Villagers get dinghy and motor

 EAST New Britain Governor Ereman ToBaining Jr came to the rescue of Kabakaul villagers in Kokopo with the donation of a banana boat, equipped with a 40hp outboard motor.

ToBaining assured the people, during the presentation of the boat, that his administration would assist them when necessary. 

Kabakaul Fishing Cooperative manager Lucas Silou said the donation was a blessing to the community. 

He said that Kabakaul was a fishing village and the youths had turned to fishing to make a living since the prices for cocoa and coconut had dropped.

He added that as fishing was now their main source of income, the governor’s “meaningful intervention” was a major incentive and encouragement for the villagers.

ToBaining has also extended his assistance, through the Kokopo District joint district planning and budget priority committee, to other coastal communities in his electorate. 

He has delivered banana boats to the Kalpepe Cooperative Society in the Duke of York islands and the Bitabaur and Ranguna fishing cooperative groups. 

ToBaining also said that the Fisheries Ministry had allocated K200,000 for the purchase of banana boats for coastal fisheries projects in the Kokopo district.

The governor also donated brush cutters to churches in the Duke of York, including St Cecilia Catholic Mission, Rakauba, Piltop, Urakukur, Molot and Nakukur United Churches. Other to receive similar assistance included the Piltop Seventh-Day Adventist and Assemblies of God and the Mioko sports association. 

Chainsaws were also donated to the Mioko and Nakukur wards.