Resource centre opens to boost women’s skills and knowledge

A WOMEN’S resource centre in Boera village near the PNG LNG plant site opened yesterday.
The centre is part of the ongoing support from ExxonMobil PNG to communities in Central and other impact areas of the PNG LNG project.
The centre, which cost K26,000, will be used for capacity building and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) initiatives for women in PNG LNG plant site villages.
“We are investing heavily in community development programmes to promote economic growth to improve the quality of life for the people of this country,” said LNG site operations manager, Jagir Baxir.
The centre will host ExxonMobil-supported training like those provided by the Young Women’s Christian Association.
The centre will facilitate financial literacy training and other opportunities to expand women’s knowledge and skills in small business management.
It will also house the Diari Tailoring project which will be able to increase the number of free training places for single mothers, widows and disadvantaged women.
Boera village councillor Vivien Dai thanked ExxonMobil for the new infrastructure and assured the company they would look after it while looking forward to broader opportunities the facility would provide for women in their community.
ExxonMobil PNG invested K2,264,000 last year on building new infrastructure or refurbishing existing facilities in PNG LNG project areas.
Baxir said the company was delighted to partner the community to provide an important facility in which women would have greater access to training.