Residents complete business skills course

 FIFTY residents of Waikele community of Gerehu Stage 5 in the National Capital District have graduated under the first Life & Business Skills Programme for 2016.

The two week course was facilitated by Ginigoada Bisnis Development Foundation and funded by Digicel PNG Foundation. 

The two organisations have worked in partnership since 2012 to equip men, women and youth with life skills and basic business knowledge. 

Participant Charlie Tenaliu described the training as “life changing”.

“The two things that we really learnt were how to manage your life and business because both work hand in hand,” Tenaliu said. 

“Going home after each session, me and the other participants talk and share with each other how we would take a new approach to our lives. 

“These two weeks have really motivated and inspired us to move and take a new direction in our lives and not live as we were before. 

“So after this programme, as changed persons, with a new mindset and attitude and conduct, we would like to make a change in our community going forward,” Charlie said.

The programme is a holistic approach to address gender-based violence in PNG. 

It uses a mobile approach where the facilitator takes the programme to communities. 

The first week is a workshop on ‘community conversations’ where topics on basic health and hygiene, nutrition, family planning, HIV/AIDs and issues affecting day to day living of family units are discussed. 

The second week is a basic business training course where participants are taught on how to start and manage a small income generating activity so that profits made from these small businesses can be used to sustain the livelihoods of communities.