Training gives women in mining regions a new recipe for leftover food

A GROUP of 30 women from the Wafi-Golpu mine impact areas have been trained to process food to preserve and sell.
They were taught how to make pawpaw and pineapple jam and to make bread from sweet potato and cassava.
The jam can also be used as dips for banana and kaukau chips they are making.
The training was facilitated by the National Agriculture Research Institute’s post-harvest and processing team.
Co-facilitator Bafinu Baine said the training programmes were to show participants that the harvest from their gardens and fruit leftover from their market sales could be processed and stored.
He said pawpaw and pineapple could be processed.
Sangeng Yakobus from Kapunung village in Lower Watut, Morobe, said she learnt how to make food last longer.
She hopes to teach other women in her village.
Gender and Community Development coordinator Grace Samuel said the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture would continue to support women’s development programmes.
“We have a strong focus on agriculture and empowering our communities, especially the women, so that they can have food security and the skills necessary to look after their families,” Samuel said.
National Agriculture Research Institute’s Dr Sim Sar encouraged the participants to use the skills learnt to enrich their lives and provide better, healthier food for their families.