilities; and

lStrengthening organisational capacity of Callan Services. 

Callan director Br Kevin Ryan said the key partnership concept promoted long-term sustainability.

He said the funding would be used to support the special education resource centers and to gather more accurate and useful data for the organisation’s work in its centers throughout the country.

“There are a range of services of to be delivered and the better we get the more we serve.”

Ryan stressed on the need for children with special needs to have access to universal education by 2015. 

EHFV executive director John Ericho said they were grateful for the funding from SPSN.

Ericho said they had discussed with Eastern Highlands education authorities to provide counseling services to schools and also provide training to students at the University of Goroka.

He added that it was significant for EHFV to provide training to students at the university as it would also benefit students from other Pacific Island countries who studied at the institution. 

SPSN programme director Jeremy Syme highlighted key concept of partnership between AusAID and the recipients, saying it was a partnership between two organisations that worked towards achieving a common goal.

“We hope that funds that go to Callan Services will consolidate the services and the funds that go to Family Voice will strengthen their programmes,” he said.