Staff awarded grants for initiatives

TEN staff members of Digicel PNG have been awarded micro grants of K5,000 to roll out community initiatives thanks to the Digicel PNG Foundation.
The staff grants programme is part of the foundation’s staff engagement programme called ‘Live, Love, Learn’.
The programme encourages Digicel staff to be agents of change in their communities by living out the company’s values, loving the work they do and learning new skills through volunteering.
The 10 awardees – Serah Waim, Kelly Kom, Clerence Heroni, Veronica Ponning, Steven Polty, Jack Salatiel, Jason Hoga, Joseph Mek, Jeffrey Mika and Ghani Gomuna – came from the Port Moresby, Momase and Highlands branches.
To assist with their leadership journey, the staff were given one-year memberships to The Voice Inc in order to access their meeting rooms, training programmes, community gatherings and the grants programme.
The awardees will be implementing a range of projects including providing education infrastructure and water tanks to schools, livelihood projects and conducting community awareness against violence through sports.
Chairman for Digicel Group and Digicel Foundation’s patron Denis O’Brien presented the grant awards and stressed on the company’s commitment to philanthropy and nation building.
“When we launched our voice network in PNG, we wanted to be a different type of multi-national company, so it was the right thing to do to set up the foundation one year later in 2008,” he said.
“After years of doing infrastructure projects in schools, supporting people living with disabilities and addressing violence through the Men of Honour Campaign, we are now giving our staff the opportunity to participate in community development.”
Digicel PNG Foundation chief executive Serena Sasingian said she was pleased that so many staff had put in applications for the small grants programme initiated by the foundation.
“We want you to be agents of change in your community, and be proud that through the work you do, Digicel Foundation is able to contribute to the development of the nation,” Sasingain said.