Pageant marks 10 years of women empowerment

WOMEN

My father is a geologist by profession and was the only bread winner until 2015 when he was made redundant. Since then my family and I have been relying on my mother’s doughnut market sales as our form of income to sustain the family. I too have been doing my ‘food pack’ sales to support my parents but all these was still not enough to cater for my academic tuition fees. Hence, I saw the MPIP PNG Scholarship as a great means of assistance to my tuition fees (last year and this year).
I would like to acknowledge and thank the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) PNG for considering me again as a second time worthy recipient to the scholarship. I was a first time recipient of the scholarship last year and it was truly a great assistance towards my 2019 academic year at the IBSUniversity.
– Rosemary Pawih

I had tears of joy to see Jamilla Sogoromo’s name. She has just lost her dad and this will definitely be of great help. God bless you all.
– Recipient’s family member M Baki

“Awesome! Empowering our future women leaders!”
Thank you MPIP PNG
– Jambi Garap

“Thank you MPIP for helping me with my daughter’s sponsorship. Honor and Glory belongs to God. God bless”
– Father of recipient , Lucas Samof

On behalf of Ms Hevami Petrus and the family, I thank MPIP PNG Committee for the scholarship and am honored for her to be one of the recipients for the MPIP PNG Scholarship. Thank you for your continuous generous support which has allowed her to complete her College education.
This scholarship will positively impact her future to pursue her dreams.
Once again we thank you and appreciate your thoughtful and generous support.
– Family of recipient

ABOVE are testimonies and comments that the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) PNG Committee has received from young women who received scholarships this year and their families. The MPIP PNG which is celebrating its 10th anniversary is proud to announce that it has awarded scholarships to 41 young women to the value of K150, 000 this year.
This brings the total amount since 2011 to K1.2 million awarded by MPIP PNG to about 400 young women in colleges and universities around the country.
Chairperson of the MPIP PNG Committee, Molly O’Rourke said, “On behalf of the MPIP PNG committee I would like to congratulate the 2020 MPIP PNG Scholarship recipients.
This year MPIP PNG has given out a total of K150, 000 for tuition only. A further K5300 will be provided under the Ruby Anne Laufa Memorial Award for a young woman to complete her studies at the Legal Training Institute in Port Moresby.
“The scholarships would not be possible without the generous support of our partners, sponsors and all our stakeholders who assisted us during the 2019 events, especially the regional Miss Pacific Islands pageant which we staged here in Port Moresby. Congratulations to our scholarship winners and we wish you the very best in 2020 as you pursue academic excellence!”
O’Rourke said MPIP PNG was intent on supporting high achievers and students like Rosemary Pawih, a contestant from 2017, who scored high distinction in her economic studies at IBSUniversity.
“Our priority areas for scholarships are Health, Education and Agriculture but selections are also based on high GPAs and whether the applicants supported the MPIP PNG platform by being a contestant, model at the Project Runway or help during our annual events,” she said.

O’Rourke said institutions for scholarship winners are spread throughout the country with seven for this year.
“There are two institutions which we have developed a close affiliation with over several years and they are the Salvation Army Community Health Workers Training School (SCHWTC) in Goroka and the Sacred Heart Teachers College (SHTC) just outside Port Moresby.”
“This year we are sponsoring 10 young women to complete their diploma in teaching studies at the SHTC outside Port Moresby and nine young women who are completing certificate courses at the SCHWTC in Goroka. These are teachers and health workers who will work in rural schools and health centres therefore we see a real need to educate them.”
By the same token, O’Rourke said MPIP PNG was proud that its investment in Abigail Havora, the first Miss Pacific Islands from PNG (2015-2016) and 2019 contestant Helen Ipauki has paid off as they will graduate from UPNG Medical School in April this year and pursue careers as doctors.
“As we celebrate 10 years, I would like to pay tribute to contestants and winners; two among them who were Miss Pacific Islands, Abigail Havora 2015-2016 and most recently; Leoshina Mercy Kariha 2018-2019.
“Our Miss PNG winners are Sarah Karo 2011-2012, late Ruby Anne Laufa 2012-2013, Christine Aiwa 2013-2014, Grace Nugi 2014-2015, Abigail Havora 2015-2016, Kellyanne Marie Limbiye 2016-2017, Niawali Anastasia Twain 2017-2018, Leoshina Mercy Kariha 2018-2019 and Lucy Philomena Maino 2019-2020.
“Without these beautiful young women, the MPIP PNG platform would not be where it is today,” said O’Rourke.
“Because of them and other contestants, the scholarship fund of the MPIP PNG has grown from strength to strength and is a testament that women in PNG care about each other and care about empowering each other.”
Established 10 years ago, the MPIP PNG is the local affiliate to the regional body based within the Samoan Government which owns the franchise. MPIP PNG is a registered charity with PNG IPA.
The regional platform promotes cultural tourism ambassadors, and the PNG pageant extends this platform to a holistic approach to empowerment of our young women – through education, cultural awareness, confidence building and community service.
“MPIP PNG is a pageant with a cause. Aside from all the glitz and glamour – there is a focus on developing our young women holistically; ensuring that they are growing in terms of academics, social consciousness, personal development and exposure to a bigger and brighter world. We also select one young woman to be a Tourism and Cultural ambassador for PNG in the region, sharing our rich cultural heritage and Melanesian Way and what PNG has to offer,” O’Rourke said.
“Our former Miss PNG winners, contestants and scholarship recipients are now Lawyers, Journalists, Nurses, Doctors and Scientists contributing positively and leading confidently in their workplaces and communities, some even having the opportunity to move overseas to work, live and pursue new dreams and goals!”
“We believe that education is the cornerstone of development on this nation.”